----------------------------Original message----------------------------
I am forwarding the following document which discusses the mission and goals of
the National Initiative for a Networked Cultural Heritage (NINCH). ARLIS/NA is
now a member of this organization, and I have been asked to serve as liaison to
this group by monitoring their postings and forwarding pertinent information to
ARLIS-L. Roger Lawson attended the first NINCH General Members Meeting on
October 1 on behalf of ARLIS/NA.
Please contact me if you have any questions about NINCH and its activities.
Judy Dyki
Cranbrook Academy of Art Library
[log in to unmask]
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To NINCH Members:
Below is the discussion document for consideration at the first NINCH
General Members Meeting next Tuesday, October 1. Those attending the
meeting are being faxed the document. However, as a back-up, I'm also
e-mailing it to all on the NINCH-Members list.
Looking forward to speaking with you next week.
David Green
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NATIONAL INITIATIVE FOR A NETWORKED CULTURAL
HERITAGE
TOWARDS A STRATEGIC PLAN:
A DISCUSSION DOCUMENT
Draft 3: September 27, 1996
A. PURPOSE: Vision & Mission Statements
The NATIONAL INITIATIVE FOR A NETWORKED
CULTURAL HERITAGE (NINCH), formally established in 1996,
is a broad coalition of arts, humanities and social science
organizations formed to assure the fullest possible participation
of the cultural sector in our shared, networked digital
environment.
Our vision of networked cultural heritage is of an integrated
body of universal cultural material that is widely accessible on
the global information infrastructure. It would be fully
relational in many media, of the highest possible quality and
fidelity and easily usable and searchable--by the general public,
scholars and the school-age population.
NINCH's mission is to advocate for the inclusion of the cultural
sector in all policy deliberations on the future of the National
Information Infrastructure and to educate policymakers,
coalition members and the general public about the critical
importance of translating the vision of an integrated database of
cultural knowledge into a working reality.
It will do this by communicating technical and intellectual
advances in digital networking, consequent issues for the
community and a broad working agenda across the spectrum of
member organizations.
NINCH's goal is to create an environment in which the creation
and support of networked cultural resources is encouraged and
easily and widely enabled.
B. STRATEGIC OVERVIEW
1. Organizational Development
Situation: With no central voice or leadership from
government, the arts and humanities have no clear sense of
direction about their role in creating the National Information
Infrastructure or how individual digital initiatives can be
integrated.
NINCH Goal: In order to assure the fullest possible
participation of the cultural sector in our shared, networked
digital environment, NINCH should create a strong, unified
constituency, in which it can assist members in articulating their
needs and developing their resources.
Obstacles: Individual constituencies develop idiosyncratic
solutions to networking cultural resources, without consulting
others.
NINCH Strategy #1: Create an expansive membership of arts
and humanities organizations, ensuring that sectoral or
individual concerns and needs, including cultural diversity, are
recognized. Create common ground on which to convene and,
by defining and prioritizing issues in the field, create a broad
action plan to encourage the integration of diverse and
multiplicitous initiatives.
Measure of Success: Degree to which the cultural community
works collectively and collaboratively to reach solutions to the
many issues surrounding networking cultural heritage. Degree
to which NINCH is relied upon and cited as a factor in working
collaboratively.
Proposed Activities:
The first act of development is to expand NINCH with a view to
breadth and inclusivity. Continued, frequent consultation with
members about their needs and concerns will be central to the
development of the NINCH agenda. Create Working Groups on
key issues when appropriate.
Timetable:
Fall 1996: Active solicitation of new members; basic membership
group should be completed by Summer 1997. Set meeting
timetables.
Early 1997: With issues prioritized, create working groups. Plan
specific goals for next three years.
2. Programmatic Development
A. ADVOCACY
Situation: Legislators and policymakers at many institutions do
not consult the arts and humanities, nor do they seriously
consider their special needs and potential contributions to the
information infrastructure when planning our digital future.
The cultural community, for its part, has also not been clear in
the articulation of its requirements from Government and other
policymakers in this arena.
