Stewardship
We treat collections as a trust held for communities and the future.
About
About Marnley Institute
An independent institute helping cultural institutions digitize, preserve, and open their collections.
Marnley Institute is an independent institute for digital heritage. It helps libraries, archives, and museums digitize fragile collections, preserve them for the long term, and open them to researchers and the public.
Rather than holding collections of its own, Marnley researches methods and works in partnership with heritage institutions, keeping provenance, rights, and community context at the center of its work.
Our mission
Marnley studies and builds better ways to digitize, describe, preserve, and share cultural heritage, so collections remain accessible and trustworthy for future generations.
Principles
How we work
Durability
We design for readability decades from now, not just today.
Access with context
We open collections with the provenance and context that make them trustworthy.
History
Milestones
2015
Institute founded
Marnley is established in Edinburgh to advance digital heritage and preservation.
2017
Digitization Studio opens
Imaging and 3D-capture facilities begin supporting partner collections.
2020
Metadata That Travels
A key report on interoperability and IIIF is published.
2022
Kyoto studio opens
A studio in Kyoto deepens international heritage collaboration.
2024
Provenance-First Access
Marnley publishes a model for responsible, context-rich access.
2026
Formats for the long term
New guidance addresses format sustainability for digital collections.
Governance
How we are governed
Marnley is an independent, nonprofit institute governed by a board of trustees and guided by an academic and professional advisory board, working in partnership with heritage institutions.
10Board of trustees
5Advisors
2Studios
25+Partner collections