Managing Digital Cultural Objects: Analysis, discovery and retrieval

This book explores the analysis and interpretation, discovery and retrieval of a variety of non-textual objects, including image, music and moving image. Bringing together chapters written by leading experts in the field, this book provides an overview of the theoretical and academic aspects of digital cultural documentation and considers both technical and strategic issues relating to cultural heritage projects, digital asset management and sustainability. Managing Digital Cultural Objects: Analysis, discovery and retrieval draws from disciplines including information retrieval, library and information science (LIS), digital preservation, digital humanities, cultural theory, digital media studies and art history. It’s argued that this multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approach is both necessary and useful in the age of the ubiquitous and mobile Web. Key topics covered include: • Managing, searching and finding digital cultural objects • Data modelling for analysis, discovery and retrieval • Social media data as a historical source • Visual digital humanities • Digital preservation of audio content • Searching and creating affinities in web music collections • Film retrieval on the web. Readership: The book will provide inspiration for students seeking to develop creative and innovative research projects at Masters and PhD levels and will be essential reading for those studying digital cultural object management as well as practitioners in the field.

Table of Contents:
Introduction - Pauline Rafferty and Allen Foster Part 1: Analysis and retrieval of digital cultural objects 1. Managing, searching and finding digital cultural objects: putting it in context - Pauline Rafferty 2. Data modelling for analysis, discovery and retrieval - Sarah Higgins 3. The digital traces of user-generated content: how social media data may become the historical sources of the future - Katrin Weller Part 2: Digitization projects in libraries, archives and museums: case-studies 4. Visual digital humanities: using image data to derive approximate metadata - H. M. Dee, L. M. Hughes, G. L. Roderick and A. D. Brown 5. Managing and preserving digital collections at the british library - Maureen Pennock and Michael Day 6. Digital preservation of audio content - Will Prentice Part 3: Social networking and digital cultural objects 7. Photos: Flickr, Facebook and other social networking sites - Corinne Jorgensen 8. Searching and creating affinities in a web music collections - Nicola Orio 9. Film retrieval on the web: sharing, naming, access and discovery - Katherine La Barre and Rosa Ines de Novais Cordeiro

About the Author :
Allen Foster has a BA in Social History, a Master's in Information Management and a PhD in Information Science. As Reader in Information Science, he has held various roles, including Head of Department for Information Studies, at Aberystwyth University. His research interest areas span the research process of Master's and PhD students, the development of models for information behaviour and serendipity, and user experience of information systems, creativity and information retrieval. He has guest edited for several journal special issues, is a regional editor for The Electronic Library and is a member of journal editorial boards, international panels and conference committees. Dr Pauline Rafferty MA(Hons) MSc MCLIP is a Senior Lecturer and Director of Teaching and Learning at the Department of Information Studies, Aberystwyth University. She previously taught at the Department of Information Science, City University London, and in the School of Information Studies and Department of Media and Communication at the University of Central England, Birmingham.

Review :
This timely and welcome book will be invaluable for information management professionals seeking an overview of the theoretical and practical opportunities and challenges around providing access to digital cultural objects. Its scope is considerable and varied, ranging from the very technical to the practical, and from general surveys of the current state of the art to the findings of specific research projects. As such, it is a volume which some readers may prefer to dip into according to their interests. With its focus on new and emerging techniques and thinking, it should appeal both to researchers and practitioners with an interest in the current state of the art. This book serves a good introduction to current areas of research in the sphere of digital cultural heritage. Both students and professionals alike will benefit from these works on important issues that face this domain. Overall, this is an interesting and timely publication Chapter authors based in Europe and the Americas present an international perspective on the issues, and represent a diverse spectrum of metadata and technology librarians, digital humanists, and other academic educators and researchers. As a librarian who occasionally doubles as adjunct teaching faculty and works with research support, I would suggest that Managing Digital Cultural Objects presents material that is beneficial both for practitioners and educators in the cultural heritage communities. 'This volume brings together a range of experts within the field of digital preservation in order to address the topic of analysis, discovery and retrieval of cultural objects. It beautifully draws upon the theoretical and academic aspects of digital culture and works to balance this focus with contributions from practitioners working within the digital preservation sector...All in all, a useful volume for anyone working with digital cultural objects and for anyone looking for that inspiration for research within their studies.'