The locally hosted iBase DAM system provides for the storage, searching and internal distribution of Liberty's extensive archive of digital assets.
Liberty have a treasure trove of archived Liberty prints and sketches.
Bursting to the brim with oversized books, piles of labelled boxes and perfectly preserved paintings, the rooms are guarded by the archiving department who have the important task of ensuring every design, from Tana Lawn to silk satin, is documented with as much information as possible and stored safely in their iBase database system, complete with digital images.
The archive began when Liberty started producing their own pattern books in the 1880s, which now includes some 40,000 fabric prints. The textile archive is actually more of a design archive and it always has been, that’s the main reason for keeping it.
So each design is kept in as many forms as possible: from artwork, to fabric bases, colourways, promotional and sales material (swatchbooks, fent books, etc.) to the screen separations in digital form.
The Liberty iBase system allows authorised users to access the archive, upload new material, create and edit metadata, and download originals if required.
Some of the features included as standard are:
In 1998 Tate engaged iBase to work with them on a major project to digitise the Tate collection, and they have been working together since supplying digital asset management systems and custom software for the photography department’s specialised workflow requirements.
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