International­ization of the research infrastructure DAMM

The aspiration of DAMM is to provide a global infrastructure for online research of mathematical models out of Dresden. Because collections of this kind exist worldwide, there is an urgent demand to expand DAMM multilingually. Furthermore, the data from DAMM can not only be aggregated for the Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek (DDB, German Digital Library), but from there out also for the Europeana.

The essential use of the internationalization is in the global networking of the inventories of mathematical models and interlinking the objects with additional sources, for example with the catalogs of the respective model manufacturers. Potential users of DAMM are typically from the fields of mathematics, engineering, architecture, design, cultural history, art and art history. Certain developments from the protagonists of the Bauhaus or the french surrealism are unthinkable without higher educational institutes presenting mathematical models. Ultimately only with the planned multilingual expansion can DAMM be attractive for already interested partners from France, Great Britain, Portugal, Ukraine and the Netherlands. In fact DAMM already serves a need, that affects many collections: There are no adequate and sustainable solutions for databases provided on-site. Especially the expertise in 3D digitalization and presentation of the objects, that were obtained during the development of DAMM, are in demand.

With the digitalization of DAMM the radiance of the TU Dresden in cooperation with the SLUB and the DDB is supposed to increase. In particular, we are promoting the usage of the models and the related online resource DAMM for teaching. We are planning transferable services, that are going to be executed with an online support and an international workshop for interested supervisors of collections. We view the internationalization of DAMM as a model project for other collections at the TU Dresden. Also, we are expecting a positive impact of the so far by the DDB and the Europeana provided display options. DAMM is a blueprint for the standardized presentation of mathematical formulas and 3D visualization.

In addition to that, the project would like to be see in context with the annual meeting of the two most important international associations regarding university collections in 2021, that has the support of the rector’s office and is executed by the Kustodie.