Since June 2021, thanks to a grant by the Arcadia Fund, Creative Commons has been developing our Open Culture / Open GLAM program to help transform institutions and support them as they embrace open culture and all the benefits it creates for themselves and their communities. Our core task is to enable galleries, libraries, archives and museums (GLAMs) to share their collections online as freely and openly as possible in participatory, interactive, sustainable, ethical, and equitable ways. 

Here’s an overview of what we have been up to in recent months. 

Open Culture VOICES

Our “Open Culture VOICES” Vlog consists of a series of short interviews with dozens of open GLAM experts from around the world, who all bring their unique perspectives, in various languages, on what it is like to open up heritage content online. We asked all our guests the same four questions: (1) What are the main benefits of open GLAM? (2) What are the barriers? (3) Could you share something someone else told you that opened up your eyes and mind about open GLAM? (4) Do you have a personal message to those hesitating to open up collections? Their answers reveal not only the key advantages of open GLAM and the transformative power of open access to cultural heritage, but also the hurdles that stand in the way. Look out for two videos per week on this website.

GLAM Public Domain Tools

On Public Domain Day, we launched the CC Public Domain Tools in GLAMs – Needs Assessment, an online survey to probe whether CC’s tools are fit-for-purpose to make cultural heritage available. We are reaching out to GLAM practitioners and experts to help create a clearer picture of the use of CCs’ public domain tools, CC0 and the Public Domain Mark (PDM). These tools serve to communicate the public domain status of content and indicate it can be used for any purpose, free of charge, without copyright permission. GLAMs are key users of CC tools — nearly 5 million public domain works from GLAM collections have been released using our tools. We look forward to learning from the data gathered, and hope they will guide us on where and when to take action as we continue to build and improve the sharing infrastructure in support of better sharing of cultural heritage. The survey can be answered in English, French or Spanish until 15 February, 2022. 

Listen to the latest episode of CC’s Open Minds Podcast

Don’t miss Brigitte Vézina, CC’s Director of Policy, Open Culture, and GLAM, on the latest episode of Open Minds… from Creative Commons. We discuss everything you need to know about the Creative Commons Open Culture / Open GLAM program and the new and exciting opportunities we have in store.

GLAM Case Studies (being released week of 07/02)

In October last year, we launched an Open call for open GLAM case studies and invited members from our community to share their stories from institutions in the Global South or those involved with underrepresented or underserved communities. We look forward to publishing the eight successful case studies this month and sharing their inspiring stories from Brazil, Poland, Chile, India, Pakistan and Nigeria. We hope to discover diverse and inclusive avenues of engagement with the open GLAM community. 

Teaser of Open Culture Remix Art Contest

What is so exciting about open sharing is its almost limitless potential to unlock creativity as people discover, share, and remix cultural heritage. When content is openly accessible, anyone can reuse it, build upon it, and create something new and unexpected. That’s the idea behind our upcoming Open Culture Remix Art contest. Participants will be invited to reuse public domain or openly licensed works like paintings, photographs, drawings, etc. to create original artworks. It’s not only a way to showcase contemporary creativity, it’s also a means of canvassing the importance of CC’s infrastructure for the dissemination and revitalization of culture.

CC GLAM platform and its working groups

The CC Open GLAM Platform provides a space for GLAM professionals and open advocates to share resources, enhance collaboration and raise awareness about open access to cultural heritage. We at CC are lucky to work with a global community, and there are plenty of opportunities to get involved. We hold monthly calls, and over the course of 2022, several working groups will engage in conversations to tackle emerging issues, such as folklore and indigenous heritage collections, heritage materials from community-driven initiatives, the impact of reuse of cultural heritage, contemporary archiving of cultural heritage, and “attribution” models for public domain materials. Other groups will develop practical resources, like a bibliography and glossary of open GLAM.  

