cultural portals - culturemondoculturemondo.org/files/culturemondo-32pp-wi_14790d.pdf · held at...

CULTURAL PORTALSGATEWAYS TO A GLOBAL COMMONS

FOREWORD 1

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2 Objectives Actions FuturePlans

RESUMEN EJECUTIVO 4 Objetivos Actividades Planesafuturo

SOMMAIRE EXÉCUTIF 6 Objectifs Actions Plansd’avenir

INTRODUCTION 8

INFORMATION GATHERING AND NETWORK KNITTING 9 Culture.mondo InternationalSurveyofCulturalPortals InternationalRoundtable,CulturalPortals:NewChallenges&GoodPractices

CHARACTERISTICS OF CULTURAL PORTALS 12 ObjectivesofPortalArchitects:WhyBuild? AudienceforPublicCulturalPortals:Forwhomaretheybuilding? ContentProvidedbyCulturalPortals:Whatisofferedtotheaudience? StructureandGovernanceofPortals

PORTALS AND CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT 16 Participation Diversity Access

CULTURAL PORTAL MANAGEMENT 18 CollaborativeApproaches:networks,cross-sectoralcollaborationsandpublic-privatepartnerships OwnershipandGovernance RoleofGovernments:rationalizingpolicyandinvestmentwithaudienceneeds User-focusedAudienceDevelopment MeasuresofSuccess

WWW: FORWARD SLASH/FUTURE 26

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 27

APPENDIX: ROUNDTABLE PARTICIPANTS 28

Inthenearfuture,thecompletepublicationwillbeavailablefordownloadinseverallanguagesatwww.culturemondo.org.ThisExecutiveSummaryispresentedinEnglish,FrenchandSpanish,theworkinglanguagesoftheCulture.mondoRoundtable.

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Developing knowledge societies and

promoting cultural diversity depend on

real-life services that actively engage

online users. The Culture.Mondo network

is tackling these challenges by sharing

experiences and expertise from portals

across the globe. The survey uncovered

fascinating insights into the contributions

portals are making to cultural life, and is

enabling international collaboration.David Dawson, HeadofDigitalFutures,MLA(UK)

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Tenyearsago,hardlyanyoneworkinginculturaldevelopmentwouldhaveguessedthespeedandmagnitudewithwhichonlineculturalportals

wouldemerge.TheWWWtookoffin1990;thefirst‘Culturenets’appearedafewyearslater.In2005culturalportalshavebecomeanalmostessentialelementinpublicpolicytoolkitsacrosstheglobe.

Forthoseofusinvolvedinculturalportaldevelopment,adviceremainsscarce.Inforawheree-culturemanagementandpolicyareconsidered,thefocusismoreoftenonthepracticeofdigitization.However,culturalportalshaveadifferentvocationandspecificproblems.Whiletheyrangeinsize,scope,servicesandmanagementstructure,theseonlinespaceshaveonethingincommon-thedrivetoengageandexcitepeoplewiththerichnessanddiversityofcultureandthewaysthatitshapesourlives.Developingasuccessfulportalandonlinebrandisnoteasy.Itisacrowded,competitiveandcommercialmarketplaceshapedbydominanttechnologyandplayers.Culturalportals-asnewpublicspaces,aresuccessfulwhentheyareanalternativetomainstreamentertainmentsites,respondingtoamoresubtlesetofaudienceneeds.Atthesametime,theymustoperateasgoodbusinessesanddemonstrateclearmeasuresofsuccessinordertojustifythesupportofthepublicpurse.Asonlinepublishers,culturalportalshaverespondedtothesechallenges: Almostallarebuildingcomprehensive,

authoritative,uptodatelistingsservices. Manyofferroutesintoonlinecollections. Othersprovideinteractivetools. Someofferlively,dailyeditorialthat

contextualizesandenlivensculturalstories. Someprovideaplatformforcitizensto

expresstheirowndiversevoices. Somefocusonaneducationalagendato

inspirelearning. Allarepassionateaboutcultureandits

valuetoourworld.

Butwhatwilltheseportalslooklikeinfiveyears?Whatwillthevirtualvisitorofthefuturewanttoexperience?Howculturalportalsdeveloptheircontentandtheiroperations,thewaystheyleadorfollownewtechnologies,thepartnershipstheybuildandtherulesthatgovernthemwillshapetheirsuccessinthisfuture.

TheCulture.mondonetworkemergedin2005tohelpthoseofuswhoareconceiving,managing,marketingandfundingculturalportalstobetterunderstandthecomplexityoftheseissuesandexploretheirsolutions.Thisreportpresentsourfirstsmallstepstowardsanintenselycollaborativeglobalinitiative.Welookforwardtolearningtogether,reachingoutandbuildingsomegreatonlineculturalexperiences!

Vladimir SkokCulture.ca/Culturescope.ca

Jane Finnis24HourMuseum(UK)

FOREWORD

OnbehalfoftheInternationalSteeringCommittee

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2

Objectives

Theobjectivesofculturalportals,oftheCulture.mondonetworkandofthispublicationitselfareinterconnected.

Althoughculturalportalsareasdiverseasthecountriesorculturalgroupsthatbuildthem,theircreationismotivatedbyacommongoal:toengageandinformcitizensandtoencouragethemtoexploretheiridentity,cultureandcreativity.

Fromahandfulofportalsestablishedinthemid1990s,thefieldhasexpandedbythehundreds.Over300portalswereidentifiedandinvitedtoparticipateinanonlinesurveythatwascompletedinearly2005.Manymoreculturalportalsareunderdevelopment.Culture.mondohasgrownoutoftheintersectingandoverlappinginterestsofindividualculturalportals.Thisemerging,informalinternationalnetworkofportalsseekstoencourageandadvancecommunicationamongportalarchitects,developers,managers,promotersandfunders;italsoseekstobringtheseconversationsintotheinternationalarena.

Culture.mondoseekstofacilitatethedevelopmentofanonlineglobalcommunityofpublicculturalportals,asavehicleforthemto: Connectinternationally; Shareknowledge; Collaborate;and Disseminatebestpractices.

Thispublication,CulturalPortals:GatewaystoaGlobalCommons,supportstheCulture.mondoobjectiveofsharingknowledgeacrossthespectrumofculturalportals.ItalsosetsouttodescribethedevelopmentandworkofCulture.mondoandtosituatethenetworkandtheculturalportalsthatfuelitwithinawiderdigitalconversation.InternationalworkinggroupssuchasCulture.mondoadvancethediscussionsandactionsthatmakethecaseforbroadaccesstotheInternet,thereby

embracingcitizensworldwideandsupportinganextgenerationofculturalcreators,consumersandparticipants.

Actions

Tomeetitsobjectives,Culture.mondoundertooktomaptheinternationalfieldofculturalportalsthroughanonlinesurveythathasprovidedacontextforthedevelopmentofthenetwork,settheagendaforaninternationalroundtableofculturalportalsandinformedthispublication.

Ininvitingparticipationinthesurveyandthenetwork,Culture.mondohasoptedforanopenandflexibledefinitionofcultural portal,whichincludesnationalculturalportals,thematicportalsandculturalobservatories.Portalsaremostoftennational;however,someareregional(withinoracrossnationalborders),orsupranational.

Thesurveyhasshownthatthenumberofportalsisincreasingataphenomenalrateandthat,collectively,theyarereachingaglobalaudienceofmillions.Ithasunderscoredthevalueoftheculturalportalinensuringaccess,embracingdiversityandencouragingparticipationbycitizensintheirculture.

Issuesanddiscussionspresentedinthepublicationoftencentreonportalvisitors,Internettravellerswhostepthroughthegatewayoftheculturalportaland,insodoing,areinvitedontoaglobalcommonsofculture—intersectingandconnectingwiththeirowncultureandwithculturesfromaroundtheworld

Culture.mondodesignedandfacilitatedanInternationalRoundtableofculturalportalsheldatExpo2005,Japan(June6–8,2005)entitled“CulturalPortals:NewChallengesandGoodPractices.”Discussionsfocusedonkeymanagementissuescurrentlyfacedbyportalarchitects:partnerships,governance,contentmanagement,andmarketingandaudienceneeds.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

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Eighteenculturalportals(fromallregionsoftheworld)andUNESCOparticipatedintheCulture.mondoRoundtable.Participatingportalsreflectedarangeanddiversityinnature,stageofdevelopmentandscopeandpresentedamixofpublic,private,collaborative,national,regionalandinternationalculturalportals.Asaresultofthismeeting,activemembershipinthenetworkhasmorethandoubled,withconnectionsintoallregionsoftheworld.

Culture.mondohasestablishedaWebpresenceatwww.culturemondo.orgwherenetworkmembersarekeptapprisedofactivities,resourcesareavailableandlinkstoover80culturalportalsfacilitateaccesstoawiderangeofculturalinformation.

Future Plans

TheCulture.mondocommunityofpracticeaimstoincreaseparticipationfromculturalportalsandstrategicbodiesworldwide.Knowledgeexchangedacrossportalswillensurethatestablishedportalscansharebestpracticeswitheachotherandsupportthedevelopmentofnewportalsaroundtheworld.However,informationflowsinmanydirections—thefreshtakeofemergingportals,thetenacityofless-resourcedportalsandtheingenuityofyoungportalarchitectswillconstantlyprovidenewviewsandperspectivesonthechallengesofportalgrowthanddevelopment.

Asitexpandsandgrows,Culture.mondoiscommittedtomaintaininganopen,nimbleandflexibleorganizationthatisresponsivetotheinterestsandaspirationsofitsportalmembers.Culture.mondodoesnotproposeamultinationalbureaucracyoramassivepublic-facingdestinationwebsite.Culture.mondoisnottiedtoanyonenationalagenda,ortoasingleapproachtoanyaspectofportaldesignandmanagement.

Thenetworklooksforwardtoexchangeandcollaborationwithotherrelatedinitiatives,regionallyandmultinationally,includingMICHAEL,theInterAmericanNetworkofCulturalPolicyObservatoriesoftheOrganisationofAmericanStates(OAS),theNetworkofCulturalPolicyObservatoriesandUNESCO.

Thenetworkplanstoseekoutpartnersinordertoundertakefurtherresearchandinformation-sharingtosupporttheexchangeofknowledgebetweenportals.Thisinitiativewillbenefitboththeportalbuildersandtheindividualcitizensworldwidethatenterintothisnewglobalcommonsthroughtheirchosenculturalportalgateways.

www.culturemondo.org

Culture.mondo is an

emerging, informal network

that encourages and

facilitates communication Vladimir SkokCulture.ca/Culturescope.ca

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Objetivos

Losobjetivosdelosportalesculturales,delaRedCulture.mondoydeestapublicaciónestáninterrelacionados.

Aunquelosportalesculturalessontandiversoscomolospaísesolasagrupacionesculturalesquelosconstruyen,sucreaciónestámotivadaporunpropósitocomún:involucrareinformaralosciudadanoseincentivarlosaexplorarsuidentidad,culturaycreatividad.

Deunpuñadodeportalesestablecidosamediadosdelosañosnoventa,suuniversohacrecidonotablemente.Másde300fueronidentificadoseinvitadosaparticiparenunaencuestaporinternetconcluidaaprincipiosde2005.Unacantidadsuperiordeportalesculturalesestáendesarrollo.

Culture.mondosurgiódebidoalosinteresesdelosportalesculturales,loscualesseintersectanysetraslapan.Estaredinformalyemergentedeportalesbuscaestimularlacomunicaciónentrelosarquitectos,desarrolladores,administradores,promotoresyfundadoresdedichosportales;tambiénseproponellevarestadiscusiónalámbitointernacional.

