The virtual and the real: Panel on current research on museum audiences and library users

Summary form only given, as follows. A record of the panel discussion was not made available for publication as part of the conference proceedings. This panel will discuss current research on museum audiences and library users in both the physical and digital environments. Do online resources enhance or inhibit museum visits? Will physical libraries continue to have value? To what extent do museum audiences and library users merge in the online environment? Will online users want "virtual experiences" or “digital libraries”? What opportunities for lifelong learning are provided by non-traditional library and museum dissemination technologies, such as broadband, gaming environments, and public broadcasting? Panelists will discuss a variety of recently completed and in-progress studies with implications for digital library development and learning applications.