OK, David, I'll take a whack at it. I am qualified to do this because I
was in exhibit production when computers first came into museums (yes, I
am older than dirt), and I can speculate with the best of them (even if
my memory is pretty much a memory).

I think a combination of the following  can be blamed for the extension
of 'kiosk' to mean 'the place where the computer available to the public
is.'

The first computers in exhibits were big and very expensive.
To the public, particularly the museum-going public, the computer at that
time was exotic.
Computer programs were time consuming to prepare and failed frequently in
use.
Museum practice was to house very expensive and exotic things in
elaborate enclosures.

All of this led to exhibit guys building little buildings to house the
exhibit computer to emphasize its state-of-the-art-ness, rarity, and
expense and to protect it from curious visitors who would try to push
every button and switch every switch just to see what would happen.

Since many of the professionals at top-tier museums had been to Europe
they were familiar with the word 'kiosk' to describe the little buildings
where newspapers and other goodies were dispensed Wow, an exotic,
old-world term for that big case/little building that houses our exotic
new INTERACTIVE computer--what could be better!

Today, of course, computers in museums are as common as weeds in my lawn,
cost less than a staff party, have no exotic value, and when they fail
(which is fairly infrequently) can be fixed by the average visitor.
Needless to say, we no longer enshrine them; but as museum people we hold
tradition in high esteem, so we still call the place where the public
computer is (that old case base that is too ratty for an artefact) a
kiosk.
David Haynes    new address -->  [log in to unmask]    <-- new address
San Antonio

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