NINCH Goal: To create an environment in which the creation
and support of integrated networked cultural resources is
understood by legislators and policymakers as an important
national and international goal, is appropriately supported and
easily and widely enabled.
Obstacles: The difficulty that the cultural sector has had in
articulating its needs and potential contributions to the digital
environment, and the consequent lack of understanding by
senior policymakers of those special needs, contributions and
concerns.
*NINCH Strategy #2:
Make the case for the critical importance of including the
contributions and the needs of the arts and humanities in all
legislation and policy deliberations concerning our digital future
by Congress, government agencies and other institutions
through working with membership and advocacy partners.
Address government representatives directly as well as
indirectly by communicating with the electorate. Ensure that the
cultural sector understands relevant legislative and policy issues.
Measure of Success: Degree to which the arts, humanities and
their institutions are cited and included in policy
recommendations, legislation and discussion papers regarding
the digital future.
Proposed Activities:
Establish a NINCH Advocacy Working Group. Reinforce
existing working relationships with the National Humanities
Alliance, the Digital Future Coalition and other advocacy bodies.
Continue to educate members on the major advocacy issues
through our communications strategy. In consultation with
members, build an Advocacy Statement and Strategy regarding
the systemic importance of the contributions and needs of the
arts and humanities to the National Information Infrastructure.
In consultation with members, write, publish and distribute
position papers for Congress and the general public on critical
digital agenda issues. Write "op-ed" and other pieces for the
general press. Develop a strategy for educating the new 1997
Congress.
Timetable:
Create Working Group in Fall 1996 to plan '97 Congressional
campaign and to plan for development of more detailed and
long-term advocacy strategies.
B. COMMUNICATIONS
Situation: With cultural and linguistic differences, sometimes
competing interests as well as different approaches and a wide
range of expertise in networking digital cultural resources,
members of the museum, library, humanities and contemporary
arts communities have no common source for news and
information on digital networking.
NINCH Goal: For this broad community to have a single,
dependable source for news and information relevant to
networked cultural heritage and which uses clear and
commonly understood language.
*NINCH Strategy #3:
Create an interactive communications infrastructure and
instruments to gather and distribute news and information from
across the field to foster greater collaboration and integration of
effort.
Measure of Success: Degree by which NINCH members and
others use the communications instruments.
Proposed Activities:
Create integrated listservs and a website to gather and distribute
news and information on networking cultural heritage
initiatives for members and the general public. Participate in
members' conferences and write for their newsletters,
connecting their initiatives to a broader picture. Print
organizational brochure. Where necessary, act as a convenor.
Timetable:
Immediate: continue development of infrastructure and
instruments
Fall 1996: Suggest NINCH-authored articles for members'
publications
Early 1997: determine need for print publications.
C. EDUCATION
Situation: With no common communications infrastructure,
the broad cultural sector has no consistent cross-sectoral
guidance and leadership on the implications of the technical,
social, legal, political and institutional changes in the field
caused by digital networking.
NINCH Goal: For members and the general public to understand
what networked cultural resources are, how they can be used,
what is being done to create and make them as usable as possible
and what may be the broad implications for their work.
*NINCH Strategy #4:
Using the communications infrastructure, to educate members
about networking developments and consequent critical issues
in the field. Further, to provide guidance and leadership in
prioritizing issues and to communicate a broad working agenda
across the spectrum of member organizations.
Measure of Success: Degree by which NINCH is cited by others
in their increased understanding of developments in the field
and of critical digital networking issues.
Proposed Activities:
Educate and guide members on developments and issues
through regular newsletters and on-line reports. Prepare guides
to chief organizers in the field and to innovative and creative
model digital projects. If necessary, publish and/or distribute a
Guide to Information Technology and the Arts & Humanities.
In consultation with members, prepare NINCH position papers
on critical issues. Organize conference sessions that either
investigate an issue or serve to integrate disparate perspectives.
Timetable:
Fall 1996: regularize members' reports and newsletters online.
Consider and propose topics for sessions at members'
conferences
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