This episode of the DAM Right Podcast features an Ask Me Anything (AMA) session on DAM governance with industry experts Kara Van Malssen and John Horodyski from AVP. The discussion covers the fundamental principles, challenges, and best practices for implementing and maintaining effective governance in Digital Asset Management (DAM) systems.

Guest Info:

- Kara Van Malssen

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kvanmalssen/ 

Bio - https://www.weareavp.com/team/kara-van-malssen/

- John Horodyski

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhorodyski/

Bio - https://www.weareavp.com/team/john-horodyski/

Digital Asset Symposium Info:

- DAM in GLAM event - http://digitalassetsymposium.com 

- Aprimo - https://www.aprimo.com/ 

- Allied Vaughn - https://www.alliedvaughn.com/

- Acquia - https://www.acquia.com/products/acquia-dam 

- Iron Mountain - https://www.ironmountain.com/ 

- Aviary - https://www.aviaryplatform.com/

- NBCUniversal - https://www.universalstudioslot.com/post-production 

Resources mentioned in this episode:

- Managing Chaos: Digital Governance by Design – Lisa Welchman https://www.amazon.com/Managing-Chaos-Digital-Governance-Design/dp/1933820828 

- Non-Invasive Data Governance: The Path of Least Resistance and Greatest Success – Robert S. Seiner - https://www.amazon.com/Non-Invasive-Data-Governance-Resistance-Success/dp/1634620726 

- European Accessibility Act (EAA) - https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/policies/justice-and-fundamental-rights/disability/union-equality-strategy-rights-persons-disabilities-2021-2030/european-accessibility-act_en 

Engage:

📣 Join us at DAM in GLAM on May 7th in NYC at MOMA. Find out more and register at https://digitalassetsymposium.com

🆓 Download the DAM Strategy Canvas & other free resources at https://weareavp.com/free-resources

👍 Like, Subscribe, and follow on your platform of choice.

🔗 Follow me on LinkedIn athttps://linkedin.com/in/clacinak

In this episode host Chris Lacinak joins Misti Vogt and Brian McLaughlin from Orange Logic to offer a 2025 DAM Forecast. They explore key trends shaping the future of Digital Asset Management (DAM), including connected DAM, adaptive DAM, and autonomous DAM with some veers into sustainability, content authenticity, user adoption and more. The episode provides insights into how organizations can future-proof their DAM strategies for greater efficiency and competitive advantage.

Guest Info:

• Misti Vogt - Chief of Staff and Head of Customer Success, Orange Logic -https://www.linkedin.com/in/mistivogt/
• Brian McLaughlin - CEO, Orange Logic - https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-mclaughlin-540613/
• Orange Logic - https://orangelogic.com

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• DAM Strategy Canvas -https://lp.weareavp.com/avp-dam-strategy-canvas
• How to make the case for a new DAM investment -https://www.orangelogic.com/blog/how-digital-asset-managers-can-make-the-case-for-a-new-dam-investment
• Content Authenticity Initiative -https://contentauthenticity.org/
• C2PA - https://c2pa.org/
• DAM and Carbon Footprint Control: Less Clutter, More Impact -https://www.cmswire.com/digital-asset-management/dam-and-carbon-footprint-control-less-clutter-more-impact/
• Digital Asset Symposium: DAM in GLAM -http://digitalassetsymposium.org/

Engage:

📣 Join us at DAM in GLAM on May 7th in NYC at MOMA. Find out more and register at https://digitalassetsymposium.com

🆓 Download the DAM Strategy Canvas & other free resources at https://weareavp.com/free-resources

💡 Download great DAM resources from Orange Logic at https://www.orangelogic.com/digital-asset-management-guides

🔗 Follow me on LinkedIn athttps://linkedin.com/in/clacinak

Host Chris Lacinak is joined by Kara Van Malssen, Managing Director at AVP to talk about the Operational Model for DAM Success that she created.

The Operational Model comes out of what Kara has learned in almost 2 decades of helping organizations design, build, and scale DAM operations.

Guest Bio: 

Driven by a passion for helping organizations build impactful DAM programs, Kara Van Malssen is the Managing Director at consultancy AVP. Merging her deep expertise in systems thinking, user experience design, library science, and business analysis with extensive DAM experience, Kara crafts scalable and sustainable asset and data management solutions. Her diverse client portfolio ranges from Fortune 1000 powerhouses to esteemed cultural heritage institutions and transformative non-profits. Beyond her consulting role, Kara frequently shares her insights at conferences and workshops around the globe.