Culture.mondobuscafacilitareldesarrollodeunacomunidadglobalenlíneadeportalesculturalespúblicos,comounvehículoparaqueéstos: seconecteninternacionalmente; compartanconocimientos; colaboren;y difundanmejoresprácticas

Estapublicación,Portalesculturales:puertasalacomunidadglobal,apoyaelobjetivodeCulture.mondodecompartirconocimientosentreeluniversodeportalesculturales.ProponedescribireldesarrolloyeltrabajodeCulture.mondoysituarestaredyalosportalesculturalesquelaalimentanenunaconversacióndigitalmásamplia.GruposinternacionalesdetrabajocomoCulture.mondoimpulsanlasdiscusionesyacciones

queaboganporunaccesomásamplioainternet,enlazandoalosciudadanosdetodoelmundoyapoyandounanuevageneracióndecreadoresculturales,consumidoresyparticipantes.

Actividades

Paraalcanzarsusobjetivos,Culture.mondorealizóunmapeointernacionaldelosportalesculturalesatravésdeunaencuestaporinternetquediocomoresultadoelcontextoparaeldesarrollodelared,estableciólaagendaparalamesaredondadeportalesculturalesygeneróinformaciónparaestapublicación.

Alconvocarlaparticipaciónenlaencuestayenlared,Culture.mondohaoptadoporunadefiniciónabiertayflexibledeportalcultural,lacualincluyeportalesculturalesnacionales,portalestemáticosyobservatoriosculturales.Conmayorfrecuenciasetratadeportalesnacionales;sinembargo,algunossonregionales(dentrooatravésdefronterasnacionales)osupranacionales.

Laencuestahamostradoqueelnúmerodeportalesseincrementaaunritmoexplosivoyque,colectivamente,estoslleganaunaaudienciaglobaldemillones.Hasubrayadolaimportanciadelosportalesculturalesparaasegurarelacceso,darcaucealadiversidadypromoverlaparticipaciónciudadanaenlacultura.

Lostemasylasdiscusionesquesepresentanenestapublicaciónsecentranfrecuentementeenlosvisitantesalosportales,losviajeroseninternetquecruzanlaentradadelportalculturaly,alhacerlo,soninvitadosaunacomunidadglobalcultural–queintersectayconectasupropiaculturaconculturasalrededordelmundo.

Culture.mondofuediseñadoryfuefacilitadordelaMesaRedondadePortalesCulturalestituladaLosportalesculturales:nuevos

RESUMEN EJECUTIVO

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desafíosybuenasprácticas,quesellevóacaboenlaExpo2005deJapón(6a8dejuniode2005).Lasdiscusionesseenfocaronenaspectosclavedemanejoqueactualmenteenfrentanlosarquitectosdelosportales:socios,administración,manejodecontenidos,mercadotecniaynecesidadesdelasaudiencias.

Dieciochoportalesculturales(detodaslasregionesdelmundo)ylaUNESCOparticiparonenlaMesaRedondadeCulture.mondo.Estosportalesreflejaronunadiversidadensunaturaleza,niveldedesarrollo,campodeacciónypresentaronunamezcladeportalespúblicos,privados,mixtos,nacionales,regionaleseinternacionales.Comoresultadodeestareunión,losmiembrosactivosdelaredcrecieronmásdeldoble,conconexionesentodaslasregionesdelmundo.

Culture.mundohaestablecidounapresenciaenelciberespacioconsupáginawww.culturemondo.orgenlacuallosmiembrosdelaredsemantienenaltantodeactividades,recursosdisponiblesyligasamásde80portalesculturalesquefacilitanelaccesoaunamplioespectrodeinformacióncultural.

Planes a futuro

LacomunidaddeCulture.mondoseproponeincrementarlaparticipacióndeportalesculturalesycuerposestratégicosdetodoelmundo.Elconocimientocompartidoentreellospermitiráasegurarquelosportalesestablecidospuedancompartirmejoresprácticasyapoyareldesarrollodenuevosportalesalrededordelmundo.Sinembargo,lainformaciónfluyeenmuchasdirecciones:losnuevosenfoquesdeportalesemergentes,latenacidaddelosportalesquecuentanconmenoresrecursosyelingeniodelosarquitectosdeportalesjóvenesqueconstantementeproveerándenuevospuntosdevistayperspectivassobrelosretosdecrecimientoydesarrollodelosportales.

Conformecrezcayseexpanda,Culture.mondo

secomprometeamantenerunaorganizaciónabiertayflexiblequerespondaalosinteresesyaspiracionesdesusportalesmiembro.Culture.mondonoproponeunaburocraciamultinacionalounportaldecaraalpúblicocomodestinomasivo.Culture.mondonoestáatadoaningunaagendanacionaloaunenfoqueexclusivoenningúnaspectodediseñoymanejodeportales.

Laredestáenesperadeintercambiarinformaciónycolaborarconotrasiniciativasrelacionadas,tantoregionalescomomultinacionales,incluyendoMICHAEL,laOrganizacióndeEstadosAmericanos(OEA),laReddeObservatoriosdePolíticasCulturalesylaUNESCO.

Laredplaneabuscarsociosafindellevaracabomásinvestigaciónycompartirinformaciónparaapoyarelintercambiodeconocimientoentreportales.Estainiciativabeneficiarátantoalosdesarrolladoresdeportalescomolosciudadanosindividualesentodoelmundoaqueentrenaestanuevacomunidadvirtualatravésdelportalculturalqueelijan.


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Objectifs

LesobjectifsdesportailsculturelsduréseauCulture.mondoetdelaprésentepublicationsontinterreliés.

Bienquelesportailsculturelssoientaussidiversifiésquelespaysougroupesculturelsquilesontcréés,leurréalisationestmotivéeparunobjectifcommun:faireparticiperetinformerlescitoyenstoutenlesencourageantàexplorerleuridentité,leurcultureetleurcréativité.

Àpartird’unepoignéedeportailscréésaumilieudesannées1990,ledomaines’estétenduàdescentainesdesites.Plusde300portailsculturelsontétérépertoriésetinvitésàprendrepartàunsondageenlignecomplétéaudébutde2005.Plusieursautresportailsculturelssontégalementendéveloppement.Culture.mondoestnédel’intersectionetduchevauchementdesintérêtsdedifférentsportailsculturels.Ceréseauinformelinternationaletémergeantdesportailschercheàencourageretàfaireprogresserlacommunicationentrelesarchitectes,créateurs,gestionnaires,promoteursetbailleursdefonds.Ilviseaussiàtransposercedialogueàl’arèneinternationale.

Culture.mondochercheàfavoriserledéveloppementd’unecommunautéglobaledesportailsculturelspublicsenligneentantquevéhiculede: Connexioninternationale; Partagedesconnaissances; Collaboration;et Diffusiondespratiquesexemplaires.

Cettepublication,Lesportailsculturels:Passerellesversunecommunautéglobale,soutientl’objectifdeCulture.mondoencequiatraitaupartagedesconnaissancesserapportantauxportailsculturels.EllechercheégalementàdécrireledéveloppementetletravaildeCulture.mondotoutententantdesituerlesportailsculturelsquilecomposentauseind’unplusvastesystèmede

conversationvirtuelleglobale.LesgroupesdetravailinternationauxcommeCulture.mondostimulentlesdiscussionsetactionsquidéfendentunaccèsélargiàInternet,etrejoignentlescitoyensdumondeentierafindesoutenirlagénérationdefuturscréateurs,consommateursetparticipants.

Actions

Afindesatisfairesesobjectifs,Culture.mondoaentreprisdecartographierledomaineinternationaldesportailsculturelseneffectuantunsondageenligne.Celui-ciafournilecontextenécessaireàl’élaborationduréseauetàladéfinitiond’unordredujourpourunepremièretablerondeinternationaledesportailsculturels,enplusdeservircommepointdedépartàlaprésentepublication.

Ensollicitantlaparticipationausondageetauréseau,Culture.mondoaoptépourunedéfinitionsoupleetouvertedecequ’estunportailculturel,quicomprendlesportailsculturelsnationaux,lesportailsthématiquesetlesobservatoiresculturels.Lesportailssontpourlaplupartnationaux.Parcontre,certainssontrégionaux(àl’intérieuroudépassantlesfrontièresnationales)ousupranationaux.

Lesondageadémontréquelenombredeportailsaugmenteàunrythmephénoménaletque,collectivement,ilsrejoignentunauditoireglobaldeplusieursmillionsdepersonnes.L’efficacitédesportailsculturelsàpromouvoir,auprèsdescitoyens,l’accès,ladiversitéetlaparticipationàleurculture,acertainementétésous-estimée.

Lesquestionsetlesdiscussionsprésentéesdanscettepublicationsontsouventcentréessurlesvisiteursdesportails,cesinternautesquifranchissentleseuilduportailcultureletqui,cefaisant,participentàunecommunautéculturelleglobale,oùs’entrecoupentleurproprecultureetcellesdumondeentier.

Danslecadredel’Expo2005auJaponCulture.

SOMMAIRE EXÉCUTIF

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mondoaorganiséetanimé,du6au8juin2005,unetablerondeinternationaledesportailsculturelsintitulée«Portailsculturels:Nouveauxdéfisetpratiquesexemplaires».Lesdiscussionsontportésurlesprincipauxenjeuxdegestionauxquelsfontprésentementfacelesresponsablesdecesportails:partenariats,gouvernance,gestiondescontenusetbesoinsdelacommercialisationcommedespublics.

Dix-huitportailsculturels(provenantdetouslescoinsdumonde)etl’UNESCOontprispartàlatablerondedeCulture.mondo.Lesportailsparticipantsreprésentaientunevastegammediversifiéeparleurnature,leurstadededéveloppementetleurportée,toutenprésentantunmélangedeportailsculturelsprivés,publics,collaboratifs,nationaux,régionauxetinternationaux.Àlasuitedecetterencontre,leseffectifsduréseauontplusquedoubléparlasuitepours’étendreàtouslesconfinsduglobe.

Culture.mondoaétablisaprésencesurleWebauwww.culturemondo.org,oùlesmembresduréseausontinformésdesactivitésettrouventdesressourcesutiles,ainsiquedesliensversplusde80portailsculturelsquifacilitentl’accèsàunepanopliederenseignementsculturels.

Plans d’avenir

LacommunautédepratiquedeCulture.mondoviseàinciterlaparticipationdesportailsculturelsetdesorganismesstratégiquesdumondeentier.L’échangedeconnaissancespermettraauxportailsbienétablisdepartagerleurspratiquesexemplairesentreeuxetdesoutenirledéveloppementdenouveauxportailsdeparlemonde.Cependant,l’informationcirculedansdemultiplesdirections.L’apporttoutfraisdesportailsémergeants,laténacitédesportailsmoinsbienpourvusetl’ingéniositédesjeunesarchitectesdeportailsfournirontunapportincessantdenouveauxpointsdevueetdenouvellesperspectivessurlesdéfisliésàlacroissanceetaudéveloppementdesportails.

Toutenpoursuivantsondéveloppement,Culture.mondos’engageàconserveruneorganisationàstructureouverte,légèreetsouple,capabledes’ajusterauxintérêtsetauxattentesdesportailsmembres.Culture.mondoneproposepasunebureaucratiemultinationaleouuneimmensedestinationpublique.Culture.mondon’estreliéàaucunintérêtnational,niàaucuneapprocheparticulièredelaconceptionetdelagestiondesportails.

Leréseauattendavecimpatienced’échangeretdecollaboreravecd’autresinitiativesconnexes,régionalementcommeinternationalement,dontMICHAEL(inventairemultilinguedupatrimoinecultureleuropéen),l’OrganisationdesÉtatsaméricains(OAS),leRéseaudesobservatoiresdepolitiqueculturelleetl’UNESCO.

