[uf-discuss] Work-of-art/Tim Gambell

[Ted Drake]

-----Original Message-----
From: microformats-discuss-bounces at microformats.org
[mailto:microformats-discuss-bounces at microformats.org] On Behalf Of
Ottevanger, Jeremy
Sent: Wednesday, May 16, 2007 1:59 AM
To: Microformats Discuss
Subject: Re: [uf-discuss] Work-of-art/Tim Gambell

Hi Andy, thanks for your interest. 
 
At the risk of going outside the bounds of this list I'll give you an
outline of why I feel such a format might be useful....

-------------------------------------------------------------------------




I would agree that museums and archives show great potential for
microformats. As historians, the museum curators and registrars are
exceedingly careful to use best standards in documenting their objects. 

I worked in the museum world for five years and the Dublin core was always
held up as a goal for metadata. Unfortunately, the existing collection
management software packages utilized it effectively. Further, the museum
web sites didn't adopt them.

I do believe the museums would adopt a standardized collections microformat
quickly. Further, there are some fantastic conferences held worldwide that
would allow the sages to meet and agree upon a pattern quickly. 

However, museum collections don't differ greatly from other archives. The
proposed microformat should work with library and digital archive
collections. Is there already something like this?  Could the Dublin core be
converted into a microformat.

Here's a list of previous Dublin core discussions at the Archimuse web site
(hosts of the museums on the web conferences and more) 
http://www2.archimuse.com/cgi-bin/htsearch

Ted Drake
www.last-child.com