Open Data is an increasingly popular form of publishing information on the internet. Open data is data that can be distributed and modified by everyone, even for commercial purposes, without the need of asking permission from the rights holder of the data. A lot of governments and semi-government organizations are already publishing part of the data they produce as open data. The majority of cultural institutions have yet to move on to this new form of transparency and open communication. This course will provide a hands on approach on opening up your instution's data, so you too can contribute to an open information society.

If you've made it here, you've probably already wondered "what's in it for me?" Of course this shouldn't be your fist concern but there's certainly lots to be gained for your institution by opening up your data. For example:

• You maximize your outreach. 
• You have to address issues on copyright and dataformats that will lead to a more coherent data policy and a more efficient data-infrastructure.
• You will learn about the legal opportunities and boundaries of your collection.
• Reuse by third parties can enrich your data

Apart from the internal benefits for your institution you make a major contribution to the information society as a whole. Opening up your data will allow others to make use of and/or find use for your collection. This can lead to all sorts of wonderful applications for research, games, tools, web based or mobile apps, etc. Furthermore, there's a good chance that a large part of your collection consists of Public Domain works*. These are works that are no longer copyright protected and make up the vast collection of knowledge and art that's been gathered thoughout history and hold the memory and identity of our respective cultures. Why not share them with the world so everyone can use and enjoy them? 

If you're still in doubt, read this article.

Before we continue and actually take a look at the data in your institution, ask yourself the question why open data can be important for your institution and what you hope to achieve with it. List your answers in the comments. 

*Want to know more about Public Domain works? Go ahead and take a look at the next task. It's all explained there!