Enhancing The Heritage Experience

Namir Anani, Canadian Heritage Information Network (CHIN), Canada
http://www.chin.gc.ca

Session: Opening Plenary

With the emergence of the knowledge society in today's current environment of information globalization and rapid technological change, enhancing the public's involvement in knowledge discovery and creation is pivotal to enhancing the heritage experience. The changing face of the virtual society, the developments in information and communication technologies and their use suggest that personalization, convenience, and meaningful interactivity through online services would help museums further impassion and engage the public in the coming years. Although the global influence of technologies is transforming our economy and society, technology alone does not create knowledge. Technology can only serve to empower people to develop new knowledge. Our approach must therefore place people at the centre of the process. This keynote presentation discusses several environmental trends in the virtual realm and how they might be leveraged to enhance the overall heritage experience.