Live Blogging from AAM: Can and Should Small Museums be Leaders in Technology?

The question being posed by the panelists at the "Can and Should Small Museums be Leaders in Technology?" session is not whether or not new technologies should be used to connect to new audiences but rather, should small museums blaze the trail, paving the way in use of new technologies.

Arguments in favor of being leaders seem to hinge around the fact that online technologies offer marketing and outreach opportunities for free and because they cannot afford not to pioneer new technologies, despite the fact that the technologies are rapidly changing and today's best solutions may not even be applicable next year.

The moderator has just paraphrased George Laughead's comments as, "If you're not doing this, you're stupid."

Another way to look at it the arguments in favor of leading the way in new technologies is simply put as this: "Why not?"