Unlocking the Power of Metadata: Why OAI Protocol Matters for DAM Success
Unlocking the Power of Metadata: Why OAI Protocol Matters for DAM Success
Right image
Right time
Right place
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Lookatme™ is one of the world’s most advanced image and video management solutions. One of its strengths is managing the details that ensure digital assets are only used by the right people, at the right time, and in the right ways.
#digitalasset #libraries #education #libararylife #museums #archives #art #galleries #culture #heritage #history #arthistory #mueseum #lookatmeMetadata is the backbone of effective digital asset management (DAM), particularly for organisations with huge volumes of assets. It ensures assets are stored securely, organised efficiently, and most importantly, discoverable when needed.
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Lookatme™ liberates digital assets collections, empower teams to create more compelling and accurate visual narratives.
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What is OAI-PMH?
The Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting (OAI-PMH), often referred to as the OAI Protocol, is a framework that facilitates seamless communication between repositories.
Designed as a “low-barrier mechanism” for interoperability, it enables metadata descriptions to be harvested – or collected – from records stored in various archives. This harvested metadata can then be aggregated to power tools and services that access data across multiple repositories.
For instance, researchers might use a DAM solution to search an archive for a paper on a particular subject. If the DAM uses OAI-PMH, it can look not just in that archive’s catalogue, but also the catalogue of other service providers that have made their catalogues searchable. As a result, the DAM may show that the paper the researchers need is not in this archive but is available in another archive.
Originally designed for libraries, the OAI Protocol has since become a global standard, adopted by over 3,000 institutions, including libraries, museums, and digital archives. It’s also widely used by commercial search engines such as Google, which leverages the protocol to gather metadata from repositories like the National Library of Australia Digital Object Repository.
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The amazing thing about how the OAI-PMH works within the context of the Lookatme™ Digital Asset Management solution is how it empowers curators to quickly build and share ideas, bringing accurate narratives to life faster. Lookatme™ allows people to look at collections from a different perspective.
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Why Does OAI Protocol Support Matter for DAM?
One of the primary goals of any digital asset management system is to make large digital libraries accessible, typically to internal users or collaborators. However, a DAM with OAI Protocol support takes this a step further by enabling the sharing and/or aggregation of metadata with external repositories, industry partners, or global search engines, further boosting discoverability.
Here’s one example. As an Australian-made digital asset management solution, Lookatme™ uses the OAI Protocol to share specific assets and metadata from several client libraries to the National Library of Australia (NLA), making them discoverable via a search at NLA.
If you’re utilising DAM for galleries, libraries, archives, and museums (GLAM institutions) or other industries with a strong focus on collaboration and data sharing, this kind of enhanced interoperability is invaluable as it better facilitates knowledge-sharing and streamlines research projects.
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Lookatme is recognised internationally for its application of the OAI Protocol, making it the solution of choice for many galleries, museums, libraries, and historical archives.
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Benefits of a DAM with OAI Protocol Support
Lookatme is recognised internationally for its application of the OAI Protocol. This is because a digital asset management system that employs OAI Protocol provides organisations with several key benefits, such as:
- Enhanced Discoverability
- With metadata harvesting via OAI Protocol, your digital assets can be indexed and made accessible to external systems like national repositories, search engines, or collaborative networks. This expands your assets’ reach and visibility far beyond your internal teams.
- Improved Interoperability
- Collaboration is crucial for GLAM institutions. A DAM with OAI Protocol enables seamless metadata sharing, allowing organisations to work effectively with industry partners, educational institutions, or government agencies.
- Advanced Integration and Future-Proofing
- As organisations expand their digital libraries, maintaining compatibility with global metadata-sharing standards becomes essential. A DAM system that utilises OAI Protocol ensures that your organisation will be able to evolve alongside emerging technologies, keeping it relevant and robust.
What Types of Organisations Benefit Most from OAI Protocol Support?
As mentioned, a DAM with OAI Protocol can be particularly advantageous for organisations managing large, diverse, and collaborative digital collections. For them, interoperability isn’t just a feature – it’s a necessity. These include:
- GLAM Institutions
- Galleries, libraries, archives, and museums are some of the main organisations that often rely on metadata sharing to make their collections accessible to researchers, students, and the public.
- Educational Institutions
- Universities and research centres benefit from DAM systems with OAI Protocol to aggregate resources across repositories.
- Corporate Archives
- Companies with extensive historical archives, like the Transport for NSW Historical Archive, can enhance their discoverability and accessibility through OAI Protocol integration.
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In additional to the risk mitigation features of Lookatme™, OAI Protocol bring sunlight to collections that have never seen the light of day, or have been underutilised.
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Unlock the Full Potential of Your Digital Library with Lookatme™
Metadata is more than just information about your assets – it’s the key to making them accessible, usable, and impactful. With OAI Protocol support, a DAM like Lookatme™ can elevate your organisation’s asset management strategy, ensuring discoverability and interoperability for years to come.
OAI Protocol support is just one of many features that make Lookatme™ a standout in the crowded DAM market. While other brands focus primarily on basic asset storage, Lookatme™ offers advanced features like seamless metadata sharing, robust search capabilities, and compatibility with national repositories to make it an ideal choice for serious organisations.
Don't settle for a basic DAM. Choose Lookatme™ to unlock the full potential of your metadata with OAI Protocol support. Book a free online demo to explore how this Australian-made digital asset management solution can revolutionise how you manage, share, and discover your assets.