Cultural Information Standards—Political Territory and Rich Rewards

Abstract

This chapter, which examines the role of cultural information standards in creating the infrastructure for the collection, preservation, and access of digital cultural heritage, argues that the significance of critically examined standards stems from their role in supporting the collection and preservation of digital cultural heritage. In other words, they determine selection policies and guidelines (what is collected) as well as preservation policies and methods (what is kept). The chapter considers the relationships between cultural information standards and digital cultural heritage, and how their development is driven by the sociopolitical forces that influence cultural information standards as well as the benefits of virtual access to digital cultural heritage. It also discusses how trust and collaboration influence the development and maintenance of cultural information standards.