CC policy paper on GLAMs 

CC influences global policy to bring down the copyright barriers to universal access and reuse of the cultural heritage held in GLAMs. We work to ensure that the interests, concerns and needs of the public and GLAMs in fulfilling their public-interest mission are balanced with those of rights holders in a fair manner. As part of the copyright platform, we have developed a draft policy paper provisionally entitled “Towards Better Sharing of Cultural Heritage — An Agenda for Copyright Reform.” It is intended as a reference point for CC’s advocacy work in copyright reform in the cultural heritage context, with a focus on issues arising in the digital environment. It will hopefully serve to support the CC community in various advocacy efforts, guide policymakers in their legislative processes, and inform anyone interested in the policy issues gravitating around access and reuse of culture and cultural heritage. The paper recognizes the pivotal roles of GLAMs in preserving and providing access to knowledge and culture to all members of society. It will be published on CC’s website soon. 

Launch of the first GLAM Certificate cohort

The CC Certificate program offers in-depth courses about CC licenses, open practices and the ethos of the Commons. Courses are composed of readings, quizzes, discussions, and practical exercises to develop learners’ open skills. On January 31, CC welcomed its first cohort of the new GLAM certificate. The CC Certificate for GLAMs is a professional development training for institutions or community groups engaged in cultural or documentary heritage. As more GLAMs adapt to increasingly online audiences and users, they often seek CC legal tools, expertise and community support. Cultural heritage institutions share a common goal with CC: to make knowledge and culture globally accessible. In the CC Certificate for GLAM, community members will develop capacity in opening access to cultural heritage. They will develop a deeper understanding of open licensing and copyright considerations with digitization projects, Rights Statements, Traditional Knowledge Labels, working with the public domain, and more. CC Certificate for GLAM participants will also gain access to a global community of professionals and activists working toward similar cultural and policy changes in their own cultural heritage institutions.

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Hello Creative Commoners, we are back with another episode of Open Minds… from Creative Commons.

This month at Creative Commons, we are celebrating better sharing of Open Culture! In this episode, Brigitte Vézina, CC’s Director of Policy, Open Culture, and GLAM, shares everything you need to know about the Creative Commons Open Culture / Open GLAM program and the new and exciting opportunities we have in store. Since June 2021, thanks to a grant from the Arcadia Fund, CC has been developing our Open Culture / Open GLAM program to help transform institutions and support them as they embrace open culture and all the benefits it creates for themselves and their communities.

Brigitte is passionate about all things spanning culture, arts, handicraft, traditions, fashion and, of course, copyright law and policy. She gets a kick out of tackling the fuzzy legal and policy issues that stand in the way of access, use, re-use and remix of culture, information and knowledge. We discuss Brigitte’s path to Creative Commons, the role and importance of Open Culture / Open GLAM, the impacts of COVID-19 on the sector, the future of Open Culture and more.

• Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Soundcloud, and more. You can also subscribe via the show’s RSS feed.
• Episode transcript: Text // PDF // Doc

Please subscribe to the show in whatever podcast app you use, so you don’t miss any of our conversations with people working to make the internet and our global culture more open and collaborative.

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We are excited to share the first episode of Open Culture VOICES, a vlog series of short interviews with open GLAM (galleries, libraries, archives, and museums) experts from around the world. The Open Culture Program at Creative Commons aims to promote better sharing of cultural heritage in GLAMs collections. With Open Culture VOICES, we’re thrilled to bring you various perspectives from dozens of experts speaking in many different languages on what it’s like to open up heritage content online. In this interview, we hear from Medhavi Gandhi, founder of The Heritage Lab, India’s first digital platform that connects museums and citizens through engaging campaigns, content and resources.

Medhavi responds to the following questions: 

1. What are the main benefits of open GLAM?
2. What are the barriers?
3. Could you share something someone else told you that opened up your eyes and mind about open GLAM?
4. Do you have a personal message to those hesitating to open up collections?

Episodes will be released twice a week until June 2022. Learn more about the Open Culture VOICES series here>>

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MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA – The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation recently allocated $1M to Creative Commons (CC) in honor of CC’s 20th Anniversary. This three-year, general operating support will help foster CC’s commitment to Better Sharing by addressing equity gaps and unequal balances of power in the open ecosystem.

