Picture Archive Council of America (PACA) is about to make a huge impact on the way image buyers utilize the Internet to purchase licensed images. While PACA will never be confused with Google, its proprietary search tool will provide the stock photography industry with a much-needed digital solution. PACA’s pacaSearch™ is a free, Web-based stock image mega meta-search engine designed to greatly enhance the online image buying experience. pacaSearch, currently in Beta, is set to launch on February 25, 2010.
Developed and supported by PACA, pacaSearch serves to bridge the void left by existing image search engines. Unlike Google, pacaSearch provides buyers with results for only licensable imagery. Other existing search engines serve up both commercial and personal images in their photo search results. This can be especially problematic for professional image buyers.
“Learning about the functionality and usefulness of the PACA enhanced directory put a big smile on my face,” Lee Horton, Multimedia Editor, K12 Inc. said. “As a photo editor and art buyer I search multiple sites daily. This tool puts more control in my hands. With the launch of pacaSearch I can successfully and accurately find imagery in less time, with less hassle, while having more agency resources at my fingertips.”
Here is how it works in a nutshell. A buyer submits a term into pacaSearch to locate a library of images to explore. Almost instantly pacaSearch returns an index ranking of member libraries by both relevancy and most matches providing the searcher with multiple perspectives. Clicking on any of the libraries takes the user directly to the relevant imagery.
pacaSearch allows buyers to rapidly sample choices from multiple collections. They will relish the vast improvements pacaSearch provides over any existing image-based search engines. For example, searching by concept (a common weakness of image-based search engines).
pacaSearch is a powerful new tool for highly focused research across a wide range of excellent stock photo agencies
stated Judy and Roger Feldman of Feldman & Associates.
pacaSearch helps members achieve broader online distribution of their image libraries at near zero cost. pacaSearch also facilitates the creation of highly coveted direct personal relationships between buyers and member agencies. Conversely, buyers will be constantly exposed to previously unknown sources of highly relevant content from among PACA’s globally diverse group of trusted professional image collections. PACA members will be provided access to traffic reports that include statistics detailing the number of searches, most frequent terms, and terms with no search results.
Keeping with PACA’s Mission Statement, pacaSearch does not collect a fee, bounty or royalty of any kind. The purpose of this powerful search technology is to provide the entire marketplace with a solution as dynamic as the collections available and with the convenience of a personal assistant. “PACA took on this project as a means to expose their members’ archives to a broader marketplace. PACA is working to be an advocate for our members commercially as well as with industry standards and issues,” noted PACA President, Maria Kessler.
About PACA
PACA, the Picture Archive Council of America, is the trade organization in North America that represents the vital interests of stock archives of every size, from individual photographers to large corporations, who license images for commercial reproduction. Founded in 1951, its membership includes over 100 companies in North America and over 50 international members.
Through advocacy, education and communication, PACA strives to foster and protect the interests of the picture archive community. Accordingly, we work to develop useful business standards and promote ethical business practices; actively advocate copyright protection; collect and disseminate timely information; and take an active role in the picture community by building relationships with organizations from related industries.
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