Wired collections : the next generation

As museums embrace the WWW there is an expectation that institutions put their collections online and that the content be meaningful, understandable and navigable. This has led to a new role for collection automation systems, from basic documentation to content-rich knowledge bases addressing the pedagogic needs of diverse audiences. As a result two issues have emerged. Firstly, the delivery systems now available on the web have outstripped the content currently held in collection databases, while the other issue facing museums is whether the data stored in these systems and the way objects are documented by museum staff really engage online audiences