The internet has global ownership with people sharing more information and ideas than ever before; but not all sharing supports equity and the public’s best interests. Better Sharing involves a concerted effort and dedication to building a globally produced, open commons of knowledge, data, culture, and innovation that is universally applicable and accessible.

“We are committed to building a world where everyone, everywhere, has access to free and open knowledge,” says Catherine Stihler, CC chief executive officer. “For us, this means doubling down on our efforts to ensure open access and better sharing for all – not only those with privilege. It also means launching new ventures in Open Science to remove unnecessary barriers to addressing public health crises and the climate emergency, driving comprehensive equitable solutions.”

For the last 20 years, CC has been at the forefront of the digital commons, prioritizing equity in our foundational projects, spanning license stewardship and infrastructure, cultural heritage, education, science, policy, and expanding the global open community. Through CC’s signature licenses, creators have shared over 2 billion works of art, images, texts, research, textbooks, and 3-D models. This global copyright standard empowers people, institutions, and systems to share information openly to advance education, equity, and creativity worldwide. 

To ensure inclusively, sustained progress of Better Sharing, CC will strengthen the CC licenses with a focus on technical infrastructure, legal robustness, accessibility features, and supporting materials. This includes refining open tools and learning materials to strengthen collaborations and community-led solutions, improve knowledge, provide benefits, solve global challenges, promote the public good, and address systemic disparities and biases. 

 

About the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation:
Support for Better Sharing is provided, in part, by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Foundation. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) is committed to improving health and health equity in the United States. In partnership with others, we are working to develop a Culture of Health rooted in equity that provides every individual with a fair and just opportunity to thrive, no matter who they are, where they live, or how much money they have. For more information, visit www.rwjf.org.

About Creative Commons:
Creative Commons is a global nonprofit organization that enables sharing and reuse of creativity and knowledge through the provision of free legal tools. Our legal tools help those who want to encourage reuse of their works by offering them for use under generous, standardized terms; those who want to make creative uses of works; and those who want to benefit from this symbiosis. Our vision is to help others realize the full potential of the internet. CC has affiliates all over the world who help ensure our licenses work internationally, and who raise awareness of our work. Learn more at www.creativecommons.org.

 

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PREFACE

See our article introducing this series.

This article is part of a series of five pieces detailing breakout sessions from the 2021 Creative Commons (CC) Global Summit related to imagining a Better Internet. Throughout 2021, community partners interested in building a “better internet” have been coming together for conversations. Some partners joined as an opportunity to mark the 10th anniversary of the US-based fight to defeat the legislation known as SOPA/PIPA. 

INTRODUCTION

During the 2021 Creative Commons (CC) Global Summit, organizations, activists, advocates, librarians, educators, lawyers, technologists, and others participated in workshops on “creating a better internet.” During the breakout conversation on “Access to Information and Knowledge,” participants discussed problems, generated ideas, and formulated solutions about re-imagining the internet. 

VISION FOR THE FUTURE

In 2003, The Berlin Declaration on Open Access to Knowledge in the Sciences and Humanities issued an international statement about open access and access to knowledge, “the mission of disseminating knowledge is only half complete if the information is not made widely and readily available to society”. This ideal holds true today.

The emerging vision for access to information and knowledge, in all disciplines, includes free, equitable, openly licensed, and trusted information that serves the public’s interests. 

Benefits: Open access to information and knowledge (as opposed to closed, subscription, paid access, or censored access) is vital for solving the world’s biggest challenges through increased readership, wider collaboration, and faster results for institutions, researchers, nations, and citizens. It strengthens the valorization of knowledge and could be a critical step in advancing UNESCO’s sustainable development goals. 

In order to reach this vision, a number of critical barriers to address were discussed during the workshop. 

BARRIERS TO OVERCOME

In 1984, Stewart Brand said, “Information Wants To Be Free. Information also wants to be expensive. Information wants to be free because it has become so cheap to distribute, copy, and recombine—too cheap to meter. It wants to be expensive because it can be immeasurably valuable to the recipient. That tension will not go away. It leads to endless wrenching debate about price, copyright, ‘intellectual property’, the moral rightness of casual distribution, because each round of new devices makes the tension worse, not better.”

