Speaking as a consumer and to some extent as a college instructor of art
history and writer:  web sites can be convenient as all get-out.

I routinely use them for:

- general info (hours, charges, parking)
- exhibition tickets (for instance, van Gogh at Philadelphia)
- changing exhibition information
- store purchases, especially books
- driving and parking directions

I look for websites when traveling to places I know little about.  For
instance, I went to Buffalo NY not long ago.  I searched for museums and
historical sites, particularly places connected to Frank Lloyd Wright and
Elbert Hubbard/Roycroft.

As an instructor, I often directed students to museum websites to research
particular works of art.  I remember one student spending a lot of time on
the Cleveland Museum of Art sight while working on David's "Cupid and
Psyche."  By way of comparison, I generally discouraged my students from
using websites as reference material unless they could ascertain that the
website was an authoritative (academic, museological, etc.) voice.

As a writer I use websites for information.  Did a piece on a glass artist a
year or so ago and used the Corning Museum site extensively and asked a
curator a question (and got a completely and extremely helpful answer).

I just contributed to the "Art as Experience" CD-ROM which is posted on the
SFMoMA website.  According to them (not a dispassionate source) the site is
being used extensively by librarians and educators.

So my answer would be:  the more pure information is available, the more
tasks can be accomplished and the more research-friendly the site is, the
more useful it is.

Ellen B. Cutler
Aberdeen, MD

----- Original Message -----
From: nima numa <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, December 08, 2000 2:46 AM
Subject: the importance of web-sites for museums


> Hello Everyone.
>
> i have a numebr of very simple questions -
> why do museums need web-sites?
> What purpose do they serve for both the museum and visitor?
> How important are web-sites in this current age of computer technology?
> And what uses are not currently available on the net -are necessary or
would
> be beneficial in the future?
>
> Thanking you in advance for your help!
>
> kind regards
>
> paul willis
>
> ps feel free to email me directly on [log in to unmask]
>
> cheers
>
>
>
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