ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Smithsonian's Digital Strategy: Darren Milligan on Outreach and Access

digital · 2026-05-04

Darren Milligan has spearheaded digital outreach at the Smithsonian Institution's Center for Learning and Digital Access for ten years. His mission is to enhance online access to cultural materials for educators and learners. Established in 1846, the Smithsonian intends to reach one billion individuals annually through digital means. The institution has digitized roughly 3 million items from a collection of over 150 million. Milligan points out the Smithsonian Transcription Center, where nearly 10,000 volunteers have contributed to making 300,000 pages accessible. He emphasizes the blending of digital and physical museum experiences, highlighting resources available on the Smithsonian Learning Lab.

Key facts

  • Darren Milligan has led digital outreach strategy at the Smithsonian Institution's Center for Learning and Digital Access for ten years.
  • The Smithsonian Institution is the world's largest museum, education, and research complex.
  • Its mission since 1846 is 'the increase and diffusion of knowledge.'
  • The Smithsonian aims to reach one billion people annually.
  • It has digitized approximately 3 million objects from a collection of over 150 million.
  • The Smithsonian Transcription Center has nearly 10,000 volunteers who transcribed over 300,000 pages of digitized objects.
  • The Digitization Program Office uses a conveyor belt system for rapid digitization of acquisitions.
  • The Smithsonian Learning Lab provides access to nearly 3 million digital resources and allows users to combine them with personal images.
  • Milligan recommends Peter Lunenfeld's book 'The Secret War Between Download and Uploading: Tales of the Computer as Culture Machine.'

Entities

Artists

  • Darren Milligan
  • Peter Lunenfeld

Institutions

  • Smithsonian Institution
  • Center for Learning and Digital Access
  • Smithsonian Transcription Center
  • Smithsonian Digitization Program Office
  • Smithsonian Learning Lab
  • UCLA
  • MIT Press
  • Artribune

Locations

  • Washington, D.C.
  • United States

Sources