Leréseauprévoitrechercherdespartenairesafind’entreprendredesrecherchesetdepartagerplusderenseignementsdanslebutdesoutenirl’échangedeconnaissancesentrelesportailsculturels.Cetteinitiativeprofiteraàlafoisauxconstructeursdeportailsetauxcitoyensdumondeentier,quiaccèdentàcescommunesglobalesparl’entremisedeleursportailsculturelsfavoris.


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Publicculturalportalsaredigitaldoorwaystoculturalcollections,assetsandactivities.Althoughtheyareasdiverseasthecountriesorcultural

groupsthatbuildthem,theircreationismotivatedbyacommondesire:toencouragecitizenstoexploretheiridentity,cultureandcreativity.TheInternethasfacilitatedthegatheringandorganizationofinformation,eitherbytheindividualuser,orbyintersectingportalinterests,sothatviaeachportaltheInternettravellerstepsintoaflourishingglobalcommonsofculturalexperience.

Fromahandfulofsuchportalsestablishedinthemid1990s,thefieldhasexplodedbythehundreds.Over300portalswereidentifiedandinvitedtoparticipateinanonlinesurveythatwascompletedinearly2005.Manymoreculturalportalscouldbeaddedtothemappingorareunderdevelopment.1Culturalportalarchitectsaremostoftenpublicsectorornon-profitorganizationswithsignificantpublicfundingandsupport.TherapidexpansionofthefieldreflectsthegrowthintheInternetitself,butitalsospeakstoanunderstandingofthepoweroftheInternettoengageanddelivermeaningfulcontent.Heraldingashiftinhowbasicpublicpolicyobjectivesaredelivered,itisessentialtobettertrackandunderstandthisworldwidemovement.

Itisworthnotingthatsomeportalsarenotnew,somuchasareorientationofearlier,moreestablishedonlineinitiatives.Examplesofthisincludewebsitesemanatingfromministriesofculture,orothernationalculturalinformationsystems.Thisreorientationreflectsthedesiretoadapttochangingaudiences,aswellastoInternetuserneedsandinterests.

Culturalportalshaveariseninresponsetospecificsectoralornationalinterests.LiketheInternet,however,theirdevelopmentisaffectedbyindividualusers,bytheconstantwavesandchangesinthewiderdigitalworldandthroughconnectionswithinternationalcounterparts.

Culture.mondoistheresultoftheintersectingandoverlappinginterestsofafewculturalportalsthataremindfulofthemovementthatisafoot.Itisanemerging,informalnetworkthatencouragesandfacilitatescommunicationamongthoseresponsibleforcreating,developing,andmaintainingpublicculturalportals,worldwide.InternationalworkinggroupssuchasCulture.mondoadvancethediscussionsandactionsthatargueforbroadaccesstotheInternet,therebyembracingcitizensworldwideandsupportinganextgenerationofculturalcreators,consumersandparticipants.

INTRODUCTION

The ability for ordinary people to discover other cultures is perhaps

the most important feature of our times. Through the direct

experience of other cultures, individual citizens come to a better

understanding of their own culture.Hervé Fischer•Président/fondateur•FIAMCanadaFédération internationale des associations de multimédiaInternational Federation of Multimedia Associations

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1Thelongestestablishedportalsthatrespondedtothesurvey(launchedin1995-96)arelankskafferiet.skolutveckling.se(Länkskaf-feriet(TheLinkLarder),SwedenisapedagogicalsiteforSwedishpu-pils,especially10–15year-olds);Swissart.net(ContemporaryartistsinSwitzerland);Museum.ru(Russianmuseums);ilam.org(losMuseosyParquesdeAméricaLatina);obs.coe.net(EuropeanAudiovisualObservatory);andscran.ac.uk(alearningimageservice,Scotland).

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Culture.mondo

Culture.mondowasconceivedinJune2004attheEuropeanUnionMinervaInternationalDigitizationConferenceinDublin,Ireland,whereanumberofculturalportalauthoritiesbegandiscussingcommonchallengesandsharingbestpractices.AnInternationalSteeringCommitteecametogetherinBrightoninDecember2004andcomprisesCulture.ca(Canada),Kultur.nu(Sweden),Cultuurnet.be(Belgium),24hourmuseum.org.uk(UK),Collectionsaustralia.net(Australia)andCulture.fr(France).SubsequenttothemeetingoftheInternationalRoundtableofNationalCulturalPortalsinJune2005,thesteeringcommitteewasexpandedtoincludeCulture.tw(portalindevelopment,Taiwan)andecultura.gob.mx(Mexico).

TheCulture.mondogoalistofacilitatethedevelopmentofanonlinecommunityofpublicculturalportals,asavehicleforthemto: Connectinternationally; Shareknowledge; Collaborate;and Disseminatebestpractices.

TheCulture.mondonetworkhasoptedforanopenandflexibledefinitionofculturalportal—onethatincludesnationalculturalportals,thematicportalsandculturalobservatories.Thesecanbedefinedasfollows: Nationalculturalportal:seekstopresent

and/oraggregatediversemultidisciplinaryculturalactivitywithinacountry,includingsuchelementsasorganizations,events,culturalinformationandeditorialcontent.

· Thematicportal:providesregional,nationalormultinationalinformationforspecificdisciplinesorculturalsectors,suchasmuseumsormusic.

Culturalobservatory:aculturalresearchand/orpolicydevelopmentcollectivethatmayproduceaWebportalthatpresentsinformationandresearchwithinaregion,countryorgroupofcountriesandinsomeinstancesprovidesadigitalworkingenvironmentforanetworkofresearchers.1

Themajorityofculturalportalsarenational,inthesensethattheircontentrelatestoactivitywithinandacrossthecountryoforigin.Thematicportalsandculturalobservatoriesarenoexception—notwithstandingthespecificparameterswithinwhichtheygathercontent,theyarefrequentlynationalinscope.Someportalsstudiedareregional,withinoracrossnationalborders,orsupranational.

InDecember2004,Culture.ca(Canada)agreedtobetheinitialhostoftheCulture.mondosecretariatandofferedtohostaninauguralRoundtablein2005.Inthespiritofdistributedresponsibilityandsharedresources,itwasproposedthatthesecretariatrotatetoanothermemberportalinJune2006.SteeringCommitteemembershavecontributedleadershipandknowledge,technicalandnetworksupport,andhumanandfinancialresourcestothedevelopmentofthenetworkanditsinitiatives,includingthelaunchofanonlineinformationcentreandsharedInternetspace,www.culturemondo.org.TheSteeringCommitteefunctionsinanadhocmannerandexpectstoformalizeitsstructurewhenthereisincreasedparticipationbyawiderangeofculturalportals.Portalsvarysubstantiallyinsizeandinthehumanandfinancialresourcesavailabletothem.ItisthegoalofCulture.mondotoseekoutandsupportparticipationfromallcornersoftheglobeandfromcountrieswithportalsofeveryscale,ateverystageofdevelopment.

INFORMATION GATHERING AND NETWORK KNITTING

International Steering Committee, Brighton 2004

Back row: JaneFinnisDriesCoppensHansNissensAnaDurán

Front row: VladimirSkokKelliFraser

1 AccordingtoAugustinGirard,formerHeadoftheDépartementdesÉtudesetdelaProspectiveoftheFrenchMinistryofCultureandCommunications,“AnObservatoryisaplaceofnegotiation,ofinteractivity.Itdoesnotdeliverjudgements.”

10

International Survey of Cultural Portals

Inrecognitionofthedramaticincreaseinthenumberofnational,regionalandsupranationalculturalportals,thefirstundertakingoftheCulture.mondosteeringcommitteewasthecreationofaninternationalon-linesurvey.Thesurvey,concludedinMarch2005,wasundertakenbyDecimaResearchInc.,withfundingfromCulture.caandCultuurnet.be.Theoverallobjectiveofthesurveywastoprovideabasisforunderstandingthisemergingphenomenonfromaportalmanagementandculturalpolicyperspective.

Thispreliminarysurveysoughtto: Mapreadilyapparentculturalportals

worldwide; Gatherbasicmanagementandpolicy-based

informationonthestateofculturalportaldevelopmentaroundtheworld;

Comparesituationsanddiscovercommonchallenges;

Identifytrendsinculturalportaldevelopment;

Highlightexamplesofgoodpractice; Informotherportalsaboutthe

Culture.mondoconcept; Setthestageforthefuturedevelopmentof

theCulture.mondonetwork.

WorkingwithDecimaResearch,theInternationalSteeringCommitteeidentifiedandinvitedparticipationfrom370portalorganizations;ofthese,80organizationscompletedatleasthalfofthesurveyandwereincludedinthestatisticalanalysis.1 These80culturalportalsarenowlinkedontheCulture.mondowebsite,providingthevisitoraccesstoauniquewindowonculturalinformationandresourcesfromaroundtheworld.

Withinthelimitsoftime,resourcesandreferences,everyattemptwasmadetoreacharepresentativesampleofworldregionsandtypesofportals.However,thesurveyisneithercomprehensivenorexhaustive.Giventheabsenceofliterature(includingstudiesanddirectoriesofexistingportals)whichmighthaveguidedthisfirstsurvey,Culture.mondorecognizestheneedforadditionalworktocoverallregionsoftheworldandfurtherinvestigateparticularaspectsofportalmanagement.

Thesurveyresultspointedtosignificantgapsininformation,particularlyinareasrelatedtovisitorstatisticsandportalfinancing.Thesegaps,andthedifficultyofreachingagreementonwhattoinclude,underscoretheneedforfurthertargetedresearch.Portalswereaskedtoself-identifyasoneofthefollowing:anationalculturalportal(31%);aspecializedthematicportal(i.e.dance,music,theatre,museums—51%);anobservatoryonculturalpolicy(18%).Notsurprisingly,thesurveyrevealedtheexistenceofportalsbuiltatlevelsotherthannational,butthatservedanational,supranationalorinternationalinterest;thisindicatesthebroadergeographicandcontextualrealitywithinwhichsomeportalsoperate.Mostoftheportalssurveyedareeithernon-profit,withahighpercentageofgovernmentfunding(46%),orgovernment-run(27%).Veryfewoftheportalswithinthesurveysampleareprofit-makingorbusiness-oriented(3%).Thesefactorsaloneindicatethattheportalsfacesimilarchallenges.Theyalsounderscoretherealitythatitisextremelydifficulttomakeasolidprivate-sectorbusinesscaseforthedevelopmentandoperationofculturalportals.Itisthepublicdomaininwhichtheyrestmostcomfortably.

INFORMATIONGATHERINGANDNETWORKKNITTING

1ThesummaryoverviewpreparedbyDecimaandananalysisofthesurveyresponsesareavailablefordownloadonwww.culturemondo.org.

11

Culture.mondo Roundtable

Expo 200�, Aichi, Japan

International Roundtable, Cultural Portals: New Challenges and Good Practices.

TheCulture.mondoInternationalSteeringCommitteedesignedandfacilitatedaninternationalroundtableofculturalportalsentitled“CulturalPortals:NewChallengesandGoodPractices.”1hostedbytheCanadaPavilionatExpo2005(Japan).Theresultsofthesurveyprovidedthepointofdepartureforthediscussions.Targetedroundtablesaddressedfoursignificantareasofconcern:partnerships,governance,contentmanagement,andmarketingandaudienceneeds—topicsthathadbeenidentifiedbytheInternationalSteeringCommitteeandsurveyrespondentsaskeymanagementissuescurrentlyfacedbyportalarchitects.

