THE USE OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES BY MUSEUMS

COMMENTARY ON THE RESULTS OF AN AUDIENCE RESEARCH CONDUCTED IN SEVEN NATIONAL MUSEUMS IN PORTUGAL

Abstract

As social institutions, museums develop a proximity action with the environment that surrounds them. Operating in a logic of direct dialogue with the needs and interests of their participants, these institutions represent a reflection of the social, cultural, economic, technological, and political environments in which they operate. As a consequence, in its space coexist notions that, sometimes conflicting, sustain the concepts of tradition, transition and change. Thus, in the context of their recent history, museums have been progressively marked by an epistemological and operational environment sustained by the transversal use of digital technologies. The attitude that these institutions adopt towards these tools is, in general, reflected in the relationship they establish with contemporary society. From this point of view, analyzing the social impacts of the use of digital technologies by museums means understanding how these technologies may or may not favor the relationship that museums establish with their audiences. Thus, seeking to present a comment on the results of an audience research carried out in seven National Museums in Portugal, this reflection aims to contribute to the debate on the role of digital in enhancing the communication of museums and their perception in society.