ABSTRACT
This chapter investigates the intersection of museums and social innovation. One of the leading and prominent organizations in the area of museum technology and innovation is the Museum Computer Network, which was established in 1967 by a group of New York City–based museum professionals eager to explore how computers could impact museum work. In fact, museums are classified in many directories as attractions. Additionally, museums have a tendency of placing themselves in competition with sport and entertainment events. These seemingly contradicting forces in museum work have created an identity crisis that has gone unnoticed by the museum sector. The issue of diversity has been discussed quite extensively in museums within the audience engagement discourse, but very little attention was given to explore the impact of workforce diversity on museum work, especially in relation to innovation. Furthermore, statistics uncovered the extent and the scope of exclusivity in the museum workforce.
