WHAT'S OLD IS NEW AGAIN: THE RECONVERGENCE OF LIBRARIES, ARCHIVES, AND MUSEUMS IN THE DIGITAL AGE

摘要

As cultural institutions begin to share physical and human resources, and as newtechnologies reshape approaches to access and preservation, educational programsmust respond in kind. However, it is important to ask in what ways the currentconvergence of libraries, archives, and museums marks a return to tradition ratherthan a departure from it. Are new technologies and curricula leading these threefields of study and practice into new territory, or do they represent new stages inan ongoing history of acquisition, documentation, representation, and access tothe enduring knowledge of our communities? This article examines the historicconvergence between these institutions, with a focus on museums and libraries asrepositories of cultural artifacts. The long-standing epistemological links betweenlibraries and museums are explored using archival records and examining twocontemporary cases, pointing to the reconvergence of a traditional shared history.