PHILIP SPIEGEL - DAM Ideas

Happy New Year!

2009

 "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness.”   Charles Dickens

 

“2009…good riddance.”   JP Kearney

 

2009 was a tough year.  I know that probably goes without saying for most, but at least it is nearing it last few days and things seem to be looking brighter as we head into 2010.

 

The worst of times this past year has driven the wise to new approaches and new solutions…to be creative and find new vehicles of opportunity and innovation that the best of times may not inspire one toward.   Adversity brings opportunity; it knocks us out of our comfort zone.  It’s a good thing.  

 

So what does that really mean for 2010?  Change is coming, for many it’s already here.  I won’t present a top ten list of predications for the coming year but I will make the case that 2010 will be about a convergence.  Specifically, I see the need for the convergence of the roles of Archive Managers, Content Managers and Data Managers morphing to one.   Now and for ever on, to be a media archivist will mean to be a digital archivist. That means a media archivist will change from one that is the steward of physical assets that may also be represented in the digital realm to a digital archivist who manages, processes and curates digital assets, new assets that have been born and will live exclusively in the digital space without a native physical representation along with old assets digitized into the new environment.   

 

The digital archivist will be need to someone who understands digitization process, content management, metadata management, content priorities, workflows, and be savvy about data storage and IT to help manage the secure (digital) environment where the assets reside. 

 

Ultimately, the digital archivist will need be a facilitator of access.  This isn’t new or revolutionary, it will just happen.  

 

I want to thank everyone for their on-going support and wish you all a happy holiday season and a happy and healthy new year!    Onward to 2010!

What is a DAM?

I’m back, sorry for the lapse since my last post but I’m just awakening from a turkey-induced coma after an action-packed Thanksgiving holiday.  Waiting for my attention were a slew of good questions coming from all angles.  The most compelling and relevant to this forum was, “What is a DAM?” 

It's a simple question question but the answer may not be as obvious as it seems.   Some may answer this by going into all the things a DAM is not.   Or, focus on the technology, the vendors, services and systems, etc.  Or, elaborate on the essence and metadata and the new workflows.  I prefer to answer this question in a more conceptual manner. 

To me, a DAM is an enabling tool.  It offers a platform for efficient and effective collaboration of shared assets across an institution, organization or enterprise enabling users (internal, external) to access and use holdings in new smart, nimble, productive and creative ways.   A DAM removes barriers to access and creates opportunity.  In an archive environment it has the added benefits that come from digitizing fragile physical assets.  This can fuel access and preservation efforts and illuminate dark archives in ways that add value far beyond simply dollars.  It is helping to change (or should be) how we think of archives in the future.

I don’t doubt that this is just one way of answering this question and I would be interested in hearing how others would answer.  Let me know what you think...really.

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

DAM Right(s)!

This week the DAM (Digital Asset Management) community is converging on the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel on Hollywood Boulevard for this years DAM LA conference.  The show, produced by Henry Stewart Events, hopes to shed light on DAM issues from where to start a DAM to the latest developments in technology, workflow and process.  I’ve attended and participated in this event in LA and other versions of this in Chicago and New York in previous years and it is an excellent way to get connected to the latest info and guidance on DAM initiatives….it’s a very informative couple of days.  

In a previous post, I opined about the state of Rights metadata management in the DAM world.  So, in reviewing the program I was pleased to see that there is a session titled, “Latest Developments in Rights Management,” being moderated by Dan McGraw from Seven Dials Media (and the host of the DAM SHOW podcast) with Linda Burman from LA Burman Associates as one of the panelists along with Skiff Wager from SEW Consulting and Cheryl Besenjak of cbRights Consulting.

 

Following the NY DAM Show I felt that this topic didn’t get the respect and attention it deserved.  Is it getting it now?   Considering the session is again taking place in late afternoon timeslot on the second day…I have to wonder.   Of course, it could just be a matter of the scheduling challenges and the way the organizers plot out the arc of the sessions but I still think it would get more traction if it took place on the first day.    That aside, I asked Linda last week what her thoughts were on the state of rights and she said,

 

“I don’t think that the problem is that rights get no respect.  I think rights metadata is an extremely complex topic and companies are just beginning to grasp that they have to make some rights metadata available to users rather than having every piece of information locked up in the contract that is only available to royalty and permissions managers (and lawyers).”

 

I would agree with her point. I think content users, whether internal or external, need to have a succinct, consistent, distilled set of metadata that easily communicates the rights snapshot and helps them make the right decisions about content use without needing to interpret contracts on demand or wait on assistance for clearance.   Things move too fast and business / content decisions need to be made by those who own the responsibility for its re-use.  By doing this leg work in advance you add another layer of value and dexterity to the assets contained with your DAM.