Eighteenculturalportals(fromallregionsoftheworld)andUNESCOparticipatedin

theCulture.mondoRoundtable.2Theywerediverseinnature,stageofdevelopmentandscopeandrepresentedamixofpublic,private,collaborative,national,regionalandinternationalculturalportals.

TheRoundtableinitiativewasintenselycollaborative,underliningacoreaspectofculturalportalsaroundtheworld.Thetwodaysofdiscussionandnetworkingestablishedtheframeworkforacommunityofnationalportalscommittedtosharedknowledge,increasedparticipation,distributedresponsibilityandinternationalcollaboration.AsaresultoftheRoundtable,themembershipofthesteeringcommitteeexpandedtoinclude

portalarchitectsfromTaiwanandMexico.Thenetworkalsoagreedtocontinueannualface-to-facemeetingsandcommittedtoongoingexchangeandcollaborationviatheonlinecommunityofpracticedigitalhubonCulturescope.ca.

INFORMATIONGATHERINGANDNETWORKKNITTING

UNESCO views favourably

any steps taken to strengthen

and extend links between

national cultural portal

authorities around the world.

The Organization heartily

welcomes the holding of such

a Roundtable as this, and

hence I am pleased to grant

UNESCO’s sponsorship to

the event.Koïchiro Matsuura•Director-General•UnitedNationsEducational,ScientificandCulturalOrganization•Paris, May 27, 2005

❛

❜ 1 Thetwo-dayevent,June6–8,waspartofathinktankandsympo-siumheldattheExpo2005CanadaPavilioninAichi,Japanentitled“CulturalNewMediaDays,”jointlyorganizedbytheDepartmentofCanadianHeritagee-ServicesBranch,theCanadianHeritageInformationNetwork(CHIN)andCanadianCultureOnline(CCOL).

2AlistofparticipantsisincludedintheAppendix.

12

Ononehand,thesurveyofculturalportalsanditsanalysisreinforcedtheknowledgeandexperiencesofthesurveyorganizers;onthe

other,itunearthedunexpecteddetailsandraisedquestionsandchallenges—allofwhichencouragedtheCulture.mondoInternationalSteeringCommitteetocontinuepursuingtheirsharedgoalsofincreasedpublicengagement,networkbuildingandknowledgeexchange.

Objectives of Portal Architects: Why Build?

IntheconstantlyexpandingvirtualagorathatistheInternet,whatmotivatesculturalportalbuilders—betheynon-profit,governmentagents,orindividualsonamission—tohangouttheirdigitalwaresandopentheirdoorsforbusiness?Thepublicsectorbuilder-orsponsor,inthecaseofnon-profitportals-isdrivenbyarangeofpolicyimperatives:generaloronlineservice-deliverystrategies,ormorespecificpolicyconsiderationsintheareasofculture,tourismoreducation.

Notsurprisingly,thosewhoconceiveoftheseculturalportalswanttostandout.Theywanttobetheone-stopshop—thebest,oreventheonlycrediblesourceofculturalinformationwithintheircountry,theirstratumoftheculturalsector,ortheirparticulararts

discipline.Theirprimaryinterestinprovidingtimely,credibleandvaluableinformationtotheircitizens,membersandsitevisitorsshapesthestructureoftheportal,nomatterhowsmall;itaffectsgovernanceandguidesthegrowthandevolutionofportals,regardlessoftheirstageofdevelopment.

TheincreasedappetiteforinformationandservicesontheInternethasmadeitimpossibleforthepublic,privateandnon-profitsectorstoignorestakingaclaimfordigitalrealestate.Forsomeelementsofthepopulationthisisnowtheonlywaytoreachthem.PortalbuildershaveoftencometotheInternetviaasidedoor—theyaregovernmentministriesoragenciesalreadymandatedtoservetheircitizensthroughavarietyofchannels,andtheInternetisoneofthese.Alternatively,theyarefacilitiesororganizationsseekingtousethepoweroftheInternetasamarketingtooltoexpandandreachnewaudiences.Whileitmayhavebegunasanadjuncttoothermeansofengagementanddissemination,theWebportalnowstandsasatooluntoitself—onethatrequiresaspecializedapproachtoitsmanagement,marketingandmaturation.

Thematicportalsandculturalobservatories,oftendevelopedbyserviceorganizationsornetworksandmember-driven,fullyrecognizethebenefitsandpowerofaggregationthatenableeffectiveconnectionwithabroadaudience.Eventhesmallestandpoorestmemberorganizationisensuredapresence,thankstothecollectiveweightofthegroup.

Havingacceptedtheundeniablycompellingreasonsforbuildingtheirportals,thearchitectsarestrivingformore.Theywanttoreachlarger,morediverseaudiences,tobeuniversallyaccessibleandtoincreasemeaningfulengagementwithindividuals.

Theyare,however,financiallychallenged.Someareteeteringbetweenconflicting,orwaning,stakeholder(andfunder)interests.Allrequireandseekpartnersandcollaboratorstomovetheirportalforward.

CHARACTERISTICS OF CULTURAL PORTALS: SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES

Tourism is vital to the Moroccan economy.

The decision to create culture.ma –

a quality cultural portal for Morocco –

is driven by the need to provide visitors

with authoritative and credible information

that will foster and build tourism.Said Ennahid•culture.ma(indevelopment)

❛

❜

1�

Hans Nissens, cultuurweb.be, presents the new site to Bert Anciaux, Flemish Ministerfor Culture, Youth, Sport and Brussels Affairs

Whilemostportalsofthisnaturearearelativelyrecentphenomenon,somehavebeeninbusinesssincetheearlydaysoftheInternet.Thegoals,aspirations,barriersandchallengesfacedbyportalbuildersaresimilar,regardlessofthestageofdevelopmentoftheportal.Infact,giventhespeedatwhichthetechnologyisadvancing,itsrelativeaccessibilityandtherateofpenetrationoftheInternet,manynewcomersfindthemselvesatthesamelevelofdevelopmentastheiroldercounterparts.Knowledge-sharingisrichandrewardingwhentheconversation,byitsverynature,includestheyoungandtheemergingalongsidetheseasoned.

Audience for Public Cultural Portals: For whom are they building?

Whilethereiscertainlycross-overintheirprimaryaudiences,thereisaspecificpatternwithineachofthethreeportalgroups:forallculturalobservatories,theprimaryaudienceismadeupof“culturalexperts,professionalsandpolicymakers.”Thisparticulargroup,almostexclusively,identifiestheirreachasinternational;theyclearlyhaveastronginterestinsharingandcomparingresearchanddata.Ofthenationalculturalportals,80%identifiedtheiraudienceas“thegeneralpublic—localresidents;”theyhadasurprisinglylowinterestinthe“visitplanners/tourists”market.1Thematicportalsnotedanevenlesserinterestinthetouristmarket.2Andtheyranked“localgeneralpublic”(44%)lowerthan“culturalexpertsorprofessionals”(76%)or“localculturalenthusiasts”(50%).

Withrespecttoaudienceneeds,developmentandmarketing,onemustrecognizeandunderstandthesedifferences,asdifferenttools,approachesandpartnershipsarerequiredtoreachspecificusers.“Broadeningreach,”“gettingmoreusers”and“increasingtraffic”wereoftenincludedinthethree-yearobjectivesofboththenationalculturalportalsandthethematicportals.Inordertoshare

bestpractices,itisimportantfortheportalstorecognizewhotheyaretryingtoreachandthentoconsiderhowbesttoachieveandmeasuresuccess.

Itisinstructivetoconsiderwhoidentifiesthe“target”audience.Howoften,ifatall,doestheportalbuilder—oranywebsiteforthatmatter—reviewandconsiderwhethertheyare,infact,reachingtheirtargetaudience?Aretheassumedandactualaudiencesmutuallyexclusive,ormutuallybeneficial?Onceastructureoraservicemovesfromthe“real”worldintothedigitalrealm,doestheaudiencechangeand,ifso,howreadyisthesitebuildertoadaptandadjust?Andwhatof“accidentalaudiences”—usersthathappenonthesiteforreasonsthebuilderhadnotconsidered?Howcantheseunexpectedparticipantsbecomeanewfocusandanewwayofconsideringpublicengagement?

Mostoftheseculturalportalsseethemselvesasjustthat—multipledoorwaysorsignpoststomorespecificinformationandservicessoughtbytheuser.Theyperformadelicatebalancingact,actingtoensuretheuseriseffectivelydirectedofftheculturalportal,whileencouragingthemtoinvestigateanddiscoverthebreadthofinformationofferedontheportalitself.This“stickinessdilemma”continuestochallengeportalbuilders,especiallywhenconsideringmeasuresofsuccess.Dovisitorsfrequentthesiteonce,ormanytimes?Dotheystayonforlessthanaminute,orbrowseforseveralminutes?Howlongaretheymeanttostick?

1 only41%ofnationalculturalportalsindicatedtouristsasaprimarymarket.

2only33%sawtouristsasaprimaryaudience.

Belgium:cultuurweb.be

14

Content Provided by Cultural Portals: What is offered to the audience?

Theparticularangletakenbyculturalportalsdependsontheirstartingpoint.Thecontentmayrelatetoasinglediscipline(contemporarymusic,Russianmuseums,etc.)withinacountry(oracrossafewcountries)or,morebroadly,toanentirecountry(artsandcultureacrossthemanyregionsandtimezonesofCanada).Withintheseparameters,portalsstrivetobeinclusive,comprehensiveandrepresentative.Withintheculturalportalgroup,cultureisbroadlyandlooselydefined,shapedbytheportalbuildersandtheirvisitors.

Therewasanopen-endedquestioninthesurveythataskedtheportalstoidentifytheiruniqueposition,oroffering.Averyhighnumber(inallthreecategories)addressedthevaluesofauthenticity,reliability,timeliness,credibilityandcompletenesswithrespecttothecontenttheyprovide.Thegoalsofcompleteaccess,one-stopentryandinteroperabilitywerecommonlynoted,bothbyestablishedportalsandthoseunderdevelopment,orintheearlyyearsofoperation.

Mostculturalportalspresentacombinationofcentralizedanddecentralizedcontent;veryfewofthemrelyonlyondecentralizedcontentandabout30%useexperiencedwriters(thisrisesto50%innationalculturalportalsoverthreeyearsold).Contentissuesaredifferentintheculturalobservatorieswhich,forthemostpart,donotgeneratethecontent,butrelyonsubmissionsfromtheirresearchnetworks,allofwhicharemadeupofexperiencedprofessionals.However,observatoriesexercisesignificanteditorialoversightandaninterestinprovidingcomplementarycontentontheirsiteformembers—opinionpieces,analysis,newsletters,etc.

Inkeepingwiththeirgoalofensuringcomprehensivecontent,themultidisciplinarynationalculturalportalssurveyedcovera

widerangeofdisciplines.Thediscipline-specificthematicportalsrevealadeeplayeringofinformation.Successinachievingthisdensitydependsonresources.Asinofflinepublishing,theprovisionofreliable,timelyandwide-ranginginformationreliesonanetworkofwritersandcorrespondents—aninfrastructurethatisnotpresentinmanyportals.Theabilitytoprovidecontentthatisunavailableelsewhere—eitherbyvirtueifitsspecificity,itsthoroughness,oritsuniqueness—isapreoccupationofmostportals.

