Museum Education and Open Access Strategies

Abstract

Museums have often been perceived as places hardly available to changes, but closures due to the pandemic caused GLAM institutions (Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums) to invest rapidly in digital communications. Museums have therefore been able to show their relevant role in the community: facing changes, looking for innovative tools, sustaining resilience of the community, attracting new competences, and making the patrimony more accessible through Open Access policies. Open Access has a strong impact on museums and offers new tools to develop priorities of museums that are linked to inclusivity, accessibility and active engagement of the public. Museums are explaining reasons that brought them to experiment these new paths in their open policies. Careful observations of national and international cases, and the perception of the worldwide importance of Open Access, can enhance understanding the available options and making better decisions.