How your institution can join the RRN

Starter Kit

Here's the Memorandum of Understanding that is signed by RRN Partner Institutions.

The MOU is a non-legally binding document that lays out the roles and responsibilities of the RRN Members.

Please note that an institution can still make its information available on the RRN without signing the MOU.

Here's what to show your IT person.

Here's the same record in two different formats. This is just an example, your records may look completely different.

Who to Contact

It's easy

Since 2007, we've been integrating information from our partners across the world. They've shared a wide variety of Archaeological, Ethnographic, and Archival collections data, in different formats, and from different collection management systems. To make this possible, we've developed tools that automate nearly all of the work, meaning our partners need to do little more than tell us what URL to download the data from.

What's needed

  • To access your collections information, the RRN will need to download it via the Internet.
  • If you want to provide media, such as photographs, those will also need to be available via the internet.

There's no limit to the amount of information you can provide, and no requirements on which fields must be preset. The more information you make available, the better it makes the RRN.

We can accept collections information in many different formats and there is no required structure for the data. Refer to the Starter Kit on the right for some examples.

Please feel free to contact us with any questions.

How it works

The idea behind the RRN is that you maintain control over your information. The RRN creates a snapshot of that information and makes it easy for people to access, discuss, and use. Conversations that arise from interactions on the RRN can help enrich the knowledge about your collection. Using the "Share Knowledge" button on any item record, an RRN member can communicate with your institution and share knowledge about your items. If you change your item record as a result, then the next time the RRN takes a snapshot of your records, the changes will be reflected automatically.

To date, our members have submitted 870 pieces of information about our partners' records. What's more, conversations between members and institutions have led to new media content being featured in galleries, as well as new awareness of appropriate cultural practice.

By becoming a partner, your institution also gets its own custom RRN Kiosk and RRN Mobile apps that allow visitors to view your collections and any additional media during their visit. Learn more »