Museums on the Web: Exploring the Past for the Future

This book gathers insights from leading experts to explore the field of virtual museums. It delves into pioneering initiatives from the past, deepens our understanding of current museum practices on the Web, and examines emerging possibilities for future developments.

The first virtual museums appeared on the World Wide Web in the early 1990s; today, digital collections and online activities are integral to museum practice. In a remarkably short time, online technologies have transformed how museums manage collections, design exhibitions, and interact with audiences. As the digital landscape evolves with advancements like AI and the Semantic Web, museums will continue to face new challenges. How did we reach this point? This book examines the legacies and rapid advancements of virtual museums to provide a deeper understanding of and better leverage for digital technologies.

This insightful volume is intended for scholars, museum professionals, and anyone interested in the digital transformation of museums. It was originally published as a special issue of the journal Internet Histories.

Karin de Wild is an Assistant Professor of Contemporary Museum and Collection Studies at Leiden University in the Netherlands. Her research focuses on virtual museology, digital arts and culture.
Nadezhda Povroznik is a Research Associate at the Institute for History at the Technical University of Darmstadt, Germany. Her research specializes in virtual museology and web history.