Connect with Kara at https://www.linkedin.com/in/kvanmalssen/

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Operational Model for DAM Success: https://damopmodel.com
• Henry Stewart DAM NY 50% Off Registration Giveaway: https://bit.ly/DAMRIGHTNY2024
• DAM Right Soundtrack - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4ZzCabPS7up3thnq5uwdKs

Engage:

🆓 Download amazing and free DAM resources from the best DAM consultants in the business at https://weareavp.com/free-resources

⭐ Please rate, like, follow, and subscribe on your podcast platform of choice. See all the places we are at https://dam-right.com/listen

🔗 Follow me on LinkedIn at https://linkedin.com/in/clacinak

Host Chris Lacinak is on his own in this episode, sharing 5 warning signs that your DAM project is at risk. This is based on 18 years of talking with and working with hundreds of organizations on DAM projects. Avoid these 5 warnings and you'll be off to a much better start!

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• DAM Operational Model - https://damopmodel.com
• Your DAM use cases are only as good as the humans involved - https://bit.ly/HUMAN-PROBLEMS
• Get your DAM budget: How to get your boss on board with your Digital Asset Management strategy - https://bit.ly/GET-DAM-BUDGET
• The Importance of Choosing the Right Digital Asset Management System - https://bit.ly/WRONG-DAM-COST
• The 5 Whys - https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_whys
• DAM Right Soundtrack -https://https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4ZzCabPS7up3thnq5uwdKs

Engage:

🆓 Download amazing and free DAM resources from the best DAM consultants in the business at https://weareavp.com/free-resources

⭐ Please rate, like, follow, and subscribe on your podcast platform of choice. See all the places we are at https://dam-right.com/listen

🔗 Follow me on LinkedIn at https://linkedin.com/in/clacinak

Host Chris Lacinak is joined by Amy Rudersdorf, Director of Consulting Operations at AVP to talk about resources that she recently published focused on helping organizations select the right DAM, MAM, PIM, digital preservation solution, etc. for them.

Amy has put almost a decade of expertise and experience performing and refining these projects at AVP into resources that help people do this work themselves. And in addition to making those freely available, we dive deep in this episode to offer even more context and information on how to put them to use.

Guest Bio: 

Amy Rudersdorf brings to AVP over 20 years of experience managing digital assets at all points in their lifecycle, from DAM and digital preservation system selection and implementation to long-term access to and preservation of digital assets. She has had a career focused on helping organizations develop strategies to preserve and provide maximal access to their digital content with good stewardship practice and quality metadata. She brings a unique perspective to her work, after years of running digital asset management and preservation programs in academic, government, and nonprofit settings, and with organizations of all sizes.

Recent projects at AVP include developing a digital strategy for a small, nonprofit organization, helping select technologies via an RFP process for large public libraries, supporting the development of an AI system for metadata capture from audiovisual materials, and implementing a DAM for a large music-streaming service. 

Amy is an active member of the Digital Library Federation and NDSA working groups and presents widely on topics ranging from digital preservation best practices to technology selection and DAM. She holds an MLIS from the University of Pittsburgh, and a BA in English from the University of Wisconsin. Amy lives in Madison, Wisconsin, with her family and a very gentle pitbull.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Amy's Blog Post: https://www.weareavp.com/creating-a-successful-dam-rfp/
• Amy's Handouts: https://lp.weareavp.com/dam-rfp-checklist
• The Cost of Getting DAM Selection Wrong: https://www.weareavp.com/the-importance-of-choosing-the-right-digital-asset-management-system/
• Kara's Blog Post on the Eight Worst Ways to Choose a DAM System: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/kvanmalssen_the-8-worst-ways-to-choose-a-dam-system-activity-7193968033856446464-Zc6L
• Radiolab "Choice" episode: https://radiolab.org/podcast/91640-choice
• DAM Right Soundtrack - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4ZzCabPS7up3thnq5uwdKs

Engage:

🆓 Download amazing and free DAM resources from the best DAM consultants in the business at https://weareavp.com/free-resources

⭐ Please rate, like, follow, and subscribe on your podcast platform of choice. See all the places we are at https://dam-right.com/listen

🔗 Follow me on LinkedIn at https://linkedin.com/in/clacinak

Host Chris Lacinak is joined by Aaron Edell, SVP of AI at Wasabi to talk about the recently launched Wasabi AiR, AI, object storage, and more. Wasabi AiR is an innovative and strategic development in the DAMosphere that aims to change business as usual and push boundaries with what Aaron describes as redefining object storage. This is a fascinating deep dive and behind the scenes look into an important milestone in the intersection between AI and digital asset management from a leader and expert in the field.