As you can see, the balancing act between social impact and profit is not new; however, today cultural shifts are happening. Purpose-driven consumers support and are demanding business models to change for the betterment of society. COVID-19 accelerated this shift as more and more companies are creating social impact statements and delivering tangible action on those statements. Why can’t that be the case for the dissemination of information?

Publication Business Model: In a print-on-paper business model, journals sold through subscriptions were a way to recoup cost. Only those who could afford to pay the charges were able to read the articles. The internet changed the cost of distribution, but not necessarily the model. Research findings could be freely shared without printing costs. Publicly-funded research should be freely accessible so that society can benefit from the results. 

Most journal publishers, not the authors, own the copyright to the articles in their journals as authors must transfer their rights. The status of publication and peer review is an incentive for many authors. This is an old business model. 

For libraries, educational institutions and other organizations, they must negotiate with publishers to share paywalled research with their stakeholders. Even then, in many cases the article cannot be reused or built upon by researchers, students, or taxpayers without permission, and often more fees, from the publisher.

Great strides have been made in terms of access to research with publishers adopting open licensing options, but often the cost of the publication then falls to the author or their home institution, shifting the burden of the cost, allowing the publisher to retain their margins. This is a known challenge and Creative Commons anticipates further conversations in the coming year exploring these tensions of open access.

Digital Divide: The digital divide is the gap between demographics and regions that have access to information and technology and those that have restricted access based on region or barriers. This unequal equity divide can be based on education, income, geography, language, and internet access. In 2021, nearly 37% of the world’s population had never used the internet (source: United Nations 11.20.21). While open and freely distributed access to information and technology would help close the divide, it doesn’t solve all of the problems with equity. 

Permissions: Copyright can unreasonably restrict a user’s access to content and doesn’t have to be a barrier to open access if the copyright holder gives consent through Creative Commons licenses. These “some rights reserved” permissions, that focus on the end-user and their ability to access copyright material, empowers the content holder and elevates the public interest impact of access. This also safeguards public institutions which promote the preservation of and public access to information, knowledge, and culture; but as those in the open movement know all too well, great swaths of human history, culture, and knowledge still remain locked away despite already being in the public domain.

Trusted Information: Today’s internet is rife with concerns about privacy, confidentiality, violence, misinformation, bias, excessive profit and polarization. There are ideological and competing differences between autocracies and democracies. While global connectivity accelerates the benefits of sharing information and knowledge, it has also created problems that have harmed citizens. Misinformation was one of the topics discussed during the workshops and the outcomes of those discussions will be explored in-depth in a separate article.

Censorship was not comprehensively discussed during the breakout session, but Creative Commons plans to explore this topic in depth during future workshops. 

In order to make progress towards better access to information and knowledge, here are some action steps to realizing an affirmative vision. As mentioned before, this is not a comprehensive list but highlights from the workshop conversations.

REALIZING THE VISION

The vision of access to information and knowledge includes the free, equitable, openly licensed, and trusted information that serves the public’s interests. How can we get there? 

Better access to information and knowledge prioritizes policy and advocacy, an ethical cultural shift, and public interest commons.

The overarching, guiding principle of all work focuses on what best serves the public’s interests and clarifies the use of the internet to preserve the benefits and limit, or eliminate, the harms we as a society have allowed to grow online. 

Policy and Advocacy: Policy and advocacy should focus on what is best for public interest. This work for a better internet can include: open access licensing, progressive intellectual property law reform, access regulations, digital divide, helping UNESCO’s members implement Open Education and Open Science recommendations, freedom of expression, and access to affordable communications tools and creative works, to name a few that were mentioned during the workshops. Creative Commons anticipates organizing and discovering many more policy and advocacy priorities as discussion around a better internet continues.

Open Internet for Democracy: The internet is an information domain, and supporting an open and accessible internet is fundamental to the success of democratic societies. Digital spaces should serve the public’s interest. In order to get there, all sectors of society, including governments, the tech industry, publishers, and civil society, should focus on trusted information, ethics, privacy and transparency that value people over profit. Accurate, fair, and trusted information should be digital age norms and considered as an essential service. Truth is knowable and citizens should be able to access information in a language they can consume and discern sources.

