Digital transformation: now is an exciting time for museums

The digital age is ushering in a renaissance, particularly for GLAMs (galleries, libraries, archives and museums),  where traditional concepts surrounding engagement with information are being reimagined.

From the 5- 8 October, leaders from the Museum sector gathered in Melbourne for the first Museums and the Web (MWA) conference to be hosted in Australia.

It was an inspiring week – everyone was there to share ideas and exchange knowledge about transforming collections and creating new experiences to engage audiences in the digital age.

This community leads the way in working creatively and we’re proud to provide the networking infrastructure that helps Australia’s leading arts and cultural institutions to achieve their strategic goals.

Among the many highlights for AARNet as an event sponsor was the lunch we hosted with members of the GLAM community. Nancy Proctor, Deputy Director for Digital Experience & Communications from the Baltimore Museum of Art conversed with the room about her professional challenges and successes. Nancy’s virtual presence, beamed in from Baltimore via Zoom in high definition, demonstrated how effectively AARNet’s high-speed broadband connectivity overcomes geographical boundaries.

Professor Deb Verhoeven from the School of Communication and Creative Arts at Deakin University, who was physically present, talked about the goals of HuNI (Humanities Networked Infrastructure). Her point about the central role serendipity plays in driving innovation and discovery in the digital humanities and how people and infrastructure need to be entwined resonated strongly with everyone in the room.

We extend sincere thanks and acknowledgement to Tim Hart and Ely Wallis, MWA Asia committee co-chairs , for facilitating the conference, and we look forward to continuing to support this rich and dynamic GLAM community.