Disclaimer: Neither Chris nor AVP can be held responsible for Aaron's ownership of, or affinity for a Cybertruck :-).

Guest Bio: 

Former GrayMeta CEO Aaron Edell joined Wasabi as SVP of AI & Machine Learning in 2024, following Wasabi's acquisition of Curio AI From GrayMeta. Aaron leads the team tasked with developing the company's intelligent cloud storage technology.

Aaron brings deep-rooted experience in media & entertainment product development, innovation, and digital asset management to his newly created role at Wasabi. He was responsible for building many of GrayMeta’s first products, including Curio, and grew GrayMeta into an essential workflow component for the likes of Netflix, Walt Disney Studios, and NBC Universal. He also co-founded Machine Box, an AI company that revolutionized where machine learning could run, and served as Global Head of Business for AWS, leading its Customer Cloud Intelligence and FinOps division.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• DAM Right Soundtrack - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4ZzCabPS7up3thnq5uwdKs
• Wasabi AiR - https://wasabi.com/cloud-object-storage/wasabi-air
• Aaron's Fake News Detection Blog Post - https://medium.com/towards-data-science/i-trained-fake-news-detection-ai-with-95-accuracy-and-almost-went-crazy-d10589aa57c
• GrayMeta - https://graymeta.com/
• Fortune Magazine Article on Liverpool FC's use of Wasabi AiR - https://fortune.com/europe/2024/05/08/data-driven-tactics-are-great-but-liverpool-fcs-real-ai-goal-is-to-help-fans-get-more-kicks-out-of-their-content-google-wasabi-air/

Engage:

🆓 Download amazing and free DAM resources from the best DAM consultants in the business at https://weareavp.com/free-resources

⭐ Please rate, like, follow, and subscribe on your podcast platform of choice. See all the places we are at https://dam-right.com/listen

🔗 Follow me on LinkedIn at https://linkedin.com/in/clacinak

License info:

Music from Uppbeat (free for Creators!):

https://uppbeat.io/t/hey-pluto/the-gentleman

License code: PYLFGIFQ88M6KNBS

We're trying a couple of new things this episode. First, this episode will be around 10 minutes instead of 60 - 90 minutes. Let us know what you think about that at [email protected]. Second, after the intro from host, Chris Lacinak, the interviewer for this episode is Kerri Willette. Since doing this interview, Kerri has moved on to do wonderful things, no doubt, at Dropbox. In this episode, Kerri interviews Kara Van Malssen, Partner and Managing Director at AVP about the central theme of a journal article and blog post that Kara wrote. The theme is about managing expectations in order to realize success when implementing a DAM. The blog post and this episode bring this home (pun intended) by using buying and owning a home as an analogy to implementing a DAM.

In lieu of the last favorited song question in this episode, host Chris Lacinak is adding the song Home by Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros to the DAM Right soundtrack.

Guest Bios: 

Driven by a passion for helping organizations build impactful DAM programs, Kara Van Malssen is the Managing Director at consultancy AVP. Merging her deep expertise in systems thinking, user experience design, library science, and business analysis with extensive DAM experience, Kara crafts scalable and sustainable asset and data management solutions. Her diverse client portfolio ranges from Fortune 1000 powerhouses to esteemed cultural heritage institutions and transformative non-profits. Beyond her consulting role, Kara frequently shares her insights at conferences and workshops around the globe.

Connect with Kara at https://www.linkedin.com/in/kvanmalssen/

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• DAM Right Soundtrack - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4ZzCabPS7up3thnq5uwdKs
• Manage Your DAM Expectations Blog Post - https://www.weareavp.com/manage-your-dam-expectations/
• Henry Stewart Journal of Digital Media Management, Volume 7 - https://www.henrystewartpublications.com/jdmm/v7

Engage:

🆓 Download the DAM Strategy Canvas & other free resources from the best DAM consultants in the business at https://weareavp.com/free-resources

⭐ Please rate, like, follow, and subscribe on your podcast platform of choice. See all the places we are at https://dam-right.com/listen

🔗 Follow me on LinkedIn at https://linkedin.com/in/clacinak

Host Chris Lacinak is joined by Jon Dunn and Emily Lynema from Indiana University to talk about the AMP project. AMP, which stands for Audiovisual Metadata Platform, was born out of a need at Indiana University to create metadata for hundreds of thousands of digitized assets. While AI was beginning to show great potential, there weren't platforms in the marketplace that allowed for the orchestration of multiple AI tools into coordinated workflows that could generate high quality metadata. IU pitched the vision of such a platform to the Mellon Foundation and AMP was born.