Anoverviewofthecontentandservice-provisionareasofthesurveyrevealsthat60%ofthethematicportalsandthenational

culturalportalsincorporateeventscalendarsintotheirsites.Ofthesesameportals,50%presentfeaturesandspecializededitorialcontent(inthenationalculturalportalgroupalone,thisrisesto65%).Approximatelyonethirdhaveincorporatedsoundand/orvideoandonlyahandful(5%)offeronlineticketingservices.Whiletheportalshaveexpressedaninterestininteractivityintheirthree-yearobjectives,lessthan30%currentlyincludeblogs,forums,working-groupspace,votingorotherparticipatorytools.Tosomedegree,thiscanbeattributedtocost.Giventhehighinterest,however,thisrelativelylowpercentagereflectsthechallengesgovernmentsinparticularfaceinprovidinguser-drivenspaceswithintheirportals.

Contentisgenerallytime-sensitive,althoughlesssointhecaseoftheobservatoriesgroup.Anotherkeyelementintheuniquepositioningoftheportalsisthevalueoftimelyandfrequentlyupdatedcontent,theprovisionofwhichrequiresdedicatedstaff.Inthecaseofnationalculturalportals,nonereportedlessthanweeklyupdating;fully48%update

Mexico:e-cultura

CHARACTERISTICSOFCULTURALPORTALS

1�

daily.Thematicportalsaremorevariable;asagroup,theirscaleofoperationcoversawiderrange,somoreofthemhavedifficultyupdatingonaregularbasis.48%updatedaily,28%weeklyand24%monthlyorless.Culturalobservatoriesupdatemuchlessfrequently.Only17%updatedaily,41%weeklyand42%monthlyorless.

Contentistheraisond’êtreofallculturalportals.Asthecontentandnumberofcontributorsgrow,managingthecontentbecomesaquestionofresourcesandjugglingpriorities.AsdescribedbyMichelBlondeau,culturalportalneedsaredifferentfromthoseofmanyotherportals.Therearefewculturallysensitivedevelopersandthereislimitedexperiencewithuser-centricdesignanddelivery.Culturalcontentmanagementtoolsandsolutionsarenotreadilyavailableoraffordable.1

Structure and Governance of Portals

Whileafewportalshavegood-sized,full-timestaff,manymoreoperatewithacombinationofsmallstaff,out-sourcing,distributedmanagement,sharedaccountabilityandvolunteercommittees.Theportalsstudiedexhibitasignificantrangeinscale,fromone-personvolunteerinitiativestofull-timeteamsofmorethan20,withwidenetworksofcontributingcorrespondents.Ifweconsidera“smallorganization”toincludeonetothreestaffmembers,48%fallintothiscategoryinthenationalportalsgroup;bythissamedefinition,73%ofthematicportalsand81%ofculturalobservatoriesare“small.”The

combinationofasmallstaffandvolunteerspresentschallengesinachievingconsistencyandlong-termdevelopment.Someportalsoperateasa“cell”withingovernment,withsecondedstaff,ortheyareanarmofgovernment,orofalargernationalorganization.Whilethisprovidesstronginfrastructuresupportandsomeassurancesofquality,italsopresentschallengesintheareaofgovernanceandinharmonizinggovernmentprioritieswithaudienceneeds.Portalsthatareadevelopmentoroffshootofearlierofflineoronlineinitiatives,(publicorother),oftenstartwithabuilt-inorganizationalandgovernancestructure,whichmayormaynotbeappropriatetothenewonlineenterprise.

Whenportalsdependonpartnersthatarelocatedacrossacountry,orlayered(atmunicipal,regionalornationallevels)withinaregion,managementandgovernanceoverdistancepresentauniquesetofchallenges.Whilediversityisanasset,theabilitytoachieveconsistencyandquality—bothcriticalindicatorsofsuccess—impliessignificanthumanandfinancialresources.Itoftennecessitatestrainingonthepartoftheleadorcentralhubintheportalnetwork.

Inordertoensurecontentissustainable,credible,comprehensiveandavoidsduplication,portalsseektodevelopandsecurepartnershipsinallaspectsoftheirwork,witharangeofprivate,non-profitandpublicsectorcollaborators.Theconsiderationssurroundingpartnerships,servicesandgovernanceareinextricablylinked;portalsmustcarefullyplanhowtheywillintegratenewpartnersintoportaldevelopmentandwhattheimplicationsareforportalmanagementandgovernance.

1MichelBlondeaupresentedcontentmanagementoptionsandstrategiestotheInternationalRoundtableparticipants.

Hell is managing other

people’s content.Michel Blondeau•CEO/IdeaGuyecentricarts.com,Toronto. Canada

❛❜

Sweden:kulturnätsverige

CHARACTERISTICSOFCULTURALPORTALS

16

Participation

Manyofthenationalportalsindicatedthattheyarestrivingtobe“thebest,”“themostcomprehensive,”“themostcomplete,”or“thefirstpointofaccess”forthecitizensoftheircountry.Theywanttheircontenttobeinclusiveandtorepresentthebreadthofactivityintheircountry,includingregionalandruralparticipation.Theywanttoensurethebroadestparticipationpossiblebycontentpartnersandtheyvaluepartnershipwithculturalorganizations.Publicawarenessoftheirportalsisaprimaryobjective.

Portalshaveindicatedsignificantinterestindevelopingmoreinteractivecomponentsfortheirsites.Theywanttoengagetheirusersmore,toinviteincreasedparticipationandfeedback.Currently,only26%ofthegovernment-ledportalsincorporateinteractivefeatures(weblogs,voting,forums,etc).Thisrelativelylowlevelofinteractivityreflectsthechallengetheyfaceinprovidinganopenandunvetteddigitalspace.Thetechnologyisreadilyavailableandgenerallyaffordable,asevidencedbyitsuseinmanynon-governmentsitesanditsadoptionbysitesatveryearlystagesoftheirdevelopment.Interactivityisakeypriorityofmanyrecentlyestablished(withinthelastthreeyears)non–profitportalsfunctioningoutsideofgovernment.However,thegoaloffosteringcitizenengagementthroughwide-open24/7accessremainsproblematicforgovernment-runsites.

Publicpolicymandatescompelculturalportalstobecome“realconnectors”ofpeopletoresources.User-centred,citizen-centred,network-based,partnership-orientedaretermsfrequentlyusedbyportalarchitects.ThepotentialfortheInternettoprovideapointofentrytodialoguethatcanfeeddirectlyintopolicydevelopmenthasnotgoneunnoticed.Forthistobeacrediblevehicleforthecitizenandavaluabletoolforpolicymakers,portalsmustensurethattheplatformtheyprovidegivesvoicetocitizensandensurestheywillbeheardwithoutmisrepresentation.

Diversity

Allofthenationalportalshaveaninterestinpromotingtheircountry’sculturalwealth—firsttotheirowncitizens(theirprimaryaudience)andalsointernationally.Diversityandinclusivenessarekeydrivers,asevidencedboththroughtheresponsestotheopen-endedquestion:“Whatareyourthree-yeargoals?”andtheresponsesthatconsistentlyassignprioritytolocalaudienceswithinthetargetaudiencesidentified.

Multidisciplinaryportalsdefineculturebroadly;ingeneral,itisnotlimitedto“thearts.”Eachportalreflectstheindividualcharacterofthecountryitself,itsunderstandingofcultureanduser-directedneeds.

Sites,particularlythosebuiltondecentralizedcontentprovisionandmanagementhavealsofoundwaystoincorporatethefullscopeofactivities,frommajororganizationsthroughtolocal,community-levelparticipation.Oftenthisisrealizedthroughpartnershipsthatallowcomprehensivelocalandregionalinformationtobeincludedinthenationalportal.

PORTALS AND CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT

Canada:culture.ca

17

Access

ThecorebusinessofthesepublicportalsisconnectingwiththeircitizensandtheInternetisbecominganevermoreaccessiblemeansofachievingthis.ThecommitmenttoaccessisexpressedingovernmentstrategiessuchastheCanadianCultureOnlineStrategy,inwhichthekeyelementsofaccessandvisibilityaretheunderpinningoftheCulture.cagateway.Shortandlonger-termobjectivesidentifyusabilityandinteroperabilityasameanstoensurethebroadestaccesspossible.

PortalssuchasIlam.org1,basedinCostaRica,andecultura.gob.mxfromMexicoconnectmanysmallerwebsitesandportalsinasinglenationalormultinationalentrypointtoprovideaccessbyasbroadanaudienceaspossibletothewidestrangeofculturalactivitypossible.Collaborationssuchasthese,thatbringtogetherorganizationsandinitiativesatdifferentstagesofdevelopment,withvaryingresourcebases,presentbothchallengesandopportunities.Notallpartnersarriveataprojectwiththesamelevelofunderstandingorknowledge.Somearerichinresources,othersareresourcepoor.Trainingbecomesakeyelementofthecollaboration.

Inresponsetotheopen-endedquestionsintheonlinesurvey,manyportalsreportedthattheyincludeintheirthree-yeargoalseffortstoreachspecificusers,suchasyouth,childrenandschools.Thesurveyindicatedthatgovernment-ledportalshaveasignificantinterestinbroadeningtheirreachtoincludeschoolstudents.Becauseoftherelativelysophisticatednatureoftheircontent,

thematicportalsandobservatoriesadoptamoretargetedapproachtocollegeanduniversitystudents.

Accessgoesbeyondsimplybridgingthedigitaldividethroughconsideredtechnologychoices;itincludescarefulattentiontolanguage,designandcontent.Successfulconnectionsbetweenportalsandtherangeofaudiencestheyservearethosethatmaketheculturalcontentaccessibleinalanguagetheaudienceunderstands.Anexampleofthisisthe24HourMuseum’s“ShowMe”featurethatreachesouttochildrenintheirownlanguage.

TheconceptofaccesshastakenonamuchexpandedmeaningwiththeInternet.Accessiscertainlynotlimitedtothecitizensofindividualcountries;inmakingthedecisiontoestablishanationalculturalportal,theportalbuilderisensuringthatthecultureinquestionissharedaroundtheworld.Itisanoutward-lookingexercise,ratherthanoneaimedatprotectingorpreservinginanarrowsense.

Thepublicportalseitherhave,oraspireto,broadstakeholderinterest.Steeringcommittees,advisorygroupsandcross-programcommitteesareidentifiedasameanstoensurerepresentationandmeaningfulconnectionto,arangeofgroups.Managingthiscomplexinterconnectionofstakeholdersisnotaneasyorstraightforwardtask;itisanimperativethatsetspublicportalsapartfromthosewithmorecommercialinterests.

Portalscitethevalueofrepresentative,consultativeandcollaborativecommitteesandadvisorygroupsinensuringbalancedcontentselectionandaccess.

1losMuseosyParquesdeAméricaLatina

UK: ShowMe

The government’s role is not to

decide what “culture” is, but to

provide a platform for it.Alvaro Illanes Garcés •Cibernetica.cl(Chile)

❛❜

18

Thefollowingisnotacomprehensiveoverviewofeverymanagementissuefacedbyculturalportals;rather,itidentifiessomeofthemanagement

aspectsthatareuniquetoportalmanagement.Itaddressesissuesspecifictoworkinginanonlineenvironmentandintheintersectingspacebetweentheonlineandofflineworlds.Primarily,itreflectsthemainchallengesreportedthroughthesurveyandtheRoundtabledeliberationsatExpo2005,Japan—areasinwhicheffectivenetworkingandsharingofbestpracticescanbemostuseful.

Collaborative Approaches: networks, cross-sectoral collaborations and public-private partnerships

Regardlessofsize,culturalportalspursuepartnersandcollaboratorsforahostofreasons:toensurethattheymeettheirobjectives,tounderscoretheirauthenticityandoftenjusttokeepthedooropen.Portalsseekoutandworkwithcontentpartners,editorialpartners,technicalpartners,strategicpartners,marketingpartnersandfinancialpartners.Inwhathasbeendescribedas“aneweraofcooperation”1,portalshaveforgedpartnershipswithandacrossgovernment,withbusinesses,otherportalsandinformationproviders,culturalandnon-culturalorganizationsofallsizes.Therangeanddiversityofnetworksspansmultinationalinitiatives,suchastheEuropeanUnionportal,MICHAEL2,tograssrootspartnershipsbetweenusersandcreators,suchascult.bginBulgaria,withmyriaddiverseandindividualsituationsinbetween.

