Approaching a new episode of digital content creative reuse at the National Palace Museum

Abstract

Museums in the information age face the pressure of developing the digital aspect to be of comparable volume and value to the museum's physical assets. Inspired by Andre Malraux's prophetic vision of the “museum without walls,” the National Palace Museum (NPM) began to incorporate technology into all aspects of its operations in 1996. In the twenty years since, the NPM has worked tirelessly to digitize its collection and open itself up to the world and these efforts culminated in diverse formats of digital content. However, the museum has hesitated from the very beginning to fully open these valuable assets to the public. This situation was not relieved until the latest Open Data policy was adopted and implemented. This new endeavor of open access to NPM's digital content is just a new episode in its ongoing mission of providing public-centric services. Many phases of the possible impact upon museum operations are yet to be observed and managed carefully. This paper will first elaborate on the passage of the creation of digital contents, report the current situation of these works, analyze the viability of their reuse, evaluate the significance of the National Palace Museum's new policy, and, finally, provide some insights into the future of this endless work of creating digital content in the museum context.