The International Image Interoperability Framework Consortium is delighted to announce two new members. University of Leeds has joined the Consortium as a Full member, and University of Chicago Libraries has joined as an Associate member.
The University of Leeds has adopted IIIF as part of its Digital Library Infrastructure Project, which is designed to improve access and use of the libraries’ cultural collections for teaching, research, and user-led engagement. IIIF enables digital reunification of collections, such as that of the Honresfield Library, which has been distributed among eight institutions including the University of Leeds, the British Library, and the Brontë Parsonage.
Claire Knowles, Associate Director: Research and Digital Futures at University of Leeds Libraries and IIIF Outreach Group Co-Chair says, “Providing global access to our internationally significant collections is a central aim of the University of Leeds Libraries Vision ‘Knowledge for all’. IIIF will enable our cultural collections to be discovered, researched and shared in new and exciting ways. We hope new stories will emerge, drawn from the connections made through the IIIF network of institutions, tools and communities. We are excited to join the IIIF Consortium, both to develop our local understanding and share our experiences of adopting IIIF through our Digital Library Infrastructure Project.”
The University of Chicago Libraries use IIIF extensively in their digital collections. Most notably, UChicago has leveraged IIIF to power the NEH-funded “Mapping Chicagoland” project. In partnership with the Newberry Library and the Chicago History Museum, UChicago will draw on materials from all three institutions and scan, add spatial data, create metadata, and make openly available 4,101 digitized maps. The maps span a historical period from the earliest cartographic representations of Chicago through its rapid expansion in the early 20th century.
About the International Image Interoperability Framework
IIIF is a set of open standards for delivering high-quality, attributed digital objects online at scale. It’s also an international community developing and implementing the IIIF APIs. IIIF is backed by a consortium of leading cultural institutions.In addition to supporting the IIIF community financially, these institutions contribute to the APIs, Community Groups, and more.
Join
Membership is open to universities, libraries, museums, archives, vendors, and others who have an interest in supporting the framework. Multiple levels of membership include a range of benefits.
To join the IIIF Consortium, take a look at the benefits of membership, and send an email to admin@iiif.io or fill out the form on that page expressing your interest.