On the one hand, I get really annoyed when I read articles/comment boards
like these and see that so many people outside of the sector just don't
understand what museums do. And then I remember that if they don't
understand what we're doing, then as public-facing institutions we're doing
something wrong.
But still, I too find it frustrating that the big publicity articles like
the Guardian one are always just focused on the nationals, completely
overlooking the fact that the arts and heritage sector is not holistically
represented by the way the British Museum chooses to do things.
----- Original Message -----
From: "J DAVIS" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, July 08, 2009 5:14 PM
Subject: Re: "Museums' future lies on the internet, say Serota and
MacGregor"
We do, however, need the online collection databases online in the 1st place
as the basic info which we can then use in more exciting stuff.
What's depressing about the article is that only the nationals will ever be
able to go further because they have large enough budgets & staff to
allocate some to digital stuff.
I'm firmly of the opinion that online material can provide experiences &
info that the physical collections can't - but it doesn't substitute for the
experience of seeing (or even touching!) the actual objects.
I remember as an undergraduate on study trips rather reluctantly going into
museums in Amsterdam & Paris because I was so familiar with many of their
best stuff from pictures in books, & slides - and finding I was totally
blown away by the real objects in most cases.
Janet
Janet E Davis
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