Developing an IIIF Image Infrastructure for the VKC Ecosystem

Phase 1: July 2018 - June 2019

Making images and metadata accessible online

We are developing the data hub and creating the IIIF test setup to develop a flexible and open information system. The data hub makes data from the collection management systems of the connected museums reusable via the web. The goal of the IIIF application is to make digitised images and their associated metadata accessible via a number of online web services. This means people and organisations can easily reuse the content in their own applications, such as museum websites, visualisations in public spaces, mobile applications and technical research. The most up-to-date and available content is always made available in a cost- and time-efficient way.

Exploration and selection of components

Together with VKC, we explored various technical components to build the IIIF infrastructure. The existing VKC infrastructure was also taken into account when selecting the components. In spring 2019, together with VKC and other image partners, we took the first steps towards a smooth and efficient automated process for making image content accessible. We took into account the (technical) recommendations (the so-called model architecture) from the Blueprint for Distributed Image Management (link in Dutch) that we had drawn up previously.

The implementation of the IIIF specifications in online services was central to this part. These open specifications allow the standardisation and automation of interactions between end consumers and the applications in which images are visualised, as well as the communication with the underlying online services. We looked at various technical components for building the IIIF infrastructure. The choice of components had to make it easy to manage the image infrastructure in the future.

• We chose ResourceSpace, software that is already used by some VKC partners for making their images accessible, as the ingest component. ResourceSpace is a DAM (Digital Asset Management) system that allows the inclusion of images in the test setups and the linking of metadata from the data hub to the images.

• We chose Cantaloupe, because of its ability to preserve embedded metadata in the derivatives, as the IIIF image server. Cantaloupe makes the images exchangeable via the IIIF Image API.

• An Imagehub was developed to make the images and their metadata accessible via the IIIF Presentation API (via IIIF manifests). This web application was built using the same framework as the data hub (PHP/Symfony).

• The IIIF manifests themselves are displayed in the Universal Viewer, an image viewer that can display IIIF manifests.

Together, these components formed the IIIF test setup. Testing took place using 200 images from VKC partner museum collections. The modified version of the Arthub now makes images accessible via the Universal Viewer through a connection with the Imagehub.

Phase 2: October 2020 - September 2021

In the second phase of the project, we continued development of the Flemish Art Collection (VKC) ecosystem based on various use cases. We mainly contributed to the first part of the project.

Automated exchange of images and metadata between VKC and meemoo

We connected the VKC and meemoo ecosystems to automatically exchange images and metadata between the two organisations. To enable this, we built an IIIF Image endpoint to exchange artworks from VKC-affiliated museums whose images are available on artinflanders.be. This involves image content from Mu.ZEE, Musea Brugge, KMSKA (Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp), MSK (Museum of Fine Arts Ghent) and M Leuven.

Our role in exchanging the images was to perform an analysis, outline an architecture, build the IIIF Image endpoint and draw up a workflow to send images from the meemoo archive system to the IIIF server. This workflow automatically cuts out colour charts, among other things. See the workflow and architecture for the endpoint here (link in Dutch).

We implemented the datahub for exchanging the metadata. Artworks with images on artinflanders.be are managed by museums who therefore have the most up-to-date metadata for them. The data hub implemented by meemoo ensures that this metadata flows automatically from VKC’s collection management systems into meemoo’s archive system.

Previously, artinflanders.be created their own metadata for images. We performed a one-off export of the valuable metadata we created, to make sure we didn’t lose any of it, and provided this dataset to VKC.

Experimenting with IIIF annotations and multilayer images

In another part of project, VKC experimented with a number of IIIF applications, such as IIIF annotations and displaying multilayer images. The Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (KMSKA) helped with this and together they developed a condition report tool based on IIIF annotations. The KMSKA also supplied images for displaying multi-layered images (as well as a multi-layer viewer).

Hybrid collections

The VKC ecosystem was only used for fine art collections in phase two. This second phase therefore investigated and tested whether the VKC ecosystem is also suitable for other types of more hybrid collections. Hybrid collections can include fine art, applied art, precious metals and textiles, among other things. Musea Brugge has several of these hybrid collections, so partial collections from the Groeninge Museum, Het Hospitaalmuseum (Saint John’s Hospital Museum) and O.L.V. ter Potterie (Our Lady of the Pottery museum) were used as test cases.

Creating an IIIF metadata manual

VKC wants to use this metadata manual to offer accessible IIIF guidance to collection management institutions. It provides a number of examples to help these organisations get started with make their digitised items accessible via IIIF.

Phase 3: September 2022 - September 2023

In phase three, the focus is on the possibilities of using IIIF in three sub-projects. After this third phase, the project will be completed.

IIIF for crowdsourcing

In collaboration with: VKC, Musea Brugge, GhentCDH and Plantentuin Meise

The IIIF Presentation API and IIIF Image API offer possibilities for crowdsourcing through annotations that can be added to images. In this work package, we want to set up a pilot crowdsourcing tool that uses IIIF. We are building on the knowledge that Plantentuin Meise and Musea Brugge already have about the crowdsourcing platform, DoeDat, which needs to be replaced in the long term, and on the knowledge that GhentCDH has about MADOC, a crowdsourcing tool that was further developed in the context of CLARIAH-VL. The tool must guarantee at least the functionalities of DoeDat, but we also want to integrate new functionalities. 

This work package consists of the following:

• a user survey in which we mapped the needs and wishes of both the general public (‘the crowd’, the users who perform crowdsourcing tasks) and the initiators of crowdsourcing projects. You can read the results here (link in Dutch). 

• an analysis of the desired functionalities of a crowdsourcing tool based on the above task and based on research into best practices. You can find the results here (link in Dutch). 

• the development of a pilot crowdsourcing tool by a developer who uses existing tools and APIs. We assigned the development of the pilot to Digirati, the developer of MADOC.

The development of an IIIF manifest library

In collaboration with: VKC, Openbare Bibliotheek Brugge and Museum Plantijn-Moretus

With the development of an IIIF manifest library, we hope to enable less technical users to make more use of the resources made available through IIIF. Extra attention is paid to SEO to increase the visibility of the manifests. Where are we? We have already carried out the analysis of the desired functionalities (link in Dutch), and assigned the pilot development to Inuïts. In the spring of 2023, they delivered the design architecture, after which the setup and development of the pilot can begin. It will be delivered in the autumn of 2023.

IIIF for storytelling

In collaboration with: VKC, Musea Brugge and Passchendaele Museum

Because IIIF allows you to add annotations to (parts of) images, IIIF also offers possibilities for storytelling. Several (open source) storytelling tools (link in Dutch) have already been developed in the past. In this third work package, we want to:

• explore (link in Dutch) these different tools;

• see what possibilities they offer;

• learn how they can be used for different types of content and stories. 

Three heritage stories will be executed in different storytelling tools in this work package. One of the stories, i.e. the story developed by the Passchendaele Museum, is using the newspapers from the News of the Great War collection.

Supplement to the IIIF metadata handbook

In phase two, we created a handbook to guide institutions that manage collections through IIIF in an accessible way. The lessons learned from the third project phase will also be added to the IIIF metadata handbook from the VKC (link in Dutch).