I pass this along to those who may know of this project and/or
seen it demonstrated at MCN  --  Steve Ferguson, Princeton
 
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Reply-To:     "RLG Archives,
              Manuscripts and Special Collections List" <[log in to unmask]>
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From:         RLGAMSC MODERATOR <[log in to unmask]>
Subject:      AMIS Update and Next Steps
To:           Multiple recipients of list RLGAMSC <[log in to unmask]>
 
                       WELCOME TO RLG LISTSERV RLGAMSC!
                     ====================================
 
 
Number: 155                                        Date: Feb. 17, 1994
 
 
Today's Topics:
 
(1)
From:    James Michalko, RLG president
Subject: AMIS Update and Next Steps
(1)---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
[The following message was sent via email and US Mail to all RLG
Member Representatives and the Board.  It is being posted on this
list because of the keen interest the RLG AMSC community has had in
the AMIS project.]
 
 
Date:    February 18, 1994
From:    James Michalko, RLG president
                                         via email and US Mail
Subject: AMIS Update and Next Steps
 
In December I reported to you that work on RLG's Archives and Museum
Information System would be suspended as of 31 December, due to our
lack of success in securing funding for the continuation of the
project.  I also said that we planned to hold a briefing soon for
interested parties, to report on and discuss various aspects of AMIS
including any next steps we contemplated.  I am writing now to bring
you up to date on these two matters.
 
First, we have concluded that we must formally terminate the AMIS
project.  Prospects for development support, either through direct
funding to RLG or in partnership with commercial system vendors,
simply do not exist at the present time, and RLG cannot provide the
necessary level of financing out of operating income.  We regret
this decision, but are convinced it is the only realistic one.  I've
therefore decided to cancel the briefing anticipated in my December
letter to you.
 
Second, discussions at the RLG Annual Meeting held here on February
3 (where AMIS termination was also announced) have helped us to
rethink our strategy for RLG's goal of developing a comprehensive
database of cultural resources.  AMIS was an important means toward
that end, but one with a highly specific focus.  We now propose
to take a broader look at cooperative approaches to the management
and preservation of the national cultural heritage and at the role
that RLG can appropriately play.
 
To begin this effort, we expect to convene an invitational meeting
in May or June 1994, involving those who manage, use, and fund
cultural resources -- that is, librarians, archivists, and museum
professionals; scholars and researchers; and foundation officers.
We will commission a number of brief position papers as a starting
point for our discussions.  In addition to illuminating significant
topics, the meeting should result in heightened mutual understanding
between RLG and the stakeholders in the community.
 
Working with leaders of the cultural resources community, within and
outside RLG's membership, we want to explore some critical issues,
such as:
 
  * the control of intellectual property rights in the context of
    widely accessible electronic repositories of visual and textual
    images;
 
  * the transition from highly general standards frameworks to real
    standards facilitating the exchange of cultural information; and
 
  * the need for concerted action by all kinds of repositories to
    identify and achieve common goals larger than any one can manage
    on its own.
 
I believe there is a real opportunity for RLG to work with its
members to play a significant role, supported by various
partnerships, in helping the community organize for networked access
to its resources in multimedia formats. You can expect to hear from
us sometime in early spring about details of the meeting I've
described here.  All of us look forward to working with you on this
important challenge, and I welcome your advice as we move forward.
 
cc: RLG Board of Directors
 
 
 
To:  RLGAMSC@RUTVM1
ý OWNER-RL RUTVM1  2/17/94
þRLGAMSC MODERATOR   Multiple recipients  2/17/94 AMIS Update and Next Steps