Jon and Emily share their experience, insights, and lessons learned from their work on this groundbreaking project.

Guest Bios: 

Emily Lynema is the Head of Digital Media Software Development at Indiana University Libraries. Her team develops systems that support access to digitized audiovisual materials, including the large volume of content digitized by the University’s Media Digitization and Preservation Initiative. She is actively involved in IU Libraries’ exploration of the use of artificial intelligence / machine learning tools to help create metadata for digitized media that can be used to enable identification, discovery, and rights determination. She holds a Master’s degree in Information Science from the University of Michigan and an undergraduate degree in Computer Science.

Jon Dunn, Assistant Dean for Library Technologies, oversees information technology development and operations for the IU Libraries, including technical support, systems administration, software development, digitization, digital preservation, user experience, and digital collections services.

Jon has worked with the IU Libraries for more than 25 years, beginning in the Music Library as technical director for IU’s groundbreaking Variations digital music library project, moving to the Digital Library Program at the time of its formation in 1997, and eventually joining the Library Technologies division.

He serves as director of the Avalon Media System project, an open source system for providing online access to audio and video collections, funded by grants from the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the Mellon Foundation. He also serves as principal investigator on the Audiovisual Metadata Platform project, funded by the Mellon Foundation.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• DAM Right Soundtrack - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4ZzCabPS7up3thnq5uwdKs
• AMP site - https://go.iu.edu/amp
• Mellon Foundation - https://www.mellon.org/
• CLAMS - https://clams.ai/
• BBC Transcript Editor - https://github.com/bbc/react-transcript-editor
• INA Speech Segmenter - https://github.com/ina-foss/inaSpeechSegmenter
• Galaxy - https://usegalaxy.org/
• Kaldi -https://kaldi-asr.org/
• AI4LAM - https://github.com/AI4LAM

Engage:

🆓 Download the DAM Strategy Canvas & other free resources from the best DAM consultants in the business at https://weareavp.com/free-resources

⭐ Please rate, like, follow, and subscribe on your podcast platform of choice. See all the places we are at https://dam-right.com/listen

🔗 Follow me on LinkedIn at https://linkedin.com/in/clacinak

License info:

Music from Uppbeat (free for Creators!):

https://uppbeat.io/t/hey-pluto/the-gentleman

License code: JO43J4MYVJRGKVEK

Host Chris Lacinak is joined by Brecht Declercq, Head of Archives at Radiotelevisione svizzera (RSI), Switzerland's Italian speaking public broadcaster. Brecht is also the President of FIAT/IFTA, an organization that describes itself as the world’s leading professional association for those engaged in the preservation and exploitation of broadcast archives. For the entirety of Brecht's career he has worked with and within broadcast archives. This 20 years of experience coupled with the international perspective gained as a member and President of FIAT/IFTA has made Brecht one of the leading experts on archives and digital asset management within broadcast organizations.

Brecht brings both the pragmatic details, as well as keen intellectual insights to the conversation, offering a perspective that few could contribute.

People from all corners of the DAMospehere will find jewels in this conversation and have a laugh or two along the way.

Guest Bio:

Brecht Declercq, MA, MSc is the President of FIAT/IFTA, the world association of media archives, and Head of Archives at RSI, the public broadcaster of Italian-speaking Switzerland. From 2013 until 2022 he was responsible for the preservation of the Flemish audiovisual heritage at meemoo. From 2004 until 2012 he held several roles in digitisation, media asset management and access projects for the Belgian public broadcaster VRT. He led the FIAT/IFTA Preservation and Migration Commission from 2016 to 2019 and he was FIAT/IFTA’s General Secretary from 2017 until 2020. He’s a frequent conference curator, presenter, guest lecturer, writer and reviewer. He advises policy makers, audiovisual archives and media organisations worldwide.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• DAM Right Soundtrack - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4ZzCabPS7up3thnq5uwdKs
• Radiotelevisione svizzera (RSI ) - https://www.rsi.ch/
• International Federation of Television Archives (FIAT/IFTA) - https://fiatifta.org/
• International Association of Sound and Audiovisual Archives (IASA) - https://www.iasa-web.org/
• Association of Moving Image Archivists (AMIA) - https://amianet.org/
• meemoo - https://meemoo.be/en

