The ICOM guide to the Internet for museums
En français, s'il vous plâit
This page is a guide to the Internet commissioned by the
International Council of Museums
(ICOM). For a printed version, contact ICOM (secretariat@icom.org).
What is the Internet?
The Internet is a system of interconnected computer networks which provides a fast, cheap and convenient way to share information and ideas with people all over the world. It is open to everyone, and can be accessed from anywhere that has a telephone s
ervice.
It provides three important facilities:
Person-to-person services, using electronic mail (e-mail)
Electronic mail is perhaps the most immediately useful of the Internet's services. It allows
individual members and organisations to send messages to each other without regard to time or space, knowing that the message will be delivered quickly and accurately and in a convenient form for a reply or for further editing. E-mail works best when it c
an be delivered to a computer on the desk of the recipient, who can reply on-screen without having to transfer the message to paper. Wider availability of equipment and growing awareness of the advantages are making this method of working increasingly co
mon.
Electronic mail to groups, using mailing and discussion lists
Mailing lists may be one-way distribution lists used by the Secretariat or by officers of committees to send out papers which would otherwise have gone by post. The ICOM-Announce
list which keeps members informed about ICOM developments is of this type. Alternatively, they may be forums for discussion to which any of the participants can send messages. There are already many such discussion lists on the Internet, and some nation
al and international committees of ICOM have their own lists, such as
CIDOC-L and
ICOM-Sweden. Other lists cover specific museum topics, and there is a general one, MUSEUM-L which is also available as a newsgroup: bit.listserv.museum-l.
Electronic mailing lists are not simply an alternative way of distributing material which would otherwise have been sent by post. Because it is so easy to send email, members can be told much more and kept more closely in touch with what is happening,
and they can be brought much more fully into the discussion process. A piece of news which arrives one day can be distributed within minutes, rather than having to wait until the next newsletter or committee meeting is due. Anyone who has an interest in
t can then respond while it is still fresh, and while they may still have time to influence the outcome.
Information resources, using electronic document servers
The Internet provides a vast number of documents, information files and databases, including images and sound, which you can use on remote computers or download to your own machine. Electronic document servers are the equivalent of libraries or archives w
here documents are deposited and can be consulted by anyone who wants them. Mailing lists may carry notices of new additions, or people may just be told of the existence of the collection and invited to look in from time to time to see what is new or to
etrieve a specific item by using the catalogue.
How can a museum benefit from the Internet?
The Internet gives you:
- Discussions with curators, conservators, museum managers,
documentation and computer staff, archivists, librarians, conservators, archaeologists, historians, and people in almost any other speciality you can think of.
- News of current developments in your profession, with an opportuni
ty to participate and influence these developments, wherever in the world you may be.
- Catalogues of many museums and libraries, sometimes with pictures of objects as well as descriptions.
- Virtual exhibitions which let you to "visit" a remote museum
electronically.
- Directories of people, organisations, museums, companies, official and
international bodies.
- Information about products and services, both from those who provide
them and also from people who have used them, who will give you their opinions and
experience.
- Announcements about forthcoming conferences, job vacancies, exchange
visits, scholarships, grants and awards.
- Reference documents, guidelines, codes of practice, standards, and
answers to "frequently asked questions" (FAQs) on many topics.
- Books and journals, reports, newsletters, conference proceedings. Not only references and reviews, but often the full texts of the publications.
- Software packages , including free or low-cost programs for tex
t processing and image manipulation. Problem-solving, updates, demonstration versions and supplementary software for commercial packages.
- Visibility. A chance to present your museum, your objects, your ideas and your research to a world-wide audience.
Can I connect to the Internet in my country?
If you have a telephone, you can probably connect to the Internet. In February 1995 connections to international computer networks were available in 168 out of 238 countries of the world, and the network is being extended all the time. In some places, yo
u may need to make a long-distance or international call.
What does it cost?
Usually, a modest annual fee plus the cost of a telephone call to your nearest connection point. You can copy mail and news quickly to your own computer and then disconnect the telephone while you read it and reply. You may be able use the Internet at no
additional cost, if your organisation already has a connection or if you can share one with a neighbouring institution. Software for all functions is available free or at a small cost on the Internet itself, though you may find it convenient to buy a c
mmercial package.
I am not a computer expert; would I be able to use the Internet?
If you can use a wordprocessing software package you can use the Internet. You might need some help in setting the facility up, but most systems come with step-by-step instructions.
What equipment do I need?
You can send and receive the Internet mail and news, and send and receive textual files and
documents with almost any reasonably modern small computer. IBM compatible, Apple and Unix
machines are widely used, and software is available for many other makes. If you are acquiring new equipment for the purpose you should obtain a computer which can use a graphical "browser" interface so that you have the benefit of on-line images. A mini
mum specification for this to work effectively is a 486DX 33MHz processor with 8Mb of memory and an SVGA screen. You will also need a modem to connect your computer to the telephone line - get the fastest you can, with a minimum of 14.4 kb/s if you want
to use a graphical interface. If possible, connect to a permanent leased line, which will support higher speeds.
Is the Internet secure and reliable?
The Internet is secure and reliable enough for non-confidential messages. It is possible that
messages might be seen at one of the computer sites through which they pass, but encryption and authentication systems are available if you need to send anything which is very confidential. Systems are being developed to make the Internet suitable for pay
ments and other commercial transactions.
How can I find out more?
- Read some of the many books and journals which introduce and explain the Internet.
- Talk to someone else in your country who has a connection, and to colleagues within ICOM.
- Talk to service providers in your country.
- Get a connection for yourself.
- Use the Internet to answer any more questions.
What help can ICOM give me?
You can obtain a brochure entitled Setting up an Internet Connection from ICOM with more technical detail on the ways in which an Internet connection can be set up. It also gives references to other sources of information, both on the Internet it
self and on resources of particular use to museum.
ICOM's own Internet site contains an electronic copy of many documents on ICOM and its
activities, such as directories of officers of national and international committees, reports of ICOM studies and meetings, statutes and codes of practice, and the text of ICOM policy statements. These resources can be accessed through the following metho
ds:
Prepared on behalf of ICOM by
Leonard D Will, Information Management Consultant,
27 Calshot Way, Enfield, Middlesex, EN2 7BQ, United Kingdom.
Tel: +44 181-372 0092;
Fax: +44 181-372 0094; E-mail:
LWill@willpowr.demon.co.uk
with the support of the UNESCO Division of Physical Heritage.
This document is
<http://www.icom.org/brochure.html>
Last updated 1996-03-10