At 08:45 AM 12/4/95 -0800, Jim wrote:
>>
>An important thing to remember when surfing the web is that the web is new.
>A year ago, one would have found only a few museums with any sort of
>presence on the web.  Now one will find hundreds.  This is phenomenal
>growth, and the rate of growth is expected to increase.
>
>Mark is right, one doesn't YET find much of substance on the web.  Most of
>us 'web developers' currently speak of what we are going to do, not what we
>have done.
>
>One should not judge the web by what one sees today.  It's what will happen
>tomorrow that is interesting and exciting.
>
>
>Jim
>
>Jim Angus
>Director of Information Technology and Hypermedia Programs
>Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
>900 Exposition Blvd.
>Los Angeles, CA  90007
>
>voice:  213/744-3317
>fax:    213/746-2999
>eMail:  [log in to unmask]
>        [log in to unmask]
>
>
Jim:

Can you or anyone else on the list enlighten me about whether and when
museums will soon be offering the digitized images of their collections
(either the entire collection or a substantial part) at their web sites.

I realize that the images are in one sense the property of the public, and
in another they are proprietary and, having value, may be sold to Bill Gates
or others; or else made into commercial products on CD's or laser discs as
one now sells inventory catalogues.

Is there a specific plan, or consensus among leading museums, for Internet
distribution of these images, vs commercialization.

Are there any facts and figures on how many museums are offering large
portions of their collections in digitized form on the Internet? Are there
any art museums which are already doing so?

Mark
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Mark Ast, PhD
Curator, B.W. Schlesinger Fdn.
email:  [log in to unmask]