Thoughts on a Decade of Fragments, Reconstructions, and IIIF

Abstract

Abstract: Digital image interoperability has helped to fuel the growth of interest in, and emerging practices to support, areas of fragmentology devoted to reunification and aggregation. From early thought-experiments hypothesizing the possibility of regathering the dispersed Ege fragments through non-interoperable static websites and finally to re-usable digitally resequenced manuscripts, this essay traces the driving use-cases that led to the development of the International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) and that protocol’s current role in digital fragment studies. The author reflects on the state of the field after nearly a decade of IIIF use and development, offers cautionary thoughts for both current software design and data modeling practices, and suggests potential strategies for ensuring long-term sustainability for the scholarly outputs of digital reconstruction projects.