Public libraries, museums and physical convergence: Context, issues, opportunities: A literature review Part 1

Abstract

There has recently been a growth in physical convergence in cultural heritage domains. Part 1 examines this ‘trend’, its drivers and related issues, with particular focus on public libraries and museums. It offers an overview of practice, challenges and opportunities. Through thematic analysis of a comprehensive, literature review of both domains that looked at the wider aspects of collaboration, cooperation, partnerships and integration in the sector as well as physical convergence, it provides insight into background, theory and activities worldwide. It presents discussion on the meaning of convergence, the concept of ‘memory institutions’, the relationship between public libraries and museums in the context of convergence, shared mission and values, convergence and re-convergence, and professionalism and divergence. It concludes with consideration of practical aspects such as motivations for convergence, including digital technology, changing user expectations and culture, and economic and political challenges that impact on physical convergence in a dynamic local government environment.

Balancing Sustainability Factors Affecting the Implementation of Digital Libraries of Malay Manuscript: A Proposed Framework

“…In general, there is a lot of ignorance about digital preservation. At the corporate level, the librarians or digitization managers are only just beginning to generate projects and initiatives to organize the preservation of these documents, long after the problem has been created and when many documents disappear every day (Warren & Matthews, 2019). Furthermore, notable preservation projects are being developed only in the most prosperous and developed societies, which are therefore from a few countries and regions.…”

Roses for everyone? Arts Council England’s 2020–2030 strategy and local authority museums – a thematic analysis and literature review

“…Buried within the strategy too is the suggestion that cultural organisations will look to "share services and explore mergers with other organisations" (2020, p. 49), a trend documented by Warren and Matthews (2018a;2018b). Although the benefits and limitations of these approaches warrant further investigation, the potential implications of this approach can be anticipated by findings from DCMS's Taking Part survey about the demographics of library users.…”

A Cultural Memory of the Digital Age?

“…Currently, in a world dominated by digital initiatives, heritage institutions go various digital ways, depending on their collections, their locations, and their resources [ 11 ]. There are many differences, varying from country to country [ 12 , p. 1122].…”