Technical standards and advice

Digital resources require active management. MLA supports a number of initiatives to secure development of policies and practice for the management and development of digital projects and collections within the sector. 

A major commitment is MLA's core funding of UKOLN, an internationally renowned centre of expertise in digital information management, providing advice and services to the library, information, education and cultural heritage communities, based at the University of Bath. MLA provides core funding for UKOLN jointly with the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) of the higher and further education funding councils.

Common and open standards are central to a networked environment. The Dublin Core standard was developed for use on the Web and in other information networks across a wide variety of subject areas, languages and economic sectors. MLA and JISC cooperate as the UK affiliate of the Dublin Core Metadata Initiative.

MLA took a leading role in the production of the MINERVA Technical Guidelines for Digital Cultural Content Creation Programmes which were developed by UKOLN from guidelnes produced for the NOF-digitise Technical Advisory Service. UKOLN has also produced a Good Practice Guide for Developers of Cultural Heritage Web Services.