Filling “the 20 Century Black Hole” in Europeana with the Partage Plus Project: Interview with Katie Ann Smith and Gordon McKenna

Authors

  • Maria Śliwińska Nicholas Copernicus University, ToruÅ„; ICIMSS
  • Katie Ann Smith
  • Gordon McKenna

Keywords:

interview, art nouveau

Author Biographies

Maria Śliwińska, Nicholas Copernicus University, ToruÅ„; ICIMSS

Maria Sliwinska, is the director of ICIMSS, and has expertise in library and information science, teaching, editing experience. She studied library and information sciences at the Nicholas Copernicus University in Torun, and holds a PhD in bibliology from Wrocław University. From 1993 to 1999 she was the Deputy Director of the Nicholas Copernicus University Library in Torun, responsible for its computerisation and modernisation. From 1989 to 1992 she also served as a lecturer in the Department of Librarianship and Scientific Information of the NCU. At present she is an adjunct professor at the Faculty of Politics and International Studies where she teaches journalism studies and cultural studies at the Faculty of Polish Philology. In 1994 she was invited to participate in an historic meeting of library and information services specialists "From Assistance to Co-operation - an Investment for the Future", organised in Strasbourg by the Directorate XIII of the European Commission and the Council of Europe to discuss the development of information in Central and Eastern European countries, and to start co-operation with non EU member states. From 1998 to 2003 she was a member of the Library Council serving the Ministry of Culture, and in 2005 represented the Minister of Culture at the MINERVA project Board. From 1999 to 2001 she served as the ICT Stories Project jury member created by the World Bank (Washington) and InfoDev (International Institute for Communication and Development - The Hague) for assessing information technology projects in South America, Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe. Since 2008 she has been a member of the Europeana Dissemination Group. Maria has participated in a dozen EC projects as local coordinator. The EC projects include TEMPUS: training for local administration in ICT; EXPLOIT – support for specialists from memory institutions; DEDICATE – distance learning courses in information awareness; CULTIVATE - cooperation between cultural heritage institutions such as archives, libraries and museums, DELOS – digital library issues; MINERVA – coordinating digitisation in Europe; EURIDICE – pictures bank creation for distance learning courses; Training for the Stage – professional profiles in administration, management, and promotion of performed arts; EMapps.com – alternative reality educational games creation; MICHAEL – national registers of digital collections, CUSTODES – intends to increase the socio-economic value of cultural sites in the participating regions, ATHENA - a project which contributes to content provision to Europeana and most recently Linked Heritage.

Katie Ann Smith

 Katie Ann Smith worked in libraries and studied an Undergraduate Degree in English and History Prior to joining the Collections Trust. After graduating, she worked at various museums in the UK working in the field of Collections Management. In 2010 she obtained a Masters Degree in Museum Studies from the University of Leicester, UK. Upon leaving she managed various projects at the Collections Trust such as Find a Library and the JISC funded Contextual Wrappers2. In March 2012 she started working as European Project Officer for the Collections Trust and is responsible for the coordination, communication, administration and reporting of the Partage Plus (digitising and enabling Art Nouveau in Europeana) and ENUMERATE (collecting statistic on cultural heritage statistics) projects.

Gordon McKenna

 Gordon McKenna has worked in the cultural heritage sector for over 30 years in a series of challenging and rewarding posts. His first degree was in Archaeological Sciences. After graduation he took part in excavations, and carried out research projects to source pottery and to analyse wall painting pigments using nuclear physics techniques. He also has worked extensively in museums: moving stores, documenting a wide range objects, carrying out conservation work; and creating exhibitions. Just before joining the Collections Trust in 1991 he obtained a Masters in Information Technology, with a dissertation looking at the use of project management software during large hardware relocation operation by British Aerospace. Since joining the Collections Trust he has authored standards and guides such as SPECTRUM Interactive, SPECTRUM Knowledge, Standards in Action - SPECTRUM IT Guide and Documentation: a practical guide. He has advised organisations, particularly on collections management systems and other IT-related issues. He has worked in partnership with organisations and consortia like CIDOC, ICOM-UK, FISH, EMII and CIMI to benefit the sector both in terms of standards and the creation of practical tools. He has lectured and given presentations on the Collections Trust's work throughout the world. He was also the editor of Collections Trust's SPECTRUM standard - the vademecum of collections management. At the moment he is Collections Trust's International Development Manager, with accountabilities for all the EC projects that they are participating in. In particular the Trust is the coordinating three projects: ENUMERATE (collecting statistic on cultural heritage statistics); Partage Plus (digitising and enabling Art Nouveau in Europeana); and Europeana Inside (helping cultural institutions and aggregators overcome barriers to participation in Europeana).

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Published

12.03.2014

How to Cite

Śliwińska, M., Smith, K. A., & McKenna, G. (2014). Filling “the 20 Century Black Hole” in Europeana with the Partage Plus Project: Interview with Katie Ann Smith and Gordon McKenna. Uncommon Culture, 4(7/8), 58–77. Retrieved from https://journals.uic.edu/ojs/index.php/UC/article/view/5256

Issue

Section

Interviews & Projects