Untangling the Web: Comparing the Impact of the Internet on the National Archives, the National Library and the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Author: Morse V.

Source: Archives and Museum Informatics, Volume 13, Number 1, 1999 , pp. 1-21(21)

Publisher: Springer

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Abstract:

This research sought answers to two important questions regarding the impact of the Internet on three New Zealand cultural institutions:the National Archives, the National Library and the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. First, what impact has the Internet had on policy development in each institution? Second, what are the attitudes of the professional staff toward the integration of the Internet into the workplace? The findings are compared to determine the extent to which the experiences of integrating the Internet into each institution's core business are similar and different. The results revealed several important findings: 1. policy regarding the Internet has been most extensively developed at the National Library; 2. the Internet is not currently as central to the delivery of core services at the National Archives or the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa as it is at the National Library; 3. the majority of the professional staff at all three institutions responded that they were either `very positive' or `somewhat positive' about the integration of the Internet into their environment, although most felt that their core professional duties were not being fundamentally altered. The conclusions and some recommendations for each institution to consider in addressing Internet technology development are provided.

Keywords: Internet; museum; archives; survey research

Language: English

Document Type: Regular paper

Affiliations: 1: National Archives of New Zealand

Publication date: 1999-01-01