Digital Museum? Virtual Museum?

I, personally confused about the definition of virtual museum and digital museum. After doing some research, this post, I would like to share some my own ideas. It is not an academic paper, only based on what I have read with my own understanding.

Generally, the “virtual museum” is not as accurate as the “digital museum” concept.

The Digital Museum is a museum built on the digital space. Therefore, the Digital Museum also has the collection, research and educational functions of the physical museum. However, the digital museum collects digital collections, that is, data such as text, sound, and images stored in digital form. According to the different ways of data source, the digital museum's digital collection includes two types: one is the data resource obtained by digitizing the collection of the physical museum, and the other is the data resources of certain significance and value in the existing digital creation behavior. Specifically, the Digital Museum will focus on the collection, preservation, dissemination and display of digital collections, and extend and expand the service time and space of physical museums for the purpose of research, education and appreciation, to achieve anyone at any time. (anytime), anywhere (anywhere), the purpose of obtaining a specific information service. - Chen Gang, " Analysis of the Concept, Characteristics and Development Model of Digital Museums ".

In terms of virtual museum, then it is not necessarily a museum based on physical existence. Of course, all online exhibitions must have a certain physical foundation. The still/ moving images, texts, and other content on display must first exist in the physical, and then digitized  and uploaded to the internet, and deployed through web design (some of them). Except for exhibits belonging to digital works, such as web animation, etc.

Most of the currently defined virtual museum are as mentioned in the spiral of truth says is "to serve time and space museum entities extend and expand", such as the Louver in Paris online visit: Online Tour, this case is based on the museum itself, as the museum is actually existing. And Exhibitions are also physically present, but they also digitally transmitted to the Internet.

However, there are also some complete 'virtual museum' that exist only on the Internet. For example, the Virtual Museum of Canada (VMC). This is a national virtual museum carried out be the Canadian government. All the museums in the country can apply for funds, and after approval, the will make virtual exhibitions. These exhibitions can be based on physical exhibits or purely digital art creations, while the "Canada Virtual Museum" doesn’t exist physically.

There is also an online archive, the famous International Dunhuang Project. If you haven't visited the Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes, please read my last post on Virtual museum of Mogao Grottoes, there is a virtual museum link for you to explore. The International Dunhuang Project is sponsored by the British Museum, which has the largest collection of Dunhuang scriptures. Their website has uploaded more than 40,000 copies of the high-definition scanned version that open for   the public, and it is FREE!!! (It is really convenient for Dunhuang scholars!) Such online archives are generally not considered to be 'museum'. Because they didn't intentionally select, reorganize and display the collections, making them look like exhibitions.

In my next post, I will make an analysis on the definition of Virtual museum and digital museum with some further research.

Thanks for reading! Please feel free to share your opinions!