Rob Ferrett and Veronica Rueckert cover today’s lesiglative hearing on raw milk in Wisconsin, why quiet is so important, and how museums are dealing with the digital age.
Featured in this Show
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Smithsonian Aims To Translate Museums Into Digital Age
The head of the largest museum in the United States said that online technology is an untapped opportunity for museums, libraries, and other public institutions.
Wayne Clough, secretary of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., kicked off a project to take advantage of cutting-edge technology to bring exhibits to people in new and engaging ways. He said there’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes in museums that can be shared online.
“There are hundreds of talented people at work behind the museum walls, and still others in far-flung field research activities out of sight. Their fascinating work is largely invisible to the public,” he said.
In addition, a substantial portion of the Smithsonian’s collection isn’t on exhibit at any given time. For those materials and for the behind-scenes activities of Smithsonian staff, online exhibits and videos are a rich opportunity.
“Digital technology could certainly flip the model and let the public in,” he said.
In one ongoing project, the Smithsonian is taking 3-D images of parts of its collection, allowing online patrons to zoom in and circle around objects from the collection. Clough said he hopes to digitize 14 million objects from the Smithsonian’s collection for a start — though that will take some time.
Clough said he wants the Smithsonian to take the lead when it comes to online museum exhibits, but his museum isn’t alone.
“Many of our colleagues in museums, libraries and archives are following the same path,” he siad.
Clough recounts the Smithsonian’s efforts in a new e-book, “Best of Both Worlds: Museums, Libraries, and Archives in a Digital Age.”
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Thinking In A Noisy World
We live in a noisy world, full of loud restaurants, honking horns, and beeping devices. So, how can a person find the quiet space needed to think deeply and clearly? Our guest says it’s best to keep it down, if you want to think it out.
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Bringing Museums Into The Digital Age
The Secretary of the Smithsonian Institute lays out how the organization is using technology to open its collection to the world…and how other museums, libraries and archives can do the same.
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Raw Milk Gets Public Hearing At Capitol
There’s a renewed push in Wisconsin to legalize the sale of raw milk. WPR’s state government reporter has the latest from today’s public hearing.
Episode Credits
- Rob Ferrett Host
- Veronica Rueckert Host
- George Prochnik Guest
- Wayne Clough Guest
- Shawn Johnson Guest
- Chris Malina Producer
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