September 4, 2008

Rosina Buckland (Day 2, Part2)

Research Assistant (Japanese Paintings), Japanese Section, Dept. of Asia, British Museum

Taking the British Museum to the World: Collections Online

As of December 2008, the Collections Online database of the British Museum has nearly 850,000 objects, and more records are being uploaded. Making the collections accessible to a global audience for education and research is one of the central aims of the database. In my presentation I will briefly outline the history of the collections database, and some of its strengths, as well as the process leading to the historic moment of its launch online. I will talk about some of the collaborative projects for digitalization and research, and explain the hopes for development of this essential resource in the future.