This thesis presents a study aiming to identify the selection criteria for the digitization of posters at the National Library of Sweden (Kungl. biblioteket). The theory is that cultural heritage institutions are empowered to decide how our cultural heritage is presented as they select what items (or, as in this study, posters) will be digitized. The poster is studied as it is an interesting media form which historically was an important means of communication. The poster can represent and reflect historical events and opinions in society. The posters chosen to be digitized, will represent a part of our cultural heritage as presented on the internet. The research questions are to find out the purpose of digitization, to identify the selection criteria, why the collection of posters is digitized, which posters have been chosen and what were the selections criteria. The study aims to compare principles with practice. Selection policy documents are studied and the poster collection is studied in documents, on the internet and by interviewing representatives at the National Library of Sweden. The conclusion is that although the policy documents are indeed thorough regarding detailed selection criteria, it is actually practical reasons (such as available resources) that finally decide what material is digitized. The situation that the cultural heritage institutions are constructing our visual cultural heritage is probably unavoidable, but the problem is that if choices are not made on the correct grounds, this will have the consequence that the presentation of our cultural heritage will not be representative. / Uppsatsnivå: D

<p>I vårt samhälle har bilden fått en allt större betydelse för att förse oss med information om vår omvärld och det förflutna. I ett modernt samhälle utgör bilder från kameror vår huvudsakliga källa till verkligheten som vi inte har direkt erfarenhet av. Genom de bilder som finns samlade runtom på våra museer skapar vi en föreställning om hur världen såg ut förr. Hur dessa bilder används styr hur vi ser på det förflutna, vilket i sin tur bidrar till samhällets kollektiva minne. Syftet med studien har varit att problematisera fotografiet som kulturarv och visa på dess komplexitet. Genom intervjuer med fem kulturinstitutioner Östergötlands länsmuseum, Bild Linköping, Norrköpings stadsmuseum, Norrköpings stadsbibliotek och Arbetets museum har jag undersökt synen på fotografiet som kulturarv. Bilden som framträder i studien är av ett medium som både attraherar och förför oss. Samtidigt som dess förmåga att passa in i olika kontexter bidrar till en tvetydighet som möjliggör ett ifrågasättande av sanningshalten i fotografier.</p> / <p>In our society photographic images have assumed an ever greater role in providing us with information about the world around us and about our past. In modern society pictures taken by cameras are the main source of real life information distant from personal experience. Through pictures stored in museums we can create an image of the world as it appeared in past times. The way these pictures are used can influence our perception of the past and they affect society’s collective memory. The purpose of this study is to question the use of photography in cultural heritage work and show the complexity of the situation arising from their use. Through interviews with 5 different institutions – Östergötlands länsmuseum, Bild Linköping, Norrköpings stadsmuseum, Norrköpings stadsbibliotek and Arbetets museum – I have examined how the use of photographs is perceived when working with cultural heritage. The results of the study throw light on a medium which both attracts and seduces us. At the same time it also reveals that the capacity of photographs to be used in so many diverse contexts leads to an ambiguity which allows their truth content to be questioned.</p>

I vårt samhälle har bilden fått en allt större betydelse för att förse oss med information om vår omvärld och det förflutna. I ett modernt samhälle utgör bilder från kameror vår huvudsakliga källa till verkligheten som vi inte har direkt erfarenhet av. Genom de bilder som finns samlade runtom på våra museer skapar vi en föreställning om hur världen såg ut förr. Hur dessa bilder används styr hur vi ser på det förflutna, vilket i sin tur bidrar till samhällets kollektiva minne. Syftet med studien har varit att problematisera fotografiet som kulturarv och visa på dess komplexitet. Genom intervjuer med fem kulturinstitutioner Östergötlands länsmuseum, Bild Linköping, Norrköpings stadsmuseum, Norrköpings stadsbibliotek och Arbetets museum har jag undersökt synen på fotografiet som kulturarv. Bilden som framträder i studien är av ett medium som både attraherar och förför oss. Samtidigt som dess förmåga att passa in i olika kontexter bidrar till en tvetydighet som möjliggör ett ifrågasättande av sanningshalten i fotografier. / In our society photographic images have assumed an ever greater role in providing us with information about the world around us and about our past. In modern society pictures taken by cameras are the main source of real life information distant from personal experience. Through pictures stored in museums we can create an image of the world as it appeared in past times. The way these pictures are used can influence our perception of the past and they affect society’s collective memory. The purpose of this study is to question the use of photography in cultural heritage work and show the complexity of the situation arising from their use. Through interviews with 5 different institutions – Östergötlands länsmuseum, Bild Linköping, Norrköpings stadsmuseum, Norrköpings stadsbibliotek and Arbetets museum – I have examined how the use of photographs is perceived when working with cultural heritage. The results of the study throw light on a medium which both attracts and seduces us. At the same time it also reveals that the capacity of photographs to be used in so many diverse contexts leads to an ambiguity which allows their truth content to be questioned.

