Digital Convergence
Since 2007, I have been researching the shared information needs and challenges facing libraries, archives, and museums in the information age; the overlapping educational goals of library and information science, archival studies, and museum studies programs; and areas of convergence for educators and professionals working to meet user needs in libraries, archives, and museums. The results of this research will be used to prepare the next generation of information professionals who can transcend the traditional boundaries between libraries, archives, and museums to meet user needs in the information age.
To explore the relationships among cultural heritage information professionals in libraries, archives and museums and the role of educational institutions in preparing the professionals that will be needed in these organizations, the Institute of Museum and Library Services awarded a Cooperative Agreement to Florida State University for a workshop on "Exploring the Intersection of LIS, Museum Studies, and Archives Studies Education for Encouraging the Development of 21st Century Cultural Heritage Information Professionals" (Marty, P.F., 2008, $81,206). The goals of the workshop were to explore the ability of educators to support the information needs of cultural heritage organizations and to encourage a closer relationship between education and practice in LIS, museum studies, and archival studies programs. For more information, including the final report from the workshop, see: http://chips.ci.fsu.edu/.
In 2008, the editors of Library Quarterly, Archival Science, and Museum Management and Curatorship announced plans for three special issues examining how libraries, archives, and museums can collaborate and combine forces to better serve their users, many of whom do not clearly distinguish among different institutions or the information resources they manage. These issues, forthcoming in late 2009, will explore how the increased use of and reliance on digital resources has blurred traditional distinctions between information organizations, leading to a digital convergence of libraries, archives, and museums. For more information, see the call for papers (pdf).
Recently, I have been researching key issues critical for successful collaboration among library, archives, and museum professionals, studying the Ringling Museum of Art as a case study for how librarians, archivists, and museum professionals can collaborate to solve problems within a single organization. This research is focusing on three broad areas of digital convergence among librarians, archivists, and museum professionals: 1) the organizational and cultural activities that define libraries, archives, and museums at the Ringling; 2) the collaborative work practices that cut across these boundaries in the daily work of the Ringling staff; and 3) the information resources and technologies that enable Ringling staff to collaborate across these boundaries.