Digital knowledgescapes : cultural, theoretical, practical, and usage issues facing museum collection databases in a digital epoch

![CDATA[The emergence of the Internet as a ubiquitous global information and communication resource at the end of the twentieth century propelled museums into the digital epoch at a rate unprecedented for institutions that were, in the majority, bastions of traditional collection practices and the empiricist epistemologies that underpinned their foundation. Museum Web sites have advanced so rapidly that their online presence is now recognized as a distinct genre, with a range of characteristics and user profiles that set them apart from other online entities. Yet, behind the scenes, many museums have struggled to convert their collection documentation into even rudimentary digital collection databases. While many museum Web sites now support online access to their collection databases, the speed of the digitization process has not generally been reciprocated by a review of data quality. The structure and content of online collection documentation has yet to be questioned more rigorously in both the theoretical and user needs contexts. The challenge to create new collection data models for online collections that are capable of transforming collection documentation tools into effective and sustainable knowledge environments remains. One may also ask how changes resulting from this questioning will reshape museum practices and perhaps lead to unforeseen interpretations of collections. This chapter draws on the findings of two research projects, Knowledge Objects and Themescaping Virtual Collections, that explored these issues across the breadth of museological disciplines and online user groups. It provides a synthesis of the data, with a detailed discussion of the theoretical, cultural, and practical implications for museum documentation processes.]]