National coordination of digitisation, digital preservation and digital access to cultural heritage.

The digitalisation has rapidly opened up a new communication landscape. Rapid changes and new patterns may pose a threat to existing forms of cultural expression, but also offer greaterpossibilities for preservation, use and enrichment opportunities using new methods and ways of working. The internet has also led to new ways for everyone to participate in the different parts of society, particularly in the cultural sphere. People are no longer satisfied with merely consuming culture. Increasing numbers of people also want to create for themselves, share and recreate together with other people.

Today horizontal networks, based on shared interests, link together individuals as well as organisations. At the same time, vertical processes have been developed in which citizens can easily come into contact with decision-makers and individual experts. This has affected the work of cultural institutions, like the question of digitalisation and use of cultural heritage information and cultural heritage materials.

Digisam is a coordination secretariat for digitalisation, digital preservation and for making cultural heritage digitally accessible. The coordination secretariat was set up by the Government as a special unit at the National Board of Antiquities. The secretariat is to be responsible for competence building and obtaining knowledge in the field of digitalisation and coordinating digitalisation activities at the national cultural heritage agencies/institutions. It is to work to ensure that the entire area of cultural heritage and other related activities is able to take part in the work of digital cultural heritage. Digisam works with areas such as:

- Cooperation with public institutions and non-profit organisations

- Developing audiences to retain and develop relationships with old and new

-Acessibility

-Social media

-Digitalisation

-3D

-Copyright and licensing