What is the Built Works Registry Project?
The Built Works Registry Project (BWR) is a three-year grant-funded project funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The goal of the project is to create a freely available registry and data resource for architectural works and the built environment.
As a registry for the built environment, BWR is being constructed by bringing together and unifying records of built works from an array of sources including universities, libraries and national cultural repositories. Principal goals of BWR is to make built work data easily accessible to libraries and museums for use in records management systems, as well as to assist teachers, scholars, researchers and interested members of the general public to accurately and easily identify works in the built environment.
How does BWR define a built work?
BWR defines a built work as any structure, or associated structure, which has been designed and created through human effort. As a global registry, BWR includes built works from throughout the world and includes works which date from prehistory to the present.
Are there built works which BWR does not include?
BWR will not include those structures which are wholly moveable and/or intended for temporary use. BWR does not include those objects which might typically be housed in museums, special collections, natural history or scientific collections.
Is the BWR an authority?
BWR is a registry and is not intended to function as an authority. As a registry, BWR’s principal objective is to identify all built works with a name, location and unique identifier number and thus allow users to confirm the identity of a built work. BWR will provide links to other institutions which provide and publish their own authorities, i.e. Getty Research Institute’s Cultural Objects Naming Authority (CONA). BWR will serve as one of the core contributors to CONA.
Does the BWR include images of built works?
At this point, BWR does not plan to include images of built works.
Who is responsible for BWR data?
BWR’s editorial team is responsible for coordination and oversight of BWR data, data standards and contributor policies.
Who do you envision as making contributions to BWR?
The continued growth and usefulness of BWR will depend on institutional contributions as well as user contributions. Initially, contributions to BWR will come from institutions and/or cultural repositories; in future, contributions from individuals will be a key feature of BWR. BWR is intended to allow an unlimited number of contributors to participate in building and maintaining the file as a community-generated resource.
How can institutions contribute to BWR?
Institutions interested in making contributions to BWR should contact us at BWR@libraries.cu.columbia.edu. In your communication to us, please provide a description of your institution, the general scope of your collection, and the kinds of information your institution collects about built works.
