professional development

Robert Stein, Indianapolis Museum of Art, USA

Abstract

How much storage will your museum need in the next five years? What is the best way to leverage electronic media and social networks to engage new museum audiences? When should we invest in a new online collection or a new website?  These questions and many more plague museum technology professionals who are struggling to justify the investments in technology and staff that leverage these tools for the best purposes of the museum. The creation of Digital Strategy documents for museums seems to be a common approach to addressing these concerns, attempting to insert thoughtful planning and strategic thinking about technology into the conversation at a senior management level. While it’s hard to argue with the logic of developing a step-by-step plan for technology investment, is it possible that by ghettoizing technology strategy to a realm apart from the larger strategy of the museum, we will only succeed in highlighting the perceived gaps that exist between technology issues and those of real importance and permanence for the future of museums?

Keywords: digital strategy, technology strategy, museum administration, professional development, mission, strategic planning, metrics