Begreppet "digitalt kulturarv" har två betydelser: dels digitaliserat fysiskt kulturarv, till exempel digitala kopior av föremål, dels det kulturarv som består av företeelser som skapats digitalt och därmed inte har någon fysisk motsvarighet. Det är det senare området, föremål som i sin ursprungsform är digitala, som denna uppsats fokuserar på. Syftet med uppsatsen är att undersöka om digitala kulturföremål kan räknas som en del av museernas uppdrag, samt hur museer i så fall kan samla in, bevara och visa dessa föremål. Digitalt material bygger inte på att föremålen har en fysisk form, och de ställs därför ofta i motsats till de materiella föremål som museer samlar in och bevarar. Däremot utesluter ingen av de museidefinitioner som undersöks i uppsatsen att museer även hanterar immateriellt kulturarv. Om museet dessutom inte fokuserar på föremålen i sig utan på föremålens betydelser och sammanhang, vilket många menar, så spelar det mindre roll om det som förmedlar betydelsen eller sammanhanget har fysisk form eller ej. Bland andra Unesco har också poängterat att det är viktigt att digitalt kulturarv bevaras. Samtidigt som det digitala kulturarvet växer i omfattning riskerar nämligen de digitala föremålen i sig att försvinna, antingen för att de inte bevaras alls eller för att de inte bevaras på ett lämpligt sätt. Ett av problemen är att de medier som materialet idag lagras på är instabila i sig och bevarande kräver därför att föremålen flyttas till andra lagringsmedier efterhand. En annan risk är att digitala föremål i framtiden inte kommer att kunna avläsas eftersom de maskiner eller den programvara som hanterade dem inte längre finns kvar eller går att använda. Det finns alltså ett antal faktorer som de institutioner som samlar in digitalt material bör vara medvetna om, även om de rutiner som museerna redan har för dokumentation och insamling i många fall även kan appliceras på digitala föremål. Utställning av digitalt kulturarv är en fråga i sig eftersom digitala föremål och helt digitala utställningar kräver ett annat tillvägagångssätt än när museet ställer ut fysiska föremål.

This study is a critical analysis of the various opinions of why museums should digitize their heritage collections. The aim of the study is to break these opinions down and critically analyse them in order to increase our understanding of why digitization is a desirable activity in museums. The purpose is to contribute to sustainable digitization works in the future. The opinions analysed in this study have been identified from three main sources: previous research; official policies and guidelines; and through interviews with the staff at Nationalmuseum in Stockholm, Sweden.  An argument analysis was conducted to identify the main positive and negative opinions of digitization. A theoretical perspective based on the societal development from modernity to postmodernity was incorporated into the analysis to uncover why these particular opinions exist. The study shows that while several issues with digitizing the cultural heritage of museums were acknowledged, the attitude towards digitization was predominantly positive. The negative opinions and fears of digitization, such as the potential loss of the physical experience turned out to be either unwarranted or solvable. The positive effects of digitization, such as increased accessibility, outweighed the negative issues. The opinions found in the previous research and the official policies reflected those of the staff who had been working with digitization in recent years at Nationalmuseum. Analysing the opinions showed that digitization is essentially a postmodern activity that caters to the needs and aims of the postmodern society. The reason why museums, that are traditionally modern would resort to a postmodern activity such as digitization is because digitization does not in fact undermine the authority of the museum, but rather helps this institution to fulfil its role and stay relevant in a postmodern society. This study is a two-year master’s thesis in Museum and Cultural Heritage Studies.

Only a few extensive web archiving projects have been conducted in the Swedish cultural heritage sector with the goal of preserving digital cultural heritage and advancing research. This thesis aims to acquire knowledge on how such projects can be executed by analyzing three different projects of that kind. By conducting four qualitative interviews with project representatives, this thesis investigates the methods used to collect and make digital cultural heritage accessible. The benefits and drawbacks of different approaches and solutions are discussed, drawing on the archival paradigm and post-custodial theory. Furthermore, the thesis addresses the most significant challenges in the cultural heritage sector for digital preservation, including technical obstacles, limited resources, insufficient expertise, and stakeholder engagement. By showcasing experiences from web archiving projects, this thesis aspires to enhance the field and offer valuable insights into the effective preservation of digital cultural heritage.

This master thesis has examined a user’s capabilities to utilize the Swedish national web archive Kulturarw³ for research purposes. The aim was also to identify any potential areas of improvement in the user’s capabilities working with Kulturarw³. The research questions are: 1. How does Kulturarw³ operate? 2. What are the main factors which affect Kulturarw³ structure and function? 3. What capabilities exist for researchers and students to utilize Kulturarw³ for their research? Are there any potential areas of improvement to the web archives user capabilities? The author has analyzed the web archive altogether using institutional theory in organization studies. The analysis has been loosely structured after Staffan Furusten’s model of the outside world in using institutional theory in organization studies. The purpose of this is to explain why the web archive looks the way it does today. An understanding of the web archive will better illuminate why any potential areas of improvement identified may or may not be possible for KW3 to implement. The author has conducted email interviews, in-person interviews as well as digital interviews with the staff responsible for working with Kulturarw³ at the Swedish National Library, Kungliga biblioteket. A draft of guidelines concerning Kulturarw³ from Kungliga biblioteket and a video-interview at Internetmuseum with one of the the founders of the web archive has also been used as source-material for this master thesis. The author concluded that Kulturarw³ is a national web archive with a long history. Its functions and limitations are complex. Kulturarw³s operation has changed greatly throughout its lifetime because of the surrounding environment. Several main factors which affect Kulturarw³ were identified. Several Swedish laws, international charters and initiatives, collaborations between and relations to other web archives, use of open-source software and digitalization’s impact on Kulturarw³ is discussed in detail. Kulturarw³'s long history of archiving the Swedish web makes it a valuable and plentiful source for research. Its collections and functions should be sufficient for anyone to conduct qualitative research. Yet at the current moment, the web archive is too inaccessible to live up to user’s expectations. That makes it an unviable option for research purposes. Unfortunately, there is not a lot Kulturarw³ can currently change to make it more assessable. The lack of information readily available also hinders users from using the web archive at max efficiency. There is a lot of opportunities for KB to better inform its users of its value and capabilities. An increased collaboration with Swedish research institutions would also benefit both researchers and the web archive in the long run.