Digital Transformation of Museum Conservation Practices

Abstract

Museums offer education and enjoyment to the public through exhibitions and public programs, but what happens behind the museums can be a mystery. Thus, this study uses the visit to conservation laboratories as a behind-the-scenes tour to illustrate the conservation practices at public museums in Hong Kong and thus potential digital transformation. The value chain analysis was used to systematically exanime the environment and operations of the conservation process in depth, focusing on museum education and extension activities. Lacking human resources, safety, and access constraints often limited the capacity to offer such tours. Some suggestions on digital transformation using contemporary information and communication technologies (ICTs) were proposed for engagement improvement and expanding the audience. Scant studies research how such conservation tours facilitate learning and engagement with visitors or analyze museum operations with value-chain analysis for digital transformation, especially in East Asia.