"How much digital should museums be?"

I am now happy to accept the invitation to the blog parade: "How digital should museums be?" by Dr. Thorsten Beck.

People's everyday lives are already shaped by numerous digital offerings and technologies. It is hardly imaginable that in the near future anyone will be able to understand why cultural institutions are not participating in this process. Of course, there are still several significant hurdles to be overcome on the road to a digital museum. These include narrow budgets, lack of staff, poor infrastructure, and rigid hierarchies, as well as copyright issues and the associated photo bans. (A small digression on this: Only recently I was confronted with a curious case. The MAKK in Cologne even gave its latest exhibition on Peter Behrens a title with hashtag: "#alleskönner. Peter Behrens on his 150th birthday". Numerous other hashtags such as #gesamtkünstler or #avantgardist appeared in the exhibition, but photography was prohibited! So, it was impossible to post pictures from the exhibition to the hashtags. I like the idea with the hashtags, but it was unsatisfactory because the invitation to take pictures and share was not meant seriously.)

The contributions to this blog parade "How digital should museums be?" published so far already describe quite comprehensively what digital offers museums should make. I can only agree with this (although I would like to add that all offers must be responsive, barrier-free, and inclusive).

Technology as a means to an end

The discussion about digital strategies and profiles for museums is undoubtedly important and correct, but I wonder whether this topic could not be treated with a little more composure.  Digital technology is only a means to an end and not an end in itself. Of course, not all potential visitors* will want to use digital services before, during or after their visit, but as digitalization progresses, the number of users will increase. A digital strategy must be embedded in an overall strategy so that museums can offer something suitable for the largest possible number of visitors. Does it have to be a "digital museum"? Or simply a museum that naturally uses digital technology and services to communicate its content and intentions in the best possible way? We cannot really predict where technological progress will take us in the future. Which of the many innovations will really prevail or become relevant for everyday life and thus also for museums? Above all, it seems to be important that we acquire an agile mindset. Digitalization in museums is not a project that will be completed soon. We are in the middle of a long-term process that affects an incredible number of areas of the world of work and life. It is therefore difficult to plan the project "Digitalization of the Museum" in advance. As a team, we will always have to develop new solutions, try them out, continuously develop and adapt to changing requirements and realities. Panic-like reactions and snap shots are therefore completely unnecessary. Instead, it makes much more sense to seek competent and comprehensive advice and support at an early stage to decide on the right digital offerings for your company's overall strategy. With all this, however, the museums' greatest treasure will always remain the same: Museums are real places with real objects and the opportunity for personal meetings and exchanges in a beautiful, interesting and educational place that should be open to everyone.

A clear concept

To give more or less short statements to the 4 questions:

1. Every museum needs its own responsive and barrier-free website with a clear concept. Surely one will not be able to do without a presence in the social media. Which channels are the most suitable in individual cases depends on the museums? In the long term, the aim should also be to build up online collections. Visitors* are also increasingly expecting digital mediation services in the exhibitions.

2. Competitive with whom? I do not believe that museums compete with each other just because one is more digital than the other (perhaps apart from a decent website. After all, if you do not have a website, you will hardly be found). Visitors are more likely to make their choices according to areas of interest. And whether museums can, want or should really be a competition for entertainment offerings is questionable. However, it seems to be totally out of date if you close your eyes to technical progress. This does not attract visitors*. The opposite is true, it is not very contemporary and not oriented towards the wishes and needs of the users*. It is rather the question of whether one can afford this if museums are to remain a task that is supported and financed by society as a whole. Especially from this point of view, it is certainly necessary to develop further in the digitalized world. And it will unintentionally seem strange if museums here do not keep up with the times.
   
   
3. There is not one digital strategy and one profile that fits all museums equally well. Good planning and advice help to find the best solution. Only then does the overall solution, in combination with the collection, content, workflows and analogue services, appear to be a unified whole. This can only succeed if all employees* are brought on board and stand behind a digital strategy as a team. Networked systems will increasingly come into focus. Isolated solutions are not the future. However, the digital "egg-laying wool-milk sow" will not be able to exist either, the requirement profile is far too complex for that. But good, flexible, networked solutions can only be developed in a networked team that also listens to its various visitors*.
   
   
4. The Museum of the Future integrates digital offerings quite naturally. This is one possible way to open more to the outside world and make it easier for more people to access. I do not even want to talk about a "digital museum". Many museums are currently redefining themselves fundamentally, a lot is at stake in terms of relevance and the significance or role of museums in social discussion, participation, and inclusion, to name just a few keywords. There is also the question of how new visitor groups can be developed. In this context it is also important to include current social and technical (i.e. digital) developments. This should actually be a matter of course if one wants to remain relevant and up to date. I would like to see even more open museums that are a visible part of the public space (an admittedly very expensive example is the branch of the Rijck Museum at Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam) and of course operate "digitally", just as it increasingly corresponds to the reality of life for visitors*. Museums that are very close to people and their needs.

The development is progressing rapidly. In order not to miss the connection, all museums would have to start now. And do not put the risks higher than the diverse and exciting opportunities that are available!