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OpenCollections

OpenCollections is a hosted service for documenting and publishing small collections using modern semantic data infrastructure.

Many valuable collections exist outside formal institutions: private photograph archives, artefact collections, small music catalogues, research materials, and specialised thematic collections. These collections are often carefully curated but rarely documented in a way that allows them to be searched, connected, and reused across digital heritage systems.

Connect to the European cultural data ecosystem

OpenCollections provides a simple entry point into the European cultural data ecosystem for such collections. The service offers a knowledge-graph based catalogue where images, audio, video, documents, and artefacts can be described using structured, machine-readable metadata.

The system uses the same semantic technologies that support large cultural heritage infrastructures. Collections documented in OpenCollections can therefore be prepared for interoperability with platforms such as Europeana, the European Collaborative Cloud for Cultural Heritage, the EU Open Data Portal, and institutional repositories.

No server, no software is needed

OpenCollections is a hosted service. Users do not need to install or maintain software. Collections can be curated through the web interface, through assisted data curation provided by the OpenCollections team, or through advanced tools such as OpenRefine for users who wish to manage their data programmatically.

The aim is simple: to make it possible for small and independent collections to document their materials with the same interoperability standards used by major cultural heritage institutions, while remaining lightweight, practical, and accessible.

Consult the User's Guide for information on using the wiki software.

Getting started

• Consult the User's Guide for information on using the wiki software.