MICHAELcurrentlycomprisestheUK,ItalyandFranceandhassetouttoprovideinteroperableelectronicaccesstoaggregatedmultilingualculturalinformation.Cult.bgplaces“usercontentprovidersandcitizensatthecentre,”havingrealizedearlyonthatitsmostsignificantpartnersareitsusers.

Cross-ministerialpartnershipswithingovernmentcanmaximizeportaleffectiveness.Inadditiontodevelopingpartnershipswithministriesofculture,nationalculturalportalsareworkingwithministriesofeducation,tourism,scienceandindustry.Whiletheculturalsectoriswellawareoftheimpactthatculturehasoneducation,tourismandentertainment,thisimpactisnotalwaysrecognizedbytheothersectors.Identifyingsharedaudiencescanhelptomakethecaseforcollaboration.Portalauthoritiesthathavesuccessfullybrokendownbarriersandgalvanizedcross-departmentalinterestearlyoninthedevelopmentoftheirportalhavedramaticallyenhancedtheeffectivenessandreachoftheportal.

1PhilippeAvenier,culture.fr2 MICHAEL:MultilingualInventoryofCulturalHeritageinEurope

http://www.michael-culture.org.MICHAELisadevelopmentfromMINERVA,aEuropeanCommissioninitiative,establishedinthelate1990s,thatsoughttoinvestigate,coordinateandsupportpolicydevelopmentwithrespecttodigitization.

CULTURAL PORTAL MANAGEMENT

EU:MICHAEL

19

Additionallayersofpartnershavesurfacedfromtheportalsthemselvesasnewnetworkshaveemerged.ThereiskeeninterestinpartneringbetweenCulture.mondoparticipantsinareasofcontentandtechnologysharing,informationgatheringandpossibleexchangeofexpertise.MICHAELiscurrentlyinnegotiationwiththeeTENforfundingforanewphaseoftheproject,MICHAELPlus.Thiswillextendtheprojecttoeightnewcountriesby2006(Finland,Malta,Greece,Hungary,Poland,CzechRepublic,theNetherlandsandGermany).TheMICHAELconsortiumhopesthattheprojectwillextendtoincludeallEUcountriesinthenearfuture.Whiletodatetherehasbeenlimitedprivatesectorinvolvementinthedevelopmentofnationalculturalportals,portalbuildersareincreasinglyforginginnovativepartnershipsbetweentheprivate,publicandnon-profitsectors.Technicalissues,particularlyinthedevelopmentalstage,areoftenhandledthroughoutsourcing;sucharrangementshavebeencitedassuccessfulbusinesspartnershipsandexchangesofservices.Partnershipswithotherpublications,printandelectronicmediaandalternatedistributionvehiclesfacilitatethemovementofcontentinandoutoftheWeb.

Thevarietyofpartnershipsandtheimperativesthatdrivethesecollaborationsimpactsignificantlyon

themanagementandgovernanceofportals.Successfulpartnershipsrequireahighlevelofcommitmentandbuy-infromallcollaborators;long-term,effectivecontributiononlyresultswhenallpartnersperceivevalue,haveastrongsenseofownershipintheportalandrecognizetheirsharedandintersectingaudiences.

Theportalauthoritymustbeabletomanageexpectationseffectively,supportpartnersastheyarriveatacommonunderstandingandlevelofexpertise,andensurecooperationaroundsharedgoals.Thesegoalsmustremainfrontandcentreduringplanning,implementationandevaluation.

Cultnat.org has been propelled by cross-ministerial interests that

include culture, tourism, libraries and education. The partners may

have differing agendas, but ultimately their interest is ensuring

that we build our cultural content into an excellent Website and

make it available to the widest audience possible.Reem Bahgat•Cultnat.org,Egypt

EGYPT:cultnat

❛

❜

20

Ownership and Governance

Whilethereisadecidedcommonalityofpurposeinnationalculturalportals—celebratingcultureandreachingabroadaudience—eachportalfacesaverydifferentstructuralandgovernancechallenge.Thesizeandscopeoftheportalsrangefromsmallvolunteer-ledinitiativestosubstantialorganizationswithcomplexmanagementstructuresandaconfirmedresourcebase.Asmentionedearlier,manyhavestrongtiestogovernmentandsomeare100%public.Limitedcommercialopportunityhasmeantthatthisisanarenathatdoesnotattractsignificantprivatesectorinterest—exceptwhenculturalinterestsintersectwithotherinterests,suchasentertainmentandtourism.

Governancequestionscanbedistilledto“Wholeads?”and“Whopays?”Sincemostoftheportalshavestrongtiestogovernment,thequestioncanbefurtherarticulatedas:Whatdrivespublicportaldevelopment—culturalorotherpolicyagendas,oraudienceinterestsandneeds?

Manyofthelarge,costly,nationalprojectshaveoriginatedwithgovernment,whocontendwithstrongpolicyinterestswithrespecttopublicaccess,representationanddiversity.Thegovernmentpresence,andthedegreetowhichportalsareunderstoodas“official”governmentsites,affectstheirgovernance.Ownershipatanofficial,nationallevelcertainlyhasitsbenefits,notleastistheavailabilityofresourcesand,forsomeusers,credibilitytotheinformationprovided.Butcangovernment-ledsitesgrowunfettered?CantheymovenimblythroughtheexpandinginformationgalaxyandtechnologicalchangesoftheInternet?Sitesthatareindependentofgovernment,butdrivenbysimilarpolicyconsiderations,canoftenexperimentmorefreelywithemergingtools.Theycanmorereadilytrynewwaysofinteractingwithaudiences.Savvypubic

sectorleaderslooktothemasatestinggroundfortheirownengagementwiththepublic.

Long-termviabilitycan,ofcourse,besecuredthroughconsistentfinancing.Long-termrelevanceishardertopurchase.Whentheownershipofthesitemoredirectlyinvolvestheuser,thisrelevanceisperhapsmoreassured.Thisisthecaseformanynon-profitstructures,culturalorother,thatrelyontheunflaggingeffortsofvolunteerstomitigatetheirlackofresources.Suchportalsactivelyengagevolunteercommittees,advisorygroupsandspecialistpanelstomaintainameaningfulconnectionwiththeirusersandstakeholders.

The week Cult.bg went live, we were shocked

by how few visitors we had — something was

very wrong. Our site, which had all kinds of

“official credibility,” and our audience were not

connecting. In short, we completely revamped our

approach; we moved from a centralized editorial

position to encouraging reader contribution and

put the ownership of Cult.bg firmly in the hands

of young creators and users — pretty soon visitor

traffic shot up and it keeps on growing.Galia Dimitrova •Cult.bg,Bulgaria

❛

❜

NATIONALCULTURALPORTALMANAGEMENT

Bulgaria:cult.bg

21

Partnershipsandcollaborationsdiscussedearlieralsoaffectgovernancestructuresanddecisions.Inordertokeeptheiraudienceengaged,portalsmustbedynamicandevolving;theirgovernanceapproachshouldevolveintandemwiththegrowthandchangewithintheorganization—perhapsfrompublictoprivateornon-profit,asappropriate.

Whatisclearisthatgovernancearrangementsvary.Asculturalportalsevolve,theirlong-termsuccesswilllieintheirabilitytoadaptandshiftasnecessary,keepinginmindtheownershipinterestsoftheirsite.Flexibility,responsivenessand“light-touchgovernance”arerequired,bothinestablishingpublicportalsandmaintainingtheirconnectionandrelevancetoaudiences.

Role of governments: rationalizing policy and investment with audience needs

InresponsetotheInternationalSurveyofCulturalPortals,thethree-yearobjectivesmostfrequentlycitedbythegovernment-runportalswereasfollows: Tobethebest,orthemostcomprehensive,

sourceofinformationforthepublicandpolicymakers;

Toraisepublicawarenessandincreasethenumberofvisitors;

Toencourageanddeveloppartnershipsincontentprovision,managementandfinancialareas;

Tobroadenaccessregionallyandtoschools;

Toprovidenewservicesandinteractivity.

Thekeyprioritiesofcitizenaccessandparticipationarecertainlyevidentintheseobjectives.Providingauthentic,diverseandtimelycontentrequiresasignificantinvestmentthatsomegovernmentsarewillingtoprovide.Itislogicalforgovernmentstobeinthebusinessofestablishingculturalportalsonanationalscale.However,canagovernmentportalsuccessfullyrespondtogovernmentprioritiesandministerialobjectivesandserveaudienceneedsatthe

Culture.fr grew out of the official website of the French Ministry

of Culture. This afforded us a solid resource base and the

invaluable wealth of experience built over years of national

cultural Web presence. We are now more autonomous and

distanced from any official point of view: it has a more relaxed

feel and a freer sense of expression.Philippe Avenier • culture.fr

❛

❜

France:culture.fr


22

sametime?Dothesegoalsconflict?Doestheconflictcreateidentityproblems?Partnerships,collaborativearrangements,advisorycommitteesanddecentralizedcontentdevelopmentwithingovernmentportalssuchasthoseofMexicoandFrancehavehelpedtobalancetherealitiesofgovernmentownership.

TheimmediacyoftheInternetandthetoolsavailableforinstantaneousinteractionwiththedigitalvisitorcertainlymakeitpossibletomaintainaconstantanddynamicdialoguewithaudiences.Interactivityanduserinvolvementisanareaofgrowinginterestforbothestablishedandnewsites.However,itischallengingforgovernment-runsitestoadoptandfullyutilizethesefeatures—sometimesforpurelytechnicalreasonsandothertimesbecausetheirveryopennesschallengescautiouseditorialpolicies.

Governmentsareinapositiontofundtheseinitiativeswellandfacilitatetheirsuccessfulincubation.Byputtingtheinitiativeatarmslengthfromgovernmentandthroughcontinuedmeaningfulconnectiontotheaudience,governmentcanenableanappropriateandresponsivegovernancestructuretodeveloporganically.Insodoing,itcanensurequalityserviceprovisiontotheuserandfacilitateagovernancestructurethatismoreresponsivetotheaudienceprofile,interestandneeds.

Unfortunately,portalsthathavebeendevelopedwithgovernmentfunding,becauseofaspecificpublicpolicyagenda,faceincrediblechallengeswhenthesepoliciesshiftandfundingiswithdrawn.

User-focused audience development

Inoneparticularrespect,theculturalportalisnodifferentfromanyotherculturalundertakingororganization.The“builditandtheywillcome”philosophydoesnotwork

fortheculturalportal,justasitdoesn’tworkforatheatre,agallery,afestivaloreventhegreatestshowonearth.

DevelopingaudiencesisaprimaryconcernofallRoundtableparticipantsandcertainlyofthesurveyrespondents.However,mosthaveveryfewresourcestodedicatetomarketingandsomeareconstrainedbytheirgovernancestructureinthescopeofmarketingthatcanbeundertaken.Thoseportalsthathavegrownoutofofflineengagementswithaudiences(museums,forexample)notethattheonlineworldisverydifferentandmanypre-conceivednotionsaboutmarketingmustbeleftatthegatewaytothedigitalworld.

We are mistaken in

thinking that successful

offline marketing tools

and techniques can just be

tweaked for the online world,

that our online visitors are the

same as our real-world visitors

– not so. We must look more

closely at our online users

– really get to know them and

then develop user-focused

strategies specifically for them.

