Images for the Future: digitisation for access

Images for the Future is the largest digitization effort in Europe to date. A consortium of 6 partners (including three archives) is migrating a substantial part of the Dutch audiovisual heritage to a digital environment. The project has three objectives: safeguarding heritage for future generations, creating social- economical value, and supporting  innovation in cultural infrastructure. Much is to be expected from recent developments in computer science, especially in the areas of data-mining, information retrieval, and user-audience participation capabilities.To achieve these objectives, the cultural heritage sector is challenged to re-evaluate its business models. This article presents the theoretical framework in which Images for the Future is operating, and substantiates this framework with concrete examples of results.