Conference„Zugang gestalten! Mehr Verantwortung für das kulturelle Erbe“
© Hansgeog Schöner (dasschöne.de), CC BY-SA 4.0

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© Hansgeog Schöner (dasschöne.de), CC BY-SA 4.0
  • © Hansgeog Schöner (dasschöne.de), CC BY-SA 4.0
  • © Hansgeog Schöner (dasschöne.de), CC BY-SA 4.0
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  • © Hansgeog Schöner (dasschöne.de), CC BY-SA 4.0
  • © Hansgeog Schöner (dasschöne.de), CC BY-SA 4.0
  • © Hansgeog Schöner (dasschöne.de), CC BY-SA 4.0
  • © Hansgeog Schöner (dasschöne.de), CC BY-SA 4.0
  • © Hansgeog Schöner (dasschöne.de), CC BY-SA 4.0
  • © Hansgeog Schöner (dasschöne.de), CC BY-SA 4.0
  • © Hansgeog Schöner (dasschöne.de), CC BY-SA 4.0
  • © Hansgeog Schöner (dasschöne.de), CC BY-SA 4.0
  • © Hansgeog Schöner (dasschöne.de), CC BY-SA 4.0
  • © Hansgeog Schöner (dasschöne.de), CC BY-SA 4.0
  • © Hansgeog Schöner (dasschöne.de), CC BY-SA 4.0
  • © Hansgeog Schöner (dasschöne.de), CC BY-SA 4.0
  • © Hansgeog Schöner (dasschöne.de), CC BY-SA 4.0
  • © Hansgeog Schöner (dasschöne.de), CC BY-SA 4.0
  • © Hansgeog Schöner (dasschöne.de), CC BY-SA 4.0
  • © Hansgeog Schöner (dasschöne.de), CC BY-SA 4.0
  • © Hansgeog Schöner (dasschöne.de), CC BY-SA 4.0
  • © Hansgeorg Schöner

From 4 to 6 October 2023, the conference “Zugang gestalten! Mehr Verantwortung für das kulturelle Erbe” was held at the University of Münster. It was hosted by the Centre for Advanced Study “Access to Cultural Goods in Digtal Change”. The 13th edition of the conference series was dedicated to the topic “Hindernisse überwinden (Overcoming Obstacles)”: What prevents the digitization of cultural heritage, what hinders accessibility? In Münster, these questions were discussed in general and approaches to overcoming obstacles were sought in a problem-solving manner. The conference was intended to provide an opportunity for constructive dialogue, both with politicians and with the societies of authors, which are increasingly playing a central role in this area. More than 50 speakers contributed their expertise, both in lectures and in parallel working groups.

The event was streamed live. You can find the recording of the livestream here:

Download conference programme (pdf, in German).

Topic

The legal framework governing cultural heritage, particularly in the area of copyright, has indeed been improved in recent years through numerous reforms. In particular, the option – extended in 2021 – to make unavailable works accessible online could form the basis for making collections widely accessible. How can we ensure that this actually happens? How can we overcome the (legal) uncertainty in day-to-day practice that hinders the work of cultural heritage institutions? The fear of a loss of significance or a loss of interpretative authority also often has a paralysing effect on staff at cultural heritage institutions. How can such reservations be overcome? Which networks and structures can help institutions tackle the challenges of digitisation? What role do, for example, the German Digital Library, the National Research Data Infrastructure for Culture, the Open Archives Network and other networks and online portals play? How can we ensure that existing digitised material is actually found? How can we prevent a widening gap between institutions that are (or can be) able to embrace digital change and those that are not? Using concrete, paradigmatic examples, it was demonstrated how various obstacles have been and are being overcome, and what lessons can be learnt from this. Another panel focused on the topic of accessibility. Furthermore, opportunities for collaboration and co-creation were discussed in very concrete terms.

Organization

The conference is a joint effort of: Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz, Bundesarchiv, Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek, Deutsches Filminstitut & Filmmuseum, Deutsche Nationalbibliothek, Deutsches Nationalkomitee für Denkmalschutz, Jüdisches Museum Frankfurt, Forschungs- und Kompetenzzentrum Digitalisierung Berlin (Digis), iRights e.V., Stiftung Historische Museen Hamburg, Wikimedia Deutschland, Zentrum für Kunst und Medien (ZKM) Karlsruhe. In 2023, the conference was hosted by the Centre for Advanced Study “Access to Cultural Goods in Digtal Change” at the University of Münster, which is funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation). Director of the conference series is Prof. Dr. Paul Klimpel, who is fellow at the centre in 2023.