Digital divide threatens small museums, says Louvre expert

According to Anne Krebs, the research director at the Musée du Louvre, larger museums cannot serve as models for smaller ones due to significant differences in resources, as the latter constitute merely 1% of museums worldwide. The ongoing economic downturn is leading to the closure of numerous museums across England, Portugal, France, and Italy. In France, 80% of these institutions rely on local governments, with less than 10% of their budgets coming from self-generated funds. Many smaller museums lack modern digital resources, often depending on outdated local government websites or Facebook. Krebs points out the digital literacy gap among museum staff and notes that the Louvre’s digital training is not feasible for smaller entities. While crowdfunding is an option, it is frequently impractical. She advocates for regional partnerships and cautions against over-reliance on volunteers, stressing the importance of solid data to influence policymakers.