The Finnish Heritage Agency’s decision to release its high-resolution pictures for public use was awarded a special prize by the Finnish Museums Association
In late 2020, the Finnish Heritage Agency released its 250,000 digitised images from the national picture collections to the public. This decision received a special prize from the Finnish Museums Association on Thursday 27 May 2021.
By opening up its pictures, the Finnish Heritage Agency wants to support the accessibility of cultural heritage and its open and extensive use. This is the largest release of picture collections for public use in Finland. Along with the release, the Finnish Heritage Agency also opened its own Finna page at museovirasto.finna.fi.
“Releasing the images was a significant decision for us. Cultural heritage is for everyone. We are excited to see what others will achieve using our images,” says Chief Intendant Ismo Malinen, delighted.
Most of the pictures of the Finnish Heritage Agency are downloadable as high-resolution versions, which makes the release of the materials a significant decision even at international level. The pictures can be downloaded from the Finna service, and the amount of digitised visual materials is constantly growing. In total, the Picture Collections of the Finnish Heritage Agency include over eight million pictures.
The award jury gave the following reasons, among others, for its choice:
“The release of the collections is a significant act for culture and museums, even on an international scale. It supports the accessibility of cultural heritage, as well as open and extensive use, since all interested parties can see the images and use them in their own way. For research, the new openness means great benefits, while at the same time allowing for more extensive participatory operations than before. Releasing the pictures also brings new users to the Finna service, which benefits the entire cultural heritage sector.”
The special prize is a recognition that the jury may grant for significant acts in the museum sector or long-term efforts to develop the museum sector.
Additional information
Chief Intendant Ismo Malinen, ismo.malinen@museovirasto.fi, +358 (0)295 33 6382
Read more:
Announcement on 14 December Finnish Heritage Agency releases more than 200,000 print-quality pictures from its collections for public use
Blog post by Ismo Malinen on 14 December (in Finnish) Korkearesoluutiokuvien avaaminen vapaaseen käyttöön, miksi?
Blog post by Ismo Malinen on 30 April (in Finnish) Korkearesoluutiokuvien avaamisen ensimmäiset neljä kuukautta – toteutuivatko tavoitteet?
Finna page of the Finnish Heritage Agency