During a pandemic, few people will be able to explore a new or favorite museum. Most museums are closed and we are asked to stay at home. However, using your computer you can still see and learn about the collections of many museums large or small all over the world. Over the years many museums have made their collections accessible online and that investment is especially valuable now in our current situation.
If you know what you want to see, you can Google a favorite museum and go directly to their website, but if you want to explore, a good place to start is “The Ultimate Guide to Virtual Museum Resources, E-Learning, and Online Collections” at http://mcn.edu/a-guide-to-virtual-museum-resources/
Prepared by the museum information professional’s association, the Museum Computer Network, organized in 1967 during the early years of computerization in museums.zz
The site is not as extensive as the name suggests, but it does list 300 major and minor art museums, history museums, national parks, and a special section for children. You will find a wide, often surprising, variety. Some sites offer well-produced video tours of the museum or a collection. Others provide slide shows with text you can read.
Very valuable are sites you would never think to search for. One surprise was, “Open Culture,“ which among its many offerings provides downloadable coloring books from 113 museums. “Past Perfect” is a list of small museums by state. (Yes, Bedford Historical Society is included.) There is a link to Project Gutenberg, a free database of eBooks.
Any link can lead to a delight, so explore.
Have fun.
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