Mario Rups wrote:
>On the other hand, the Smithsonian site -- now, don't get me wrong, I am
>very fond of the Smithsonian and visit their musea as frequently as time
>allows; and I know that the Smithsonian has only just started being
>connected and does not (yet) have a Web page -- but, electronically
>speaking, it's just a very nice collection of pictures ... Nothing that
>says to me, Come Visit And See The Rest.  No sense of place.
 
Actually there several points around the Smithsonian where Web pages are
being produced fast and furiously.  However, since all of this is very new,
there is no institution-wide plan for making the Smithsonian accessible
through the WWW. We are planning to provide a set of Web pages very shortly
(January?) for the Freer and Sackler galleries that will essentially be
electronic versions of the information we currently make accessible to the
public: gallery guides, film schedules, press releases, education programs, etc.
 
The only reason that any of this is happening is because of the interest of
gallery personnel who would like to see us using every available means to
disseminate information about the galleries and their collections.  I can't
speak for the other museums that are working on web sites, but I imagine a
similar mechanism operating there.  Since we have no one on staff trained in
any of this, we are having to teach ourselves how to do it.  I hope that
once an institution-wide plan is in place, our current experience with the
WWW, etc. will allow us to integrate our particular strengths with the rest
of the future Smithsonian Web.
 
The current general Smithsonian site can be found at:
URL: http://www.si.edu
 
The National Air and Space Museum can be visted at:
URL: http://ceps.nasm.edu:2020/NASMpage.html
 
I'll post an announcement about our Web pages as soon as they are ready.
 
 
 
 
___
 
Christopher Maines
 Conservation Scientist
 
  Freer and Sackler Galleries           Tel: (202) 357-4880  x289
  Smithsonian Institution, MRC 707      Fax: (202) 633-9474
  1150 Independence Ave. SW             Internet: [log in to unmask]
  Washington DC 20560                   Bitnet: mainesc@simsc