Good afternoon all,

I'm looking for advice/information/opinions/feedback about Google Cultural Institute. We have recently been approached by Google about the possibility of partaking in this project. I have some questions and concerns which I hope will be addressed when we have a discussion with them later this week, but thought you all may have insight that can help inform any inquiries or decisions we make.

For those who aren't aware, here are some links:
https://www.google.com/culturalinstitute/home
https://www.google.com/culturalinstitute/about/


I admit that having the technology and resources of Google at our disposable is enticing, as is the prospect of a cloud-based CM system, but I have concerns about the quid pro quo; specifically regarding intellectual property control and copyright. Aside from intellectual control and sharing of proprietary information, there's the issue of migrating data from PastPerfect to a new system. We've not even finished the first major cataloging initiative; switching to a different database mid-project doesn't seem like the best idea. Not to mention it is still new and largely untested. (Google+, anyone??)

Have any of your museums been approached about this? Have any of you participated? Whether yes or no, how did you come to this institutional decision? For those who have, what do you see as pros? Cons? Aside from any first-hand experiences, I'm also interested in any theoretical implications - either positive or negative - that might not have occurred to me yet. 

Thank you in advance.
Tiffany Charles
Head of Collections & Registration
DuSable Museum of African American History
Chicago, IL.

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