Digitization of museum holdings at Lithuania’s Folk Museum: the possibilities of a new dissemination

Straipsnio objektas – muziejinių vertybių skaitmeninimas Lietuvos liaudies buities muziejuje (toliau – LLBM) bei jo suteikiamos naujos sklaidos ir ugdymo galimybės. Tikslas – remiantis konkrečiais pavyzdžiais aptarti LLBM muziejinių vertybių skaitmeninimo praktiką: skaitmeninimo pradžia įvardintiną elektroninę leidybą, dalyvavimą skaitmeninimo sklaidos projektuose, virtualių parodų rengimą bei darbą su LIMIS (Lietuvos integrali muziejų informacinė sistema). Apibūdinama ir skaitmeninimo patirtis Latvijoje bei Estijoje. Taip pat lyginami skaitmeninių ir realių eksponatų pranašumai bei trūkumai informacijos sklaidai ir lankytojų ugdymui. Pasirinktas laikotarpis – nuo 2000 m. iki dabar. Straipsnyje pabrėžiama, kad LLBM šiuolaikines informacines technologijas suvokia kaip galimybę būti ne statišku, o visus metus veikiančiu ir su lankytojais bendraujančiu muziejumi, kada ekspozicijose gyvai rekonstruojamas praeities gyvenimo būdas ir išnaudojamos įvairios virtualios formos.The object of the article is the digitization of museum holdings at Lithuania’s Folk Museum (hereinafter – LFM) as well as its offered opportunities for new dissemination and education. The purpose is to present on the basis of concrete examples the practice of the digitization of LFM museum holdings: the beginning of digitization is named by electronic publishing, participation in digital dissemination projects, and the preparation of virtual exhibitions as well as work with LIISM (Lithuanian Integral Information System of Museums). The experience of digitization in Latvia and Estonia is described. Also the advantages and disadvantages of real and digital exhibits for the dissemination of information and the education of visitors are compared. The period from 2000 up to now is selected. Exclusive attention to the technological inventions promoting the active interactions of visitors and exhibits in the museums of the world is noticeable from the 1980s. In the museums of Lithuania the new digital information technologies were introduced more than 10 years ago. Now, when information has become readily available and transportable, many new methods of dissemination and opportunities to participate in the educational process have opened for museums. Education uses not only real, but also digital displays. New training tools are created and the learning material is provided in an easily accessible and understandable form. Digital media have also replaced the nature of communication with visitors. Clearly, it is still being discussed what exhibit is more cognizable and has a greater impact on a visitor – digital or one exhibited in a real exposition of a museum. In communication lies one of the essences of digital information technology – communication. Virtual ways to communicate with the visitor may also be through a game, trip or exhibition. They invite one to know the exhibits, to delve more deeply into certain topics, lifestyle areas. In an information society every innovation of technology ensuring access to news and their dissemination is important. Such innovations do not pass over the museums of Lithuania or other countries. They show that the museum as a cultural institution not only protects values, but also in the most modern ways cares for their demonstration, publicity. It is also one of the factors to attract to the museum the younger generation, which spends a lot of time in virtual space. On the other hand, the new information digital technologies organize museum exhibitions as a single communication space in which the existing objects supplement each other, extend the media, along with the field of news and information. The LFM, as a case of an ethnographic museum, testifies that these technologies make it possible to implement the aspiration not to be static, but a year-round operating museum when in the exhibits the living style of the past is vividly reconstructed turning on various virtual forms. It becomes clear that the use of virtual digital space in museums means next to the creative approach to encounter also various unexpected events – subject, thematic and institutional