Accessing Information on Public Sculture in Birmingham: An Interactive Catalogue

Jeremy Beach

> The Birmingham Public Sculpture Project has created an interactive computer database of public sculpture in Birmingham which includes text, artist biographies, academic bibliography, colour images and archive material on each of the approximately 500 pieces in the city. Since its conception as an academic resource, the way in which information is presented has changed. The interface has had to be made appropriate for a range of expected users, from academics to members of the public, and presented within the city of Birmingham and to educational establishments. An outline will be given of the original thinking and its critique, before moving on to how the database's interface developed both technically and visually over the last year. Finally, the impact of a computerised information source on public sculpture in Birmingham is discussed.