The Arts: Sharing Center Stage on the Internet BOF (ARTS) Reported by Scott Stoner/The Kennedy Center Session Focus Scott Stoner and Susan Siegfried welcomed participants, outlined the agenda, and asked each person to introduce themselves and their interest in the arts on the Internet. The meeting agenda focused on determining the extent of interest and needs that would support a proposal to create an IETF working group on the arts and humanities. Participants received a draft of possible working group goals that were identified during the previous arts BOF. Participants were asked to introduce themselves and indicate their interest in attending the BOF, the results of which demonstrated interests ranging from the challenges of capturing and cataloguing non-textual information to opportunities for using the Internet as a tool for creating and appreciating the arts and humanities. The session attracted a number of participants who had heard the ARTS BOF had been one of the most stimulating sessions at the last IETF meeting in Toronto. Susan Siegfried summarized two recent national reports (also distributed to BOF participants) that directly address many of the issues identified by participants during their introductions and at the previous BOF session. The reports are: ``Arts, Humanities, and Culture on the NII,'' report of the Information Infrastructure Task Force Committee on Applications and Technology, NIST, U.S. Department of Commerce and ``Humanities and Arts on the Information Highways,'' report developed by The Getty Art History Information Program, The American Council of Learned Societies, and The Coalition for Networked Information (the reports were also made available to IETF participants at the distribution table near the IETF registration desk.) Discussion Stoner initiated discussion by asking participants to consider the appropriateness of the goals identified during the previous BOF session. There was much discussion regarding the general need for a clearinghouse that would assist Internet users in finding and/or cataloguing arts and humanities information. As a result of this discussion, participants agreed that the IETF could be helpful in defining a methodology, tools and guidelines for the establishment of an effective clearinghouse (or multiple clearinghouses with similar functions) on the Internet. The clearinghouse discussion also led participants to defining a mission for the proposed arts and humanities working group as follows: to promote the infrastructure for locating, creating and presenting arts and humanities content on the Internet. In conjunction with defining the mission for the potential working group, Joyce Reynolds was asked to clarify how this would fit within the User Services area of IETF. She responded that User Services supports a forum to produce useful documents ``from novice to knowledgeable'' that helps users to more effectively access and apply information and services on the Internet. Participants then affirmed that the proposed arts and humanities mission statement represented an important need in the field and that IETF members could be of valuable assistance in defining and helping to meet the goals that would achieve said mission. In order to further define the proposed working group goals, participants identified the audience for arts and humanities information. There was considerable agreement that the audience is divided between producers and consumers of arts and humanities in formation and resources, whether individuals, institutions, or organizations. For example, cultural institutions like museums produce information that requires guidelines for archiving and cataloguing information that is unlike that in traditional library systems. Likewise, visual and performing arts institutions have performance-based works of art and resources that will require specific protocols for electronic storage and retrieval. Much discussion focused on the ``gap'' between the non-technical arts and humanities community and the emerging worldwide on-line userbase. Participants identified that a priority goal should be the development of a resource that would serve as a basic guide for the arts and humanities community to effectively understand and use the Internet. This should include a FAQ for the arts community that in fact represents the existing ``gap'' of knowledge (and resistance) regarding the information highway. As the session drew to a close, participants identified the following as first priority goals for the proposed working group (acknowledging that other goals will surely emerge or become more clear as the group begins its work): 1. Develop a guide for the arts and humanities community that will help individuals, institutions, and organizations to successfully access and use the Internet 2. Assist the arts and humanities to use the Internet as a tool and resource for developing a knowledge base of research and information that is not currently widely accessible electronically 3. Assist with the development of innovative templates and technical tools for the coordination of scheduling and programming information (e.g. performances, exhibitions) 4. Define technical needs and requirements that are necessary for networking all major arts and humanities constituencies on the Internet Outcomes Following the above discussion, there was consensus that a proposal should be prepared and submitted to the IESG to establish an Arts and Humanities Working Group. Stoner and Siegfried will develop a draft proposal for review and approval by Reynolds (to be completed by the end of February) and Reynolds will present the proposal to the IESG prior to the next IETF meeting in April, 1995. The draft will also be circulated via the arts mailing list for review and comment by BOF participants prior to submission to the IESG.