The Great Debate 2011

Scheduled:

Abstract:

This year’s closing plenary session will reprise last year’s popular “Great Debate” which brings together the museum community’s best and brightest—as well as some of its most charismatic and endearing personalities—to cross words over controversial subjects in the museum technology realm. This year, Rosanna Flouty, Mia Ridge, Rob Stein, and Bruce Wyman will consider the proposition, “There are too many museums.” As before, audience members will participate in the cross-examination—providing questions for extemporaneous responses by the contestants—and will select winners of the debate by show-of-hands voting at the conclusion of the session.

Session Description:

This year’s closing plenary session will reprise last year’s popular “Great Debate” which brings together the museum community’s best and brightest—as well as some of its most charismatic and endearing personalities—to cross words over controversial subjects in the museum technology realm. This year, Rosanna Flouty, Mia Ridge, Rob Stein, and Bruce Wyman will consider the proposition, “There are too many museums.” As before, audience members will participate in the cross-examination—providing questions for extemporaneous responses by the contestants—and will select winners of the debate by show-of-hands voting at the conclusion of the session.

Last year’s topics, “Museums that are not run as businesses will ultimately fail,” and “Engagement with online-only visitors is as important as engagement with those onsite” produced two hard-fought arguments that many in the museum community are still discussing today. This year’s topic is expected to raise responses covering a range of matters of interest to the museum technology community, including the impact of the networked environment on museum practice, the different values embodied in different kinds of museums, and the value of the museum as a distinct, individual, physical entity.