Topics discussed in the episode:

• Introduction and background of Brecht Declercq
• Work at meemoo
• Work at RSI
• FIAT/IFTA’s Mission and Overview
• State of Broadcast Archives Worldwide
• Differences in Broadcast Operations
• Future of Broadcasting
• Next FIAT/IFTA World Conference
• Brecht’s last favorited song

Engage:

🆓 Download the DAM Strategy Canvas & other free resources from the best DAM consultants in the business at https://weareavp.com/free-resources

⭐ Please rate, like, follow, and subscribe on your podcast platform of choice. See all the places we are at https://dam-right.com/listen

🔗 Follow me on LinkedIn at https://linkedin.com/in/clacinak

License info:

Music from Uppbeat (free for Creators!):

https://uppbeat.io/t/hey-pluto/the-gentleman

License code: KL4YIENKDCBG2KYO

Host Chris Lacinak is joined by Isabel Meyer, Director of Digital Platforms at the Smithsonian Institution. Isabel has been at the helm of digital asset management for the Smithsonian for over two decades. She has driven major transformation and evolution of the DAM operation in her time at the Smithsonian.

This episode is a must watch/listen for anyone who wants a behind the scenes peak at the digital asset management operation of the world's largest museum.

We talk about Isabel's career before hearing exactly what the DAM operation looks like, who it serves, and how it functions. We talk about an amazing collaboration between the Smithsonian and the Getty focused on The Johnson Publishing Company's archive.

It's a fun an interesting episode with a pioneer in the field of digital asset management who also happens to be a delightful person to chat with.

Guest Bio:

Isabel Meyer is the Director for Digital Platforms in the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) at the Smithsonian Institution. Since joining the Smithsonian’s OCIO in 2003, Isabel has brought over 20 years of distinguished leadership and experience in technology and digital media systems. Her career encompasses leadership roles in both public and private sectors, including work with government agencies, cultural heritage organizations, and Fortune 500 corporations both domestically and internationally. Isabel has been at the forefront of the explosive growth and evolution of multi-media digital collections, amassing a wealth of knowledge in systems and digital media technologies. She is also experienced in digital preservation and metadata standards. Isabel leverages her technical knowledge and relationship-building abilities to achieve consensus and develop innovative solutions in complex system environments. Her commitment to fostering collaboration and driving technological advancement continues to benefit the Smithsonian Institution and the broader digital collections, archives, and libraries community.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• DAM Right Soundtrack - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4ZzCabPS7up3thnq5uwdKs
• ISO 16363 - https://www.iso.org/standard/87472.html 
• National Museum of African American History and Culture - https://nmaahc.si.edu/
• The Getty - https://www.getty.edu/
• Johnson Publishing Company - https://www.johnsonpublishing.com/
• Open Text - https://www.opentext.com/ 
• ArchivesSpace - https://archivesspace.org/ 
• Qumulo - https://qumulo.com/ 
• CC0 rights - https://creativecommons.org/public-domain/cc0/ 

Topics discussed in the episode:

• Introduction and work history of Isabel Meyer
• Making a DAM system work for 20+ years
• Quantifying the scale
• The DAM Operation
• Stakeholder engagement, roles and responsibilities
• Use of the DAM for digital preservation
• Defining users of the DAM
• Mission, goals, and objectives of the DAM operation
• Leadership engagement and support
• DAM in a museum environment
• The Johnson Publishing Company Project with the Getty
• Future vision for the DAM Operation
• Isabel’s favorite song

Engage:

🆓 Download the DAM Operational Model & other free resources from the best DAM consultants in the business at https://weareavp.com/free-resources

⭐ Please rate, like, follow, and subscribe on your podcast platform of choice. See all the places we are at https://dam-right.com/listen

🔗 Follow me on LinkedIn at https://linkedin.com/in/clacinak

License info:

Music from Uppbeat (free for Creators!):

https://uppbeat.io/t/hey-pluto/the-gentleman

License code: 0OSYCJKFBPZFVNIJ