'Access and the Digital Surrogate: Openness as a philosophy'. Credit: Courtesy National Digital Forum

Andrea Wallace gives keynote at New Zealand's National Digital Forum in Wellington

Andrea Wallace, Lecturer in Law at the University of Exeter, presented her research on the impact that a claim to copyright in reproductions has on meaningful access to and reuse of the public domain.

New Zealand's National Digital Forum is a network of people working together to enhance digital engagement with New Zealand's culture and heritage. Their annual conference is attended by communities of practice in the GLAM sector (galleries, libraries, archives, and museums), as well as academics and policymakers working with digital and material culture at national and international levels. This year, Andrea delivered the closing keynote of the conference's first day on the topic of 'Access and the Digital Surrogate: Openness as a philosophy''. She discussed institutional approaches to open access, both on-site and online.

Following the conference, Andrea also met with policymakers in the Ministry of Culture and Heritage and the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment to discuss New Zealand's upcoming copyright legislation overhaul.

You can view her keynote and many other inspiring presentations on the National Digital Forum's YouTube channel.

Andrea’s research considers the impact of digital technologies on the preservation and dissemination of cultural heritage and the obstacles and opportunities generated by the digital realm. She frequently presents about open culture and the impact that a claim to copyright in reproductions has on meaningful access to and reuse of our common cultural heritage in the public domain.

Recently, Andrea completed the Display At Your Own Risk project, a research-led exhibition experiment featuring digital surrogates of public domain works made available by cultural institutions. She's currently working on a new resource called the Copyright Cortex, which catalogues material about copyright and digital cultural heritage to provide the GLAM sector with scholarly commentary, practical guidance, and real world case studies all in one place.

Date: 30 November 2017