Risk Management Toolkit: Risk Mitigation in Open Access to Digital Cultural Heritage Collections

The Risk Management Working Group of the Creative Commons Open Culture Platform, formed in May 2024 to support the vision of "Moving 25 Institutions to Open" set by the Open Culture Platform. The Risk Management Working Group focused on identifying key risks involved in opening cultural heritage collections online, and developing actionable strategies to address these challenges. The group aimed to encourage institutions to move from cautious, risk-averse approaches to adopting open norms, fostering a culture of openness within the GLAM community and beyond. These efforts are particularly important for under-resourced and under-represented institutions, which are a priority for the CC Open Culture Platform in its mission to promote global diversity in open access collections. The main activity of our Working Group was the development of the Risk Management Toolkit, designed to map and address the complexities of risk management in open access collections and initiatives. To inform the toolkit, the group adopted a multifaceted approach, conducting a literature review, carrying out an online survey, and compiling a list of use cases documenting various risk scenarios. These activities contributed to both the toolkit and this final report, ensuring a comprehensive strategy to support cultural heritage institutions and initiatives in their transition to openness. Visit the Risk Management Toolkit at https://oa2ch.gitbook.io/risk-management for the most up-to-date version.