We cannot simply recast

traditional offline

approaches. Kevin Sumption • CollectionsAustraliaNetwork

❛

❜


2�

Portalsunderstandtheneedforeffectiveonlineandofflinemarketingoftheirsites.However,marketingalonedoesnotensureaudiencegrowth,regardlessoftheamountofresourcesbroughttobear.Thekeyfirststeptosuccessfulmarketingistoknowandunderstandtheaudience:Whoaretheusers?Whydotheyvisittheportal?Howdotheyusetheinformationtheygainfromtheportal?Auser-focussedapproachiscritical,alongwithanunderstandingthatitisnotpossibletobeallthingstoallpeople.

TheCulturalPortalSurveyaskedrespondentstoidentifytheir“primaryaudience.”Aquestionhasbeenraisedastohowaccuratelytheyhaveidentifiedtheaudiencesfortheirsites—whethertheyarerealorperceived.Learningmoreabouttheonlineaudiencedirectlywouldcertainlyclarifythematter.“Accidentalaudiences,”orusers,canarrivefromunexpectedquarters.Awarenessoftheseaudiencesnotonlyassiststheportalbuilderinmarketing,butalsoinconsideringchangestotheproduct.

Manyparticipantshaveundertakensomelevelofaudiencesurvey,fromelaboratestudiestomoresimplepop-ups,seekingtodiscoverage,location,interests,andsoonoftheirusers.Regularaudienceanduserinvolvementisimportantfordesigning,curatingandeditingcontenttokeepsitesfreshandrelevant.TheCulture.mondonetworkhavecommittedtosharingtheirtools(onlinesurveys,etc.)andresearchoutcomeswithaviewtobetterunderstandingandcomparingaudiences.

Audienceinformationanduserprofilescanalsoassistportalbuildersinattractingappropriateadvertisers,shouldtheportalhaveenoughregulartrafficandelecttopursueadvertisingtogeneraterevenueforthesite.

Basedonthesurveyresponses,thepercentageofbudgetthatportalsdevotetomarketingisgenerallyquitelow.Anaverageof7.5%hasbeendedicatedtomarketingbynationalculturalportals,4%bythematicportalsand

approximately2.5%byculturalobservatories.Giventhatmanyportalsidentifybroadeningaudiencesandusersasanobjective,butfewhavetheresourcesorabilitytodoso,itwillbevaluabletoshareinnovative,low-costmarketingapproachesandexperiences.

Onlinemarketingisusedsignificantlybyallgroupsofportals(87%ofnationalculturalportals,83%ofthematicportalsand75%ofculturalobservatories).Themostprevalentonlineinitiativesaretheinclusionoflogosandlinksandtheexchangeofinformationwithotherculturalorganizations—over50%inallgroupsusedthesemethods.Fully60%ofthesurveyrespondentsinthenationalculturalportalsuseonlinebanners,comparedwith19%inthethematicportalsand25%oftheobservatories(observatoriesalsoincludetheirbannersonnon-culturalsites).

In the overcrowded Internet

world, promotion, positioning

and marketing of the cultural

portal is required to deliver

on the access and visibility

objectives that shaped it.Mostafa Zommo • DirectorGenerale-Services,DepartmentofCanadianHeritage

❛

❜


Australia:CollectionsAustralianNetwork(CAN)

24

Mostofthepaidmarketingindicatedbyallthreegroupswasdirectedatprintmaterial—fliers,postersanddirectmarketing—inanefforttotargetspecificusergroups.Allundertooksomenewspaperadvertisingandsomedidtelevisionadvertising—thelatter,however,wasdonealmostexclusivelythroughexchangeofservices.

Inthenationalculturalportalsgroup30%undertakeregularmarketingsurveysand72%havedoneatleastonesurvey.Inthematicportalsthefiguresarelower:13%doregularsurveysand37%havedonesome.Culturalobservatoriesreportthatmembershipandusersatisfactionaremorefrequentlyusedmeasures.Thenatureoftheirworkissuchthattheyhavemoredirectcontactwithasmaller,moreeasilyidentifiedandcloselyconnecteduserbase.

InformationwillbesharedimmediatelywithintheCulture.mondonetworkandwillbenefitboththemoreestablishedportalsandthoseunderdevelopment.Tipsforlow-costmarketingandwaystoharnessonlinetechnologiestospeedtrafficdirectlytoaportalarevitaltotheirhealthandsurvival.Recentreportssuggestthatover80%ofusersrelyonsearchenginesasthefirstportofcallforinformation.Thisreinforcestheimportanceofoptimizingcontentandimprovingvisibilityonsearchengines.

RSS1andotherpushtechnologiesarethefutureoftheWeb;culturalportalsneedtounderstandtheirpotentialandcosteffectiveness.RSSiswellestablishedinthepublishingindustryasastandard.BroadcasterssuchastheBBChavehundredsofRSSfeeds,butcultural-sectorpublishingisslowontheuptake.

The24HourMuseumlaunchedthefirstculturalRSSnewsfeedintheUKin2003.Sincethen,thesite’straffichasmorethatdoubledeachyearandover70%ofpeoplearriveatapageotherthanthehomepageduetothesite’s“google-friendliness.”

Measures of Success

Theotherimportantconsiderationwithrespecttomarketingistheissueofmeasuresofsuccess.Whatarereasonableandvaluabletrackingandassessmentcriteriaandhowcantheseperformanceindicatorsbecomparedandassistinthesharingofbestpractices?Moreover,inthecaseofpubliclyfundedportals,whatevidencecanbeminedtosupportthesignificantpublicfundingthatisinvestedintheseonlineinitiatives?

Knowingmoreabouttheaudienceallowsforbetterevaluation:Whoistheaudience,whydotheycomeandhowdotheyusetheinformation?SharingaudienceprofilesacrosstheCulture.mondonetworkcanassistinbuildinganinformationbasefromwhichtoconsidermeasuresofsuccess.

“Success”intheonlineworldismostoftenmeasuredbyquantifiableresultsthatcountvisitors,pageviewsortimespentonthesite.However,itisnotpossibletoknowfromanumbersanalysisalonethedegreetowhichtheportalhasbeensuccessfulonitsownterms,itspercentageofmarketshareandsoon.Theuser-centredapproachtomarketinganddevelopmentdiscussedearlierkeepsthefocusontheaudienceandonconnectiontothepublic,aperspectivethatmustalsobereflectedinperformanceindicatorsandevaluation.

1ReallySimpleSyndication(RSS)Tofindoutmorevisit:www.24hourmuseum.org.uk/etc/formuseums/TXT31577_gfx_en.html


UK:24HMnewsfeedviewedonpartnerwebsite

2�

Portalarchitectscanbeconsumedbyperformanceindicators—numbersandstatisticsthatcanimpressanddismaycriticsandsupportersalike.Whilethereisacertainvalueinnumbersandquantifiableresults,thesenumbersaremostusefulwhenpresentedinthecontextofhowone’ssitecomparestoothers.Internationalcontextisinstructiveandcanbeextremelyusefulinconversationswithstakeholders,contributorsandinvestors.

Aclearerandmoredetailedpictureoftheworldofpublicculturalportals,drawnthroughmeaningfulperformanceindicators,willmakeiteasiertocompareandcontrastthemtothecommercialonlineworld—astudythatwouldbeworthundertaking.

Inpartnershipwithotherstrategicinitiativesatthenationalandinternationallevels,Culture.mondoisinterestedindevelopingclearguidelinesandusingcommontrackingtoolsthatwillassistinmeasuringoutcomestoobjectivesandwillalsobuildaresourceofcomparativeinternationaldatathatcanresonateonanationallevel.

Inadditiontoconsideringthenumbersofvisitorsandrelatedstatistics,itisimportanttofindwaystoassessthequalityoftheonlineexperienceandthevalueoftheinformationprovided.Therightquestionsmustbeaskedinordertomeasuresuccessagainsttheportal’sgoals.Frequentandmeaningfuldialoguewithusersbothinformstheassessmentprocessandconnectstheusermorefullywiththeportal’sdirection.

By pushing our content into the heart of search engines we’ve

upped our visitor numbers and got our cost per user down from

49p to 5p in four years. We look at this alongside other less

quantitative stuff like numbers of downloads and email enquires.

We also monitor our relationship with the sector we represent,

how many times do people update their museum entry or send us

a press release — altogether this paints a pretty good picture of

impact and reach.Jane Finnis Director• 24HourMuseum,UK

UK:24HourMuseum

❜

❛


26

Participants at the Culture.mondo Roundtable

Expo 200�, Aichi, Japan

Culture.mondoseesahealthyfutureinitsnetwork.Fromasmallcoresteeringcommittee,thenetworkhasexpandedtoacommittedgroup

ofmorethan20portals(andgrowing).Themorethan80portalsthatparticipatedinthesurveyarealreadyavailabletovisitontheCulturemondo.orgsite.ThisinternationalnetworkofportalsiscommittedtocontinueworkingtogetherandhavechosentousetheinteractivehuboftheCanadianCulturalObservatory,Culturescope.ca,asavirtualworkandmeetingplace.

Tocomplementanddeepentheexchangeandengagementaffordedbythisonlineworkingspace,thenetworkisplanningasecondface-to-faceRoundtablein2006—establishingapatternforannualmeetingstobehostedbymemberportalsfromaroundtheworld.

TheCulture.mondocommunityofpracticeaimstoincreaseparticipationfromawiderangeofculturalportalsandstrategicbodiesworldwide.Knowledgeexchangedacrossportalswillensurethatestablishedportalscansharebestpracticeswitheachotherandsupportthedevelopmentofnewportalsaroundtheworld.However,informationflowsinmanydirections—thefreshtakeofemergingportals,thetenacityofless-resourcedportalsandtheingenuityofyoungportalarchitectswillconstantlyprovidenew

viewsandperspectivesonthechallengesofportalgrowthanddevelopment.Thenetworkrecognizesthepotentialofactivecontentpartnershipsandtheopportunitytocreateandpresentnewmaterialthatcrossesnationalboundariesandreachesouttoandconnectswithaudiencesintheglobalarena.

Asitexpandsandgrows,Culture.mondoiscommittedtomaintaininganopen,nimbleandflexibleorganizationthatisresponsivetotheinterestsandaspirationsofitsportalmembers.Culture.mondodoesnotproposeamultinationalbureaucracyoramassivepublic-facingdestinationwebsite.Culture.mondoisnottiedtoanyonenationalagenda,ortoaspecificapproachtoportaldesignandmanagement.

Thenetworklooksforwardtoregionalandmultinationalexchangeandcollaborationwithotherrelatedinitiatives,includingMICHAEL,theInterAmericanNetworkofCulturalPolicyObservatoriesoftheOrganisationofAmericanStates(OAS),theInterAmericanNetworkofCulturalPolicyObservatoriesandUNESCOinthepost-CulturalDiversityConventionworldnowthatithasbeenadoptedbytheGeneralConference.

Thenetworkplanstoseekoutfundingpartnersinordertoundertakefurtherresearchandinformation-sharingtosupporttheexchangeofknowledgebetweenportals,forthebenefitoftheportalbuildersandtheindividualcitizensworldwidethatenterintothisnewglobalcommonsthroughthenationalculturalportalgateways.

Culture.mondoseesthepotentialforculturalportalstobeatthevanguardofnewonlinetoolsandtechnologyandtochampioninnovativeparticipatoryexperiencesandcitizenengagement.Asinformationandknowledgebecomesevenlesstetheredtoaparticularplaceorspace,asinformationismobilized,culturaltravellerswillbeabletoexperiencetheircultureandthecultureofothersthroughmultiplemeansofaccess.

