Museums and the culture of new media: an empirical model of New Zealand museum websites

Abstract Despite the recent growth of virtual museums, we lack detailed research on the intersection of museums and new media. This study presents the results of a survey of websites of New Zealand museums and heritage organisations using an idealised model of the basic functionality required in a well-defined professional sector. When this empirical model was compared with actual websites, it was found that many functions were not fully implemented. Interviews were then undertaken with museum staff which provided insights into the social factors affecting the planning, implementation and maintenance of museum websites, which were evidently developed in a haphazard fashion. Although museum websites do reflect fundamental museum functions, the results paint a bleak picture of an uneven and fragmented field, a digital divide which disadvantages small to medium museums. The paper recommends more guidelines rather than more technology, and calls for further research into the ‘culture of new media’.