Transforming Cultural Heritage Institutions through New Media

Abstract

Museums are responding to the challenges of adapting to an ever-changing environment in their quest to remain relevant to their visitors, communities and stakeholders. New and emerging technology opportunities can support practices to adapt to this new environment. This paper presents a framework for transformation and a range of innovation scenarios offered by enabling technologies. The paper identifies opportunities based on technologies that are expected to be used widely within the next decade. It explores obstacles lying in the way of greater access to global cultural heritage and how these can be overcome. This paper is designed to be useful to decision-makers at memory institutions responsible for planning their direction in a rapidly changing technological environment and to serve as a basis for discussion of business transformations with their staff.

Keywords:

• business transformation
• managing change
• technology futures
• museum technologies
• heritage informatics
• digital heritage
• futurology
• organisational change