History doesn't belong to anyone. Quite the opposite. Online digital collections afford us an Olympian panorama of time that reveals our common heritage and makes it very clear that humanity, in all its manifestations, is an achievement we all share.

-Arthur Penn, Chair of the CIDC Advisory Board

Networked access to digital collections has the potential to break down traditional barriers to the use of primary resources. It is bringing more and diverse people to our collections and expanding the ways in which the collections are used.

-Sarah Thomas, The Carl A. Kroch University Librarian

The digital medium is, by its very nature, fluid and malleable. Creating digital collections, therefore, demands an entrepreneurial approach toward expanding and improving this resource. As we acquire greater understanding of how people use digital collections, new applications and learning situations will suggest themselves. New models will be developed that enlist the cooperation of individuals and organizations across disciplines, professions, and national boundaries. As technology and the integration of technologies advance, the Internet as an educational and communication medium will become richer and more diversified.

In realizing this vision, CIDC receives funding from the university, foundations, corporations, and government agencies, but its principal support has been from private gifts. Additional support is crucial, and interested individuals are urged to contact CIDC. We welcome opportunities to participate in institutional or corporate partnerships. It is essential that educational institutions be able to play a major role in shaping the use of new technologies to enhance research, teaching, and learning. CIDC is uniquely qualified to exercise leadership in this challenging venture.

New Directions

While CIDC has made great strides in exploring the potential of digital collections, it has only begun to understand the diverse possibilities that this technology offers. Pragmatic questions regarding the adoption of digital technology launch the search for answers that promise new discoveries: What are the factors that contribute to or hinder the successful use of digital technologies? What skills, tools, and support are necessary for users in the digital environment? What types of collaborations across disciplines, campus units, and institutions are necessary to expand digital resources and connect more people to them? CIDC's activities are works in progress. Evolving projects attempt to develop practical answers to these challenging questions.

Extend the Learning

CIDC, the Interactive Media Group, the Johnson Museum of Art, and local school districts are creating an online, interactive learning environment for grades three through nine using images from the Global Digital Museum and Museum Online collections. Users can conduct discussions while viewing an image as well as design electronic exhibitions of their own artwork or images from the database.

Revolution and Social Upheaval in France

Images from the Cornell French Revolution holdings provide visual accompaniment to literary and historical texts about this period. The ease of use and the accessibility of digital collections enhance the study of artistic representation and historical documentation of social and political change.

Electronic Publishing

The digital environment is rapidly transforming traditional means of communicating information. Electronic publishing can present images, text, and sound online, offering new means for integrating various media and interactive technologies. CIDC envisions an expanding involvement in this dynamic area. In cooperation with the university-wide Steering Committee on Electronic Publishing and the Cornell University Press, CIDC is developing models for distribution, sales, licensing, and rights management for publications in electronic form.