In her guest lecture “Cultural Heritage goes digital: GLAM institutions at the digital turn – from object provider to research partners” on 8 April 2024, PD Dr. Angela Dreßen gave an overview of the changing role of cultural institutions as a result of digitization.
Using the example of museums in particular, she explained how digitization is creating new approaches in the areas of leisure, museum education and research. This happens, for example, with virtual tours through permanent and special exhibitions, citizen science projects and reconstructions of works of art or architecture. Digital tools also strengthen the role of museums as research partners: with the new IIIF (International Interoperable Image Framework) image standard, images can be shared and annotated. This means that relevant data on the depicted object is directly available, such as provenance or conservation, which can be used to answer research questions.

PD Dr. Angela Dreßen is Andrew W. Mellon Librarian for Reference and Research Services at Villa I Tatti – The Harvard University Center for Italian Renaissance Studies in Florence (Italy) and faculty member (Privatdozentin) at the University of Dresden.