Digital collections of culture are a lazy asset that require an infrastructure to sweat them. Borrowing a Software as a Service (SaaS) business model, the full infrastructure can be used only by paying subscribers. A range of membership tiers gives differing access to collections, storage facilities, and analysis tools. Collections are added to the infrastructure based on who can pay for digitisation and ingest. Membership fees are expected to cover infrastructure costs including development and future upkeep. A freemium model ensures entry level access (low resolution images, restricted access to analytics, no storage) for individuals and institutions unwilling or unable to pay. There are also extremely limited numbers of small grants for digitisation of diverse collections, and some central resources for systematic cataloguing to agreed standards. These measures offset criticism about elitism and selling old wine in new bottles. This is market-driven cultural heritage at its digital capitalist best.
Links
Infrastructure Futures for Digital Cultural Heritage (project page)