Quoting from Edition Number 4271, Updated Friday, 19 September 2014
The CSIRO has warned that Australian museums must innovate or risk becoming "digital dinosaurs".
Digital innovation in the sector is "inconsistent and isolated", according to an analysis of galleries, libraries, archives and museums, the so-called GLAM industry, entitled “An Innovation Study: Challenges and Opportunities for Australia's Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums”.
The Acting Director of the Digital Productivity Flagship at CSIRO, Michael Bruenig said many of Australia's cultural institutions had not kept pace with change.
"Australia's cultural institutions risk losing their relevance if they don't increase their use of digital technologies and services, new research has shown," Dr Bruenig said.
The report, conducted in partnership with the Smart Services CRC, was based on consultation with representatives from State, national and local galleries, libraries, archives and museums, researchers and international experts.
Report warns of 'dinosaur' risk
"The report provides a roadmap for the industry in order for it to maximise the potential of the digital economy," Dr Bruenig said.
"With Australia's rapid uptake of online and mobile platforms, people are now choosing to access and share information in very different ways," he said.
"The report identified that only a few organisations have made fundamental changes to their operations that would allow them to place digital services at their core, rather than as an 'add-on' activity."
Dr Bruenig said the few cultural institutions that were embracing digital technology were reaping the benefits.
"For example, it is now possible to visit the National Museum virtually via a guided robot," he said.
"This innovation means school students in regional Australia are able explore exhibits and engage with the museum, when they otherwise would not have the opportunity to."
The report also found that Australia was falling behind international best-practice in digitising over 100 million artworks, books and audio-visual items, risking the loss of public visibility of cultural and heritage material of significance.
"The way Australia's collections are managed varies considerably. Some progressive institutions have collections that are fully digitised and can be accessed virtually over the web," Dr Bruenig said.
"However unfortunately some of Australia's collections are still managed through log books and card indices."
The report recommended exploring new approaches to copyright management that stimulates creativity and supports creators; and sharing skills, standards and approaches to digitisation building on aggregation initiatives such as Trove and the Atlas of Living Australia.
It also suggested standardising preservation of "born digital" material to avoid losing access to digital heritage; and, sharing capability, storage and networks between organisations in the sector.
The report can be accessed from the CSIRO website at this PS News link. http://www.csiro.au/Portals/Media/Australian-museums-risk-becoming-digital-dinosaurs.aspx
Comments
See my comments on the other Archives Live post about this research report and article on The Conversation.