Introduction [Museums and the History of Computing: Objects, Narratives and Practice]

Museums and the History of Computing interrogates how museums shape digital heritage - the cultural heritage surrounding computers and digital technologies. Due to the ephemeral and ever evolving nature of digital technology, this heritage is constantly at risk of being lost or misunderstood. The re...

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Main Author:	Simone Natale
Format:	Default Book chapter
Published:	2024
Subjects:	Museums Computing
Online Access:	https://hdl.handle.net/2134/25134851.v1
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id	rr-article-25134851
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spelling	rr-article-251348512024-02-02T16:18:24Z Introduction [Museums and the History of Computing: Objects, Narratives and Practice] Simone Natale (1259505) Museums Computing <p>Museums and the History of Computing interrogates how museums shape digital heritage - the cultural heritage surrounding computers and digital technologies. Due to the ephemeral and ever evolving nature of digital technology, this heritage is constantly at risk of being lost or misunderstood. The relational, multi-faceted and reflexive character of the museum provides a powerful antidote to this risk, offering new pathways for rethinking the meanings and implications of digital objects, cultures, and practices in contemporary societies. At the same time, however, presenting narratives and artefacts related to the history of computing pose significant challenges to museums. The practices and strategies for the preservation and exhibition of computing artefacts need to adapt to a variety of hardware and software objects and to changing technological standards and supports. Moreover, as narratives about histories of computing circulate in the public domain, museums are invited to incorporate and respond to new directions that characterize the representation of computing and digital media in the broader public sphere. By examining and reflecting on these ongoing challenges, this book aims to develop new insights on how existing curatorial practices adapt to new subjects and on how innovative curatorial practices help tackle new kinds of problems and questions. Bringing together leading museum and university researchers, and mobilizing cross-cutting debates and approaches in areas such as museum studies, cultural heritage, history of technology, anthropology, and media studies, Museums and the History of Computing challenges us to think critically about what ‘digital’ is when examined not only as a tool but as a cultural object within the museum. </p> 2024-02-02T16:18:24Z Text Chapter 2134/25134851.v1 https://figshare.com/articles/chapter/Introduction_Museums_and_the_History_of_Computing_Objects_Narratives_and_Practice_/25134851 CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
institution	Loughborough University
collection	Figshare
topic	Museums Computing
spellingShingle	Museums Computing Simone Natale Introduction [Museums and the History of Computing: Objects, Narratives and Practice]
description	Museums and the History of Computing interrogates how museums shape digital heritage - the cultural heritage surrounding computers and digital technologies. Due to the ephemeral and ever evolving nature of digital technology, this heritage is constantly at risk of being lost or misunderstood. The relational, multi-faceted and reflexive character of the museum provides a powerful antidote to this risk, offering new pathways for rethinking the meanings and implications of digital objects, cultures, and practices in contemporary societies. At the same time, however, presenting narratives and artefacts related to the history of computing pose significant challenges to museums. The practices and strategies for the preservation and exhibition of computing artefacts need to adapt to a variety of hardware and software objects and to changing technological standards and supports. Moreover, as narratives about histories of computing circulate in the public domain, museums are invited to incorporate and respond to new directions that characterize the representation of computing and digital media in the broader public sphere. By examining and reflecting on these ongoing challenges, this book aims to develop new insights on how existing curatorial practices adapt to new subjects and on how innovative curatorial practices help tackle new kinds of problems and questions. Bringing together leading museum and university researchers, and mobilizing cross-cutting debates and approaches in areas such as museum studies, cultural heritage, history of technology, anthropology, and media studies, Museums and the History of Computing challenges us to think critically about what ‘digital’ is when examined not only as a tool but as a cultural object within the museum.
format	Default Book chapter
author	Simone Natale
author_facet	Simone Natale
author_sort	Simone Natale (1259505)
title	Introduction [Museums and the History of Computing: Objects, Narratives and Practice]
title_short	Introduction [Museums and the History of Computing: Objects, Narratives and Practice]
title_full	Introduction [Museums and the History of Computing: Objects, Narratives and Practice]
title_fullStr	Introduction [Museums and the History of Computing: Objects, Narratives and Practice]
title_full_unstemmed	Introduction [Museums and the History of Computing: Objects, Narratives and Practice]
title_sort	introduction [museums and the history of computing: objects, narratives and practice]
publishDate	2024
url	https://hdl.handle.net/2134/25134851.v1
_version_	1799721318261719040

Introduction [Museums and the History of Computing: Objects, Narratives and Practice]

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