Digitization of of collections is receiving increased attention by curators, as the benefits from technology become more evident and more accessible over time. Many institutions are hesitant to adopt this change, due to the expense, effort and risks involved. Others are far more open to the idea and see it as something that should simply be an expectation of museums and all educational platforms of the future. Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution G. Wayne Clough made a strong case for such change:
“Today digital technology is pervasive. Its use, particularly by the world’s youth, is universal; its possibilities are vast; and everyone in our educational and cultural institutions is trying to figure out what to do with it all. It is mandatory that museums, libraries, and archives join with educational institutions in embracing it.”
The Smithsonian Institute boasts over 14 million items in their collection, so the fact that he is in such fervent support of digitization, even with such a monumental task ahead of him makes the claim even more credible.
As more museum operators are becoming acquainted with the tools necessary for digitization, and the process becomes popularized, many newer museums are establishing guidelines and expectations for their exhibits to be digitized from the beginning.
Right from the Start: The Digitization Program at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, by Laura Coyle, discussed one such museum. The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, which opened on September 24, 2016. It did so “…beginning with nothing, and having a staff, collection, and museum to build, there was plenty to do, but the museum still committed to a digitization program well before it opened.” (Coyle) There are many reasons for their dedication to this monumental task, including making their collection more accessible and preserving artifacts which will degrade over time, even in the best of environments. Achieving the task of full digitization is a much more accessible goal for museums that begin the process from the beginning, but for others, it’s a nightmarish concept. Museums with little to no funding or backing, and those with collections that are hard to digitize, with fragile or difficult to move collections, the process is incredibly risky and seemingly impossible given the amount of man-hours and technology required. Hiring a team of digitization specialists, or ‘digi-techs’ is simply out of reach for them.
As the technology becomes cheaper and therefore more accessible, and as the technical experts and engineers necessary for such a task become more numerous, full digitization of most collections might be an achievable goal. For now, i’d argue that this luxury is limited only to those institutions with large amounts of funding and the national exposure necessary to warrant a need for such accessibility.
Something tells me we’re going to be seeing a lot more digitization in the next few decades. Looking back at the explosion of the computer and the smartphone, the rate at which we are advancing points to better access to these essential technologies. It would be a pity if we learned nothing from Brazil’s National Museum’s demise.
I think Glory is right. Especially after the whole ordeal in Brazil. At the same time I understand the sentiment in not wanting to do it. As a kid the best part of visiting a museum was being able to see things, that would go away if to a certain degree. Its so interesting but at the same time like a double edged sword.
I agree with both of you that we’ll see a lot more of it very soon. I don’t believe it’s a matter of ‘wanting’ to digitize or not. The expense and time is often inconceivable for many smaller institutions, and also for some of the largest ones. For the smaller museums, it’s a matter of funding. For the larger ones, it’s a matter of collection size and the sheer gravity of the task at hand. It’s becoming more and more of a necessity though, as the world, media and educational platforms progress. I really hope the process is as successful as possible to preserve our global heritage network for the coming generations.
Hey Gabriel, very informative piece on digitization in museums. I appreciate how you emphasized the lack of feasibility for smaller museums. I think digitization in practice is wonderful and definitely something that newer museums should incorporate into their collections management policy. However, cost is an immensely important consideration and like you said, some museums just cannot afford digitization for their collections. Hopefully the disaster with the Brazil National Museum will influence public policy in terms of providing critically needed funding for arts and culture.
@ Sara – Yeah, it’s really sad that the only thing that can drive the powers-that-be to action is crisis. This should be a process that is valued, and it is.. somewhat. However until the value of preserving the past is greater than the financial cost, I fear most museums will be compelled towards inaction.