Museum Computer Network facts for kids

The Museum Computer Network (MCN) is a group in the United States that helps people who work in museums. They are interested in using computer technology to make museums better. MCN is a non-profit organization, which means it doesn't aim to make money.

What is MCN?

MCN started in 1967 in New York City. It began when computers were just starting to become popular. At first, MCN was a small group of museums. Their main goal was to use computers to keep track of museum items.

From 1968 to 1971, MCN received money from the New York Council on the Arts. This funding helped them create a special computer system. Many museums could share this system. When the funding stopped in 1971, MCN officially became a non-profit group. Since then, people from all over the world have joined MCN.

As technology changed, MCN also changed. It became a network for museum