ignite smithsonian speech

Ignite Smithsonian, April 11, 2011Renewing American Democracy Through Museums & Digital Culture Neal Stimler

Disclaimer:The remarks herein are the personal views of Neal Stimler and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Metropolitan Museum of Art.


Title: Renewing American Democracy Through Museums & Digital Culture

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We must improve the human condition by democratizing the museum experience.

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Museum practice requires urgent paradigm change if citizens are to have hope for the future.

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It is the responsibility of museums, as stewards of memory, to inspire citizens to think critically.

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Achieving a more just America through museums demands that individuals make sacrifices for others’ benefit.

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Museums have a duty to be the center for democratic debate as they foster community engagement.

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Museums offer citizens infinite opportunities to learn from our nation’s past failures through interaction with collections and scholarship.

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Museums show us that a better and compassionate future is possible when museums act as agents for social change.

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The means for change are to be found in the dialogue occurring between museums & their constituents through digital technology.

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Many people’s primary museum experiences today are cyber interactions through mobile devices.

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It is critical that museums have their collections databases online and that they crowdsource research.

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Curators, educators and librarians should be in daily contact with the public through social media channels.

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The museums’ content must be free, linked and shareable.

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Users need meaningful opportunities to contribute content from their own experiences to the museum’s official streams.

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We are living in a digital culture where people are mixing, mashing and creating instantly with technological palettes.

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Our current copyright practices are barriers to the fluidity of dissemination and creation enabled by new media tools.

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We must differentiate between what is legal with regards to copyright and what is ethical and in the best interest of the public good.

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The museum is a commons –a place where peace and virtue flourish as resources are shared without restriction for the good of all constituents.

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Museum workers are empowered through digital technology to interact with the public in a civic discourse that vitally reshapes the future of the republic.

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It is time now for museums to take bold and courageous risks to renew American democracy!

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Thank you!Neal [email protected]@gmail.com

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ignite smithsonian speech

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