Introduction to the Open GLAM Toolkit

Join the GLAM-E Lab and the Menil Collection for a special OCEAN workshop to discuss the new Open GLAM Toolkit and what it means to adopt an open access policy for your organization, one step at a time. 

Launched in 2024 by the GLAM-E Lab, the Open GLAM Toolkit is a suite of tools, co-produced with GLAM organisations, that can be used by any cultural institution to develop an open access program and release out-of-copyright collections for public reuse. Co-Directors of the GLAM-E Lab will walk participants through the various tools in the toolkit and how to use them. Participants will gain an understanding of the scaffolded resources available to assess risk, clear and document the copyright status of works, assign a public domain statement or another appropriate label or license, and revise policies for both internal and external use. In addition to hearing about the Menil Collection’s experience of using the toolkit, participants will learn how other GLAM organisations are implementing open access policies as part of the growing open GLAM movement. By the end, attendees should have identified where to start and what the next steps are for their organizations. 

The two-hour workshop includes time for breaks, questions, and open discussion. The toolkit and workshop are designed to support staff at organisations of any size, and at any stage along the journey to “open.” 

Participants may find it helpful to pre-read the “Go Open with GLAM-E” Onboarding Document. 

Afterwards, we suggest reading the GLAM-E Lab White Paper, “Making the Business Case for Open Access: How the Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery adopted an Open Access Strategy for digital collections and new open business models.”

Panelists include: 

• Dr. Andrea Wallace, UK Director of the GLAM-E Lab and Professor of Law & Technology at the University of Exeter

• Michael Weinberg, US Director of the GLAM-E Lab and Executive Director of the Engelberg Center on Innovation Law & Policy at New York University Law School

• Margaret C. McKee, Director of Research Resources, The Menil Collection, and OCEAN Advisory Board Member

• Doug McCarthy, Senior Open Content Specialist, Open Future Foundation, and Research Fellow at the GLAM-E Lab

• Dr. Francesca Farmer, GLAM-E Lab Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery

• Philip Karjeker, Imaging Services Specialist, The Menil Collection