WWW: FORWARD SLASH/FUTURE

27

Culture.mondoaroseoutofthecollectivevisionandleadershipofmembergroupsandthankstotheimpetusprovidedbyCulture.ca.ItbenefitsfromtheongoingsupportoftheDepartmentofCanadianHeritage,thepartnerthathoststhenetworksecretariat.TheworkofCulture.mondohasbeenledbyanInternationalSteeringCommittee,allofwhosemembershavegenerouslycontributedtime,energyandexpertisetoensurethatanideahasbecomeareality.

CulturalPortals:GatewaystoaGlobalCommonshasbeeninformedbytheCulture.mondoonlinesurvey.SpecialthanksareduetotheCulture.mondoInternationalSteeringCommitteeand,inparticular,toHansNissens,Cultuurnet.beandVladimirSkok,NetworkChair,Culture.ca/culturescope.ca(Canada)forchampioningfinancialsupportfromtheirrespectiveorganizations.

FurthercontributionstothepublicationweremadebytheCulture.mondoRoundtable(Japan,June2005),ameetingmadepossiblebytheeffortsandresourcescontributedbytheDepartmentofCanadianHeritageandthegenerosityoftheCanadianPavilion,Expo2005.

TheproductionofthispublicationisthankstothefinancialcontributionsofMICHAEL(MultilingualInventoryofCulturalHeritageinEurope),andtheCollectionsAustraliaNetwork(CAN);wewishtoexpressoursinceregratitudetoDavidDawson(MLA,UK)andKevinSumption.MembersoftheInternationalSteeringCommitteehavepaidmeticulousattentiontothetext.ParticularthanksgotoJaneFinnis,24HourMuseum,whoalsocoordinatedthedesignandproduction.

Culture.mondo International Steering CommitteePhilippeAvenier,Culture.fr (France)AlfonsoCastellanos,Ecultura.gob.mx (Mexico)Guy-MarcDumais,Culture.ca (Canada)AnaMariaDurán,Kultur.nu (Sweden) JaneFinnis,24hourmuseum.org.uk (UK)IlyaEricLee(portal in development, Taiwan)HansNissens,Cultuurnet.be (Belgium) VladimirSkok,Chair, / Culturescope.ca / Canadian Cultural Observatory (Canada) KevinSumption,Collectionsaustralia.net (Australia)

Culture.mondo SecretariatMarie-FranceLettre(2005-06)Marie-NoelShank(2005)KelliFraser(2004-2005)www.Culturemondo.org+18199979785

Analysis, Roundtable facilitation and writing: KatherineWatson,Meta4

Editing BarbaraLaskin, Meta4Meta4CreativeCommunicationsInc.isbasedinOttawa,Canadaandspecializesincommunicationsservicesforpublicandnon-profitinstitutions.katherine@meta4creative.ca

PhotographyPages2,4,6,9,16©24HourMuseumPages11,26©Culture.ca

DesignDavidO’Connor([email protected])

Basedontheculuturemondo.orgwebsiteMichael Blondeau,eccentricarts.com Toronto, Canada

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

28

www.virtualmuseum.ca

TheVirtualMuseumofCanadacelebratesthestoriesandtreasuresthathavecometodefineCanadaoverthecenturies.TheVMCharnessesthepoweroftheInternettobringCanada’srichanddiverseheritageintoourhomes,schoolsandplacesofwork.Contact:[email protected]

www.culture.fr

Culture.frisproducedbyFrance’sMinistryofCultureandCommunicationsincooperationwithnumerouspartners.Itisavailabletothelargestpossibleaudience,offersaculturalagenda,aselectionofsites,informationonthousandsofculturalorganizationsaswellasarticlescoveringallaspectsofculturallife.Contact:[email protected]

www.cultnat.org

Inthreelanguages,www.cultnat.orgpresentsprojectsinEgyptianculturalandnaturalheritagedocumentation,namelyarchaeological,architectural,natural,folklore,music,photographic,manuscripts,andsoforth.Italsoincludesapublicationslist,pressreleases,news,feedback,andFAQs.TheuniquenessoftheWebsiteliesinthewiderangeyetspecializedcontentthatitpresents.Contact:[email protected]

www.ecultura.gob.mx

E-culturaoffersapanoramaofon-lineMexicanculturethroughitsnewsletterservice,dailynewssection,children’ssection,billboardcoveringmorethan80institutions,abookshop,andamuseumshop.Itincludesdatafromfestivals,museums,artistsandgroups,archaeologicalsites,artseducationprograms,andlinkstoculturalWebsitesthroughouttheworld.Contact:[email protected]

www.cibernetica.cl

Thisfreemulti-portalWebsiteisadministeredbyagroupofyoungpeoplewhounderstandtherelevanceoftechnology,education,andculture.Withglobalcontentpertainingtotheinformationsociety,cibernetica.clpromotesuniversalaccesstotheInternet,telecommuting,knowledgenetworks,thecreationofdigitalinheritance,andpromotionofemergingarts.Contact:[email protected]

www.cult.bg

Cult.bgisaportalandculturalserverpresentingcontemporaryartandcultureinBulgaria.Duetoitsopenstructure,ithasmanagedtoinvolvemostoftheculturalinstitutions,artorganizations,andartistsinBulgaria.Itprovidesfreeservicestohelpartistsandorganizations,suchasWebhosting,emailaccounts,mailinglistsetc.Contact: [email protected]

www.visitingarts.org.uk

VisitingArtsseekstostrengthenandenrichinternationalawarenessandunderstandingintheUKthroughtheartsandculturalexchange.ItscountryCulturalProfilescompriseextensiveoverviewsanddetaileddirectorylistingsofeveryculturalsector(arts,media,andheritage)withinaspecificcountry,createdtoencourageandfacilitatereciprocalinternationalculturalexchange.Contact:[email protected]

www.culture.ca

Culture.caisaninitiativeoftheDepartmentofCanadianHeritageincollaborationwithpartnersfromtheprivateandpublicsectors.ItisapublicspaceandknowledgeplatformwherevisitorsfromaroundtheworldcanaccessdynamicinformationonthediversityandvitalityofculturallifeinCanadathroughacomprehensivesetofculturalresources.Contact:[email protected]

www.kultur.nu

CulturenetSwedenhasbuiltalargesystematicallyorganisedcatalogueoflinkstoallsortsofSwedishculture;artists,musicians,writers,actors,theatregroups,dancers,libraries,archives,museums,galleries,bookstores,governmentalagenciesconcernedwithculturalmatters,organisations,research,educationetc.Theservicesalsoincludes“Whathappens?”,anonlineeventcalendar.Contact:[email protected]

www.24hourmuseum.org.uk

The24HourMuseumistheUK’snationalvirtualmuseum.Itpublishesdailyarts/museumnews,exhibitionreviewsandin-depthtrails.Itpromotesnon-profitUKmuseums,galleries,andheritageattractionsandseekstoengageaudienceswithculture.ItisoneofthemostsuccessfulculturalWebsitesintheUKattractingmorethan500,000visitorseachmonth.Contact:[email protected]

APPENDIX: CULTUREMONDO ROUNDTABLE PARTICIPANTS

29

http://ocpa.irmo.hr/

Ocpa.irmo.hrispresentlytheonlyregionalWebresourcecentreandclearinghouseforcollecting,maintaining,analyzing,updating,anddisseminatinginformationonculturaldevelopmentinandfortheAfricancontinent,andforservingasaknowledge-basedpolicyanalysismechanism.Itstimulatesinformation,research,training,andcooperationrelatingtoculturalpoliciesinAfrica.Contact:[email protected]

www.asef.org

Inresponsetothedemandsofculturalpolicymakersandpractitioners,ASEFproposedaprocessentitled“CulturalPartnershipMapping”aimedatcreatinganAsia-Europeportalfacilitatingexchangesbetweenregions.Theproposedbi-regional,multidisciplinaryportalservesasaninterfaceforgovernmentsandartistsincludingavirtualspaceforculturalcollaboration.Contact: [email protected]

www.collectionsaustralia.net

ThisyearAMOLwasrelaunchedasCollectionsAustraliaNetwork(CAN).CANworkswitharchivesandlibrariesacrossAustraliatomaketheircollectionsaccessible,promotingexhibitionsandeducationprograms.ThroughCAN,teachers,students,andculturaltouristscanaccessobjectrecords,images,aswellasaspecialistprimaryandsecondaryschooleducationresourcegateway.Contact:[email protected]

NEW ZEALAND (in development)

TheportalwillprovideaccesstoNewZealandculturalinformationheldbybothgovernmentandnon-governmentculturalagenciesandorganizations.Theportalwillbeanevents-basedWebsitewithinformationonculturalgoods,services,events,andproductstodiverseaudiencesbothnationallyandinternationally.Contact:[email protected]

www.culture.tw (in development)

Culture.twisacollaborativeeffortbetweentheCouncilforCulturalAffairsandNationalDigitalArchivesProgram(NDAP)ofTaiwan.Theculturalportalunderdevelopmentwouldholdthedigitalcontentofthecultural,biological,ethnic,andgeographicaldiversityofTaiwan.It’sinspiredbyNDAP’spriorexperienceincross-disciplinarycollaborationbetweencontentexpertsandinformationtechnologists.Contact:[email protected]

www.ilam.org

www.ilam.orgfacilitatesLatinAmericanmuseumstobecome“links”betweencultures.ItcontainsadirectoryofmuseumsandparksinLatinAmerica,anewsletter,educationaloffers,linkstoon-lineexhibitions,thematiccategoriesofsites,documentationcentre,aforum,andgenerallinks.ILAMorganizesmuseologicalworkshopsandrunsavirtualvolunteersprogram.Contact:[email protected]

www.cultuurweb.be

TheFlemishculturesitemakesiteasyforthegeneralpublictofindtherightinformationquicklywithancalendarmodule,searchmodule,electronicnewsletterandlinkdatabase…Visitorscancreateapersonalprofilesandcanrateorgiveopinionaboutculturalactivities.Informationaboutreservations,pricesandticketingisavailableoncultuurweb.be.Contact:[email protected]

www.portal.unesco.org/digiarts

TheUNESCODigiArtsPortaldisseminateshistorical,theoretical,artistic,technical,andscientificresearchinthefieldofelectronicanddigitalarts.Itpromotesinformationexchangeamongartists,scientists,andtechniciansfromdifferentgeo-culturalregions.Itsupportsandencouragestheuseofelectronicsoftwareforelectroniccommunicationandcreation.Contact:[email protected]

www.culturescope.ca

ThisculturalobservatoryconnectstotheissuesaffectingCanada’sculturalvitalitytostimulatediscussionandpolicydevelopment.Itsresourcesincludespecializeddataandstatistics,digitizedpapers,news,andevents.CulturescopeGroupsprovideavenueforpassword-protectedexchangeanddiscussionsbetweenculturalprofessionalsonprojectsandnewdevelopments.Contact:[email protected]

www.culture.ma (in development)

Althoughitisstillintheideastage,progressisbeingmadeonculture.ma,aculturalgatewayforMorocco.Theprojectwillbeconductedwiththeassistanceofthefollowingkeyplayers:AlAkhawaynUniversityinIfrane(www.aui.ma),theMoroccanMinistryofCulture(www.minculture.gov.ma),theMoroccanministryoftourism(www.artesnet.gov.ma),andtheL’OfficenationalMarocaindutourisme(www.tourisme-marocain.com).Contact:[email protected]

cultural portals - culturemondoculturemondo.org/files/culturemondo-32pp-wi_14790d.pdf · held at...

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