Abstracts
This essay argues that simply putting a museum’s collection online, or creating a digital kiosk that includes a collections database, does not constitute audience engagement. History museums utilize the tools and methods of digital history to increase the visibility of their collections and engage with visitors. Consequently, museums’ digital strategies must explicitly contend with the question of audience. The most successful projects combine key principles of museum education, interpretation, and outreach with the capabilities of digital tools. Approaching digital history with audience engagement in mind enables history museums to achieve more effectively critical goals related to relevance, collaborative practice, and community service.
