Case Study: Boston Ballet achieves historical preservation and improved searchability with Acquia DAM

Using Metadata to Preserve the History of the Boston Ballet

The Boston Ballet, a company with a 50+ year history of performances and community programs, faced a fragile, disorganized archive of photographs, posters, playbills and other artifacts stored in boxes and on obsolete media. The webmaster needed a way to support current web and marketing needs while preserving historical materials that were at risk of loss and difficult to locate.

They implemented the Widen Collective as a DAM, digitizing assets, setting active vs. cold storage and applying clear governance (including a pre-2001 archival cutoff). Customized metadata fields—such as an “archival materials” flag, controlled Type lists, Specific archive, open-text Date, and rich Description—made items searchable with historical context. The result: durable preservation, easier discovery and reuse for digital channels, and reliable access that protects and highlights the Ballet’s legacy.

Boston Ballet

Michaela Donnelly

Webmaster