This paper will explain how the explosion of Internet usage world wide
will force museums to redefine and reposition their place in the cultural
landscape, what that role is likely to be and how museums can prepare
for their new role in the 21st century. The paper will contend that
the nature of the Internet and its technology, the sheer number and
range of users and their increasingly sophisticated expectations will
mean that for museums to remain viable and relevant they will have to:
redefine their collecting, preservation, access and marketing
policies and practices;
provide new services and products;
re-assess the role and functions of their curators and staff;
and
forge collaborative ventures.
Smith will outline what he believes those policies, practices and roles
might need to be and should encompass in order to meet the demands of
the Internet consumer. Finally, he will suggest strategies that museums
might adopt to help them undertake the task of redefining and repositioning
themselves.