ABSTRACT
This chapter considers how—in the age of “big data”—museums have the opportunity to form new connections with their visitors. The discussion considers some of the ways in which museums are responding to “big data”, how they can mine for information about their visitors through new forms of media in order better to understand the wants, needs, and challenges of the communities they serve. In particular, the chapter considers how museums may begin to think about “big data” in the context of the experiences, best practices, and scholarship developed outside of the cultural sector. The chapter suggests that with the knowledge of this power of “big data” and this rapid growth, museums have the opportunity to frame new forms of more personalised communication with their visitors.
