Museum Libraries in Germany: Ambassadors for Standardized Data, Building Bridges between Archives, Libraries and Museums

Abstract

This article is going to give an overview of the continuously developing world of standardised data and its use in German cultural institutions. It will provide an introduction into Germany’s federated library system and explain how libraries developed standardised data more quickly than other cultural heritage institutions.

We argue that this head-start in using and creating standardised data means that museum librarians are best suited to support both their institutions and others, which want to implement standardised data. They can also take an ambassadorial role for standardised data produced from the museum environment, because museum librarians have the professional background to ensure the quality of such data.