• An Introduction to OPML
• An Introduction to RSS and Atom
• An Introduction To AJAX

These documents are available in MS Word and HTML formats.  The MS Word version can be used to print an A5 format of the document. This format is used when the briefing documents are distributed at UKOLN workshops for the cultural heritage sector.

Note that if you would like to be automatically notified of the publication of new documents, an RSS feed containing links to newly published documents is available.  This feed can be included in RSS readers. In addition the information can be embedded in Web pages. An example of this can be seen in the right hand column of UKOLN’s Cultural Heritage blog site, which includes RSS feeds of newly published documents and forthcoming events.

These documents were based on the Simple Guide to Digitisation that was researched and written by Julian Tomlin and published by Renaissance East Midlands. We are grateful to Julian and Renaissance East Midlands for their permission to reuse the contents of their document, which has been made available under a Creative Commons licence.

There are a number of benefits which can be gained by allowing reuse of documents in this way. As Julian commented:

“It is good to know that the content will have a wider audience, and I am sure that both Caroline and I would be interested in any feedback that you receive“.

Providing a wider audience for documents produced by a regional organisation can help to maximise the benefits of such work and, as Julian pointed out, enable a wider range of feedback to be received.

A summary of the benefits which can be achieved by allowing others to reuse documentation along these lines includes:

• Provision of alternative formats: the briefing documents have been published as A5 documents, allowing them to be reused in individual chunks. This modularisation of the original content provides greater flexibility in how the resources can be used.
• Maximise feedback: Having alternative versions which can be used in a wider range of contexts and audiences allows a wider range of feedback to be obtained.
• Enhance sustainability: Having the content available in multiple locations can help with the sustainability of the resources (and, as we have seen with the demise of the MLA Regional Agencies this is a very relevant issue).
• Additional marketing: Having another organisation to promote important outputs and deliverables will strengthen the marketing of the original materials, as well as the organisation which originally produced them.
• Strengthening links: Working together in the way in which UKOLN and Renaissance East Midlands are doing helps to strengthen links between the organisations and provides a sound basis for future joint activities.
• Maximising “Google Juice”: Having mutual links from the organisations’s Web sites support Search Engine Optimation (SEO) and helps to enhance the visibiloty of important resources in search engines such as Google.

As I suggested in a paper on “Let’s Free IT Support Papers!” which I presented at the EUNIS 2005 conference providing support materials under Creative Commons licences and encouraging their take-up by others can provide a range of benefits. And if you believe in maximising access and openness shouldn’t you be following the lead taken by Renaissance East Midlands?