Chapter 10 delves into the use of computer based information and communication technologies within a museum and the experiences that these technologies can create as well as the dangers of using them. When used in public displays and in interpretation of artifacts, these technologies have the potential to create a unique and sometimes personal interactive experience for the visitor. According to the article, involvement can be physical, intellectual, emotional or social, although the social aspect can be questionable.
Four types of technologies are discussed with the pros and cons of each enumerated. We begin with the information kiosk. Information kiosks offer a wide variety of aids to the visitor such as maps, object information, labels and information about exhibits and the museum in general. They also have the potential to create 3-D or virtual reality and collaborative group experiences. One very important aspect of the kiosk which is only touched on in the chapter is the ease of changing and adding information to these portable computers. They can constantly be updated and moved in order to be reused for different exhibits. Although no doubt expensive, over the long term, the money saved from printing and mounting numerous labels and pamphlets can add up.
A drawback to the kiosk is the fact that it must be properly placed for functionality within the gallery space. It must not impede the viewing of objects but must also be accessible to everyone. This, however, creates another problem. When there is a large amount of information on a kiosk, it is likely that it will be used for a significant amount of time by each person. Many people might miss out on the information that it has to offer because they do not want to wait.
A solution to this wait is the use of handheld or personal computing devices. These can personalize a tour or allow a person to search information at their own speed. It can also be interactive by giving the person access to the web, a camera and other functions. Handhelds, however are extremely expensive and, as noted by the authors, a museum must think hard about purchasing them. They need to be able to work within the goals of the museum. I would add that they also need to have a lot of information put into them, more than would be offered by any other media in order to make them worthwhile.
The web is another wonderful resource being used by museums to promote, share and research collections. There are many things that the web allows, however, again, the goals of the museum must be met by what is placed on their site. The site must be navigable by many different types of people, standard vocabularies must be used, and colloquial searches enabled for the public. High quality images must be used to represent objects, and sufficient information on pieces needs to be included in databases. Otherwise, they are useless to the researcher or even the interested public. The information, if presented, needs to be organized and suitable for all users, or, separate sections should be set up. A type of this separation can be seen on the British Museum website, which has independent collections searches for children and adults.
Lastly, the chapter briefly introduces the take-home media. This is any type of media that can be taken away from the museum, usually a CD or DVD, for educational purposes. This is a very important facet of the technology used in museums and plays a crucial role in the visitor’s experience. These resources allow the visitor to extend their interaction with the museum and also possibly share it with others. Although given only a small paragraph in the chapter, I believe this to be one of the best and most cost effective ways for museums to heighten education, interaction, and promotion.
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