Kapsalis (2016)
Contents
Source Details
| Kapsalis (2016) | |
| Title: | The Impact of Open Access on Galleries, Libraries, Museums, & Archives |
| Author(s): | Kapsalis, E. |
| Year: | 2016 |
| Citation: | Kapsalis, E. (2016) The Impact of Open Access on Galleries, Libraries, Museums, & Archives. Smithsonian Institution Archives <http://siarchives.si.edu/sites/default/files/pdfs/2016_03_10_OpenCollections_Public.pdf> (accessed 6 January 2022) |
| Link(s): | Open Access |
| Key Related Studies: | |
| Discipline: | |
| Linked by: | |
| About the Data | |
| Data Description: | Data were obtained from interviews with 12 workers in GLAM institutions, concerning copyright, motivation for adopting open licensing, and the results of this implementation.
TK GLAM |
| Data Type: | Primary data |
| Secondary Data Sources: | |
| Data Collection Methods: | |
| Data Analysis Methods: | |
| Industry(ies): | |
| Country(ies): | |
| Cross Country Study?: | Yes |
| Comparative Study?: | No |
| Literature review?: | No |
| Government or policy study?: | No |
| Time Period(s) of Collection: | |
| Funder(s): | |
Abstract
“For the purpose of this document, “open access” is defined as making public domain materials open for use without any restrictions, and making copyrighted materials available under the provisions of fair use (non-commercial, educational).
More than 50 institutions have, to varying degrees, pursued open access over the last decade, removing technical and copyright barriers to their digitized collections and resources. A strengthened institutional brand, increased use and dissemination of collections, and increased funding opportunities have been some of the benefits associated with open-access initiatives.
A recent Andrew W. Mellon Foundation study, “Images of Works of Art in Museum Collections: The Experience of Open Access, a Study of 11 Museums,” found that among the museums studied, none that enforced copyright restrictions made any significant surplus or profit against their expenditures. It concluded, “real and perceived gains far outweigh the real and perceived losses for every museum in the study that has made a transition to an open access approach.”
Recently, several funders, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Ford Foundation, and William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, have made open access either a requirement for gift recipients or a factor in assessing potential gifts.
Furthermore, President Barack Obama’s Open Government Initiative, launched in 2009, has built an increasing expectation from the public that all government entities will move towards practices that are more open, which places federal entities at risk for public perception of not pursuing best practices.
Finally, as crowdsourcing initiatives gain traction in the cultural heritage space, it is the organizations that prioritize openness and sharing that are reaping the most benefits.”
Main Results of the Study
• Adopting open access policies has the potential to increase awareness of a GLAM institutions brand, offering new marketing and licensing opportunities for existing business models.
• There are also risks associated with the adoption of an open access policy, such as increased demand on staff resources and technical infrastructure, loss of revenues from e.g. image licensing, and loss of intellectual control.
• Restrictive use policies may have the counterintuitive effect of reducing revenues by decreasing funding opportunities, particularly as many foundations now make open access part of the conditions of their grant (such is the case with, e.g., the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation).
Policy Implications as Stated By Author
The study does not make any explicit policy recommendations.
Coverage of Study
Datasets
| Sample size: | 12 |
| Level of aggregation: | Museums |
| Period of material under study: |
