RESOURCES
Best practices, guidelines, policies, requirements, training materials, and other useful resources.
We expect the information on this page to update as requirements, standards, and technologies evolve.
Please check back periodically for new materials and updates.
Using Images
General Use
FREE to search, browse, and view (no log-in required.)
Personal Research or School Presentations
FREE to use for personal research or educational purposes. You can search, browse, view, and download low-resolution images with no additional permissions needed. All we ask is that you give our partners proper credit by including a citation to the materials in the style of your choosing.
Publications
Fair Use
Requires consent. Each of our partners maintains their own policies for publication, which may or may not include a publication fee. If you are interested in using materials found on our site in a publication, we can put you in touch with a partner representative who can assist you.
Questions about an item?
Please contact us, and we will connect you with the appropriate partner institution.
Partner Requirements
Collection Development Policy
Important collection information, including collection parameters, copyright, and use of contributed materials. As a partner, institutions must understand and agree to the terms outlined in this policy.
Metadata Guidelines
Instructions regarding writing descriptive information for manuscripts, documents, photographs, and other cultural heritage materials. Partners must agree to abide by MDL’s metadata guidelines. View metadata template.
Project Resources
Authorities
Controlled vocabulary for data types such as Name and Subject headings.
Copyright and Reuse Statements
Best practices for rights statements to communicate copyright and the reuse status of digital objects. International consortium tasked to address the needs of cultural heritage institutions with standardized rights statements and the technical and governance infrastructure to support them.
Digitization Standards
Recommended master and access digitization standards for cultural heritage still images.
Dublin Core Metadata Initiative
Open organization supporting innovation in metadata best practices and design.
Federal Agencies Digital Guidelines Initiative (FADGI)
Collaboration of Federal agencies creating a sustainable set of technical guidelines, methods, and practices for digitized and born digital historical, archival and cultural content.
File Transfer Service
File Transfer offers ease of use for item and metadata submission via an MDL-created folder.
Formats Statement
Accessibility and preservation recommendations for creative content in analog and digital formats.
Project Templates
Item Production Record
Template to capture important information about each item throughout the digitization process.
Metadata Template
Spreadsheet template with default fields ready for metadata entry and submission.
Selection Log
Template to track items for digitization.
Workflow Log
Template to track the digitization progress of each item.