MILE (Metadata Image Library Exploitation) aims to promote European cultural heritage and make digital art more accessible by improving metadata.

Image libraries are treasurers of a vast wealth of Europe's cultural heritage. In the rush to digitise their archives of reprographic transparencies of original works of art. to keep up with increasing technological trends, the systems used to create the metadata supporting these images have struggled to sustain such demand.

MILE is coordinated by The Bridgeman Art Library.

    "Providing the public with digital access to a     collection of images is a necessity, but     simply publishing them online doesn't      make them accessible. MILE's conference     has put this critical issue firmly up for     debate and it was useful to learn about     new approaches and technologies that can     help address the issues we face each day."

Charlotte Sexton, Deputy Head New Media, The National Gallery

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The project is divided into three core areas of investigation:

   Metadata classification

   Metadata search & retrieval

   Intellectual Property Rights as metadata

MILE is a partnership made of key European industry companies, each of whom have a stake in digital image library metadata. By combining their expertise and experience in these areas, MILE

• initiates awareness activities,
• demonstrates best practices on how to enrich digital content, and
• creates mechanisms to provide guidance, assessment and improvement plans,

ensuring the enrichment and exchange of metadata for the growth and perpetuity of Europe's cultural heritage. MILE is funded by the European Commission, under the eContentplus Programme.

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MILE has an open discussion forum, current topics include:

   Multilingual Thesauri

   PicScout's Orphan Works solution

   Orphan Works Alert - Senate passes Bill

Register here and join in the discussions

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Latest MILE news - click below to see
   
   MILE's Guides to Metadata

   MILE's Conference Videos

   MILE's Final Public Report

   MILE Newsletter, Summer 2009

Plus more...