Digital Heritage: Digitization of Museum and Archival Collections

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to trace the utilization of computer technology within museums and archival institutions, and relate how they have adapted to survive in today’s society that is obsessed with technological advancement. Beginning in the 1960s, computer technology started to integrate into the federal government and professional business sectors. Because of its success in these sectors, museums and archival institutions, began to gradually recognize the use of computers and associated technologies as a means to not only increase administrative productivity, but as a way to enable staff to delve deeper into their available collections through the automation of cultural heritage. This automation changed the way professionals accessed, interpreted and managed collections, and eventually led to technology’s use as a method to connect with other institutions and the public. It is crucial to understand the transformations that took place with the incorporation of technology into museums and archival institutions through the adoption of best practices through a formalized guide. A model of this type of guide is included in the paper and covers a range of essential procedures and information utilized within a digitization project. However, one has to also understand the issues that have arisen because of technology’s use and how they have been and can be resolved in cultural heritage institutions.

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