Global access, accurate news, and fact-based public information spaces could help inform citizens, strengthen democratic self-governance, close the digital divide, and help address the world’s problems. More discussion took place on the topic of misinformation, which touched on a lot of these, and will be explored in a future article. Access to information and access to accurate information are two different but related challenges.

CONCLUSION

A recurring point that emerged during the workshop was a desire for a public interest commons that supersedes commercial interests. Aspiring, constructing, and reinforcing better access to information and knowledge, to solve social and community challenges, will require prioritizing democratic self-governance, public good, innovative technological solutions, education, advocacy, and policy work. To reach this goal, it is important to educate others, including policymakers, publishers, authors, and creators, so they have a better understanding of open source licensing, and how better sharing of information, knowledge and culture is in the public’s best interest to advance society. This includes using shared language and translations, without legalese, so that all citizens have equal opportunities to learn and contribute. 

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APPENDIX

The following is a consolidation of comments made during the 2021 CC Global Summit breakout session, Access to Information and Knowledge. If you would like to add your thoughts and participate in the conversation, use #BetterInternet on social media.

PROMPT

“I will know we have achieved a better internet with regard to Access to Information if/when…”

Barriers Locate Info.  Cost	There are no barriers to finding the information you want to find. If it existed, it’s available for you to read/listen to/watch/otherwise consume without cost.  Individual interest can’t impede legitimate access to information.  There are no more funding battles concerning libraries and their future in supporting a better internet. We do not constantly hit paywalls if we look for scientific information.
Digital Divide Equity Gov Regulation	Where you live doesn’t limit your ability to access information.  Everyone/everywhere across the world has easy access to information.   High quality information is available in a language that most people can understand and process. Governments don’t use legal means to restrict internet access for their own ends.
Education Open Licensing	Developers, researchers, others, have a better understanding of open source licensing. All information is accessible through a CC licenses. All information about and resources to solve the United Nations (UNSCO) Sustained Development Goals is openly licensed and freely available to the public.
Public Interest	We have open platform that enable smooth access but also re-purposing content – at the same time we have effective social control (no spam, no threats, no discrimination). Information is accountable to people. When publicly available information can be accessed without license or tracking. We no longer need freedom of information rules. Governments don’t use legal means to restrict internet access for their own ends. Regulations are set up to protect individuals and not to restrict access.
Publicly Funded = OPEN	All publicly funded education resources are openly licensed (CC BY).  All publicly funded research is openly licensed (CC BY on articles, 0 embargo, CC0 on data).  Publicly funded pharmaceuticals have open patents and are freely available.
Trusted Information	Every user has a known toolkit of trusted tools that they can trust to find the knowledge they want, and understand why, where, and the context of the information they’re given.  High quality (trusted) information is freely available and effectively support equal rights for education.

PROMPT

I/We are working to realize a better internet with regard to Access to Information by doing X to achieve Z.

Open Source Licenses Public Domain	Ensuring information is not locked away by law (ex: copyright) or technology (ex: 1201-empowered software).  Using openly licensed content to achieve free no barrier access to research and information.   Campaigning for the public domain to achieve a commons for all.  Removing proprietary ownership to achieve access for everyone everywhere.
Cost and publisher model	Contesting actions by publishers to propertize public information and academic research.
Policy: Work with governments Education	By helping UNESCO’s members (national governments) implement its Recommendations on Open Education and Open Science.  Ensuring that policymakers understand and believe in the importance of access to information.  Pushing back on overreaching/oversimplified information regulation.
Public Interest  and Equity and Inclusivity	Understanding how to better share to achieve freeing of knowledge and culture for the public good and in the public interest. Providing factual, trustworthy information in a language that people without university degree can understand is essential to achieve wisdom, democracy, and equal opportunities. Sharing more to achieve a more inclusive net.
Intermediary Protection	Ensuring that services and people can help provide information/facilitate information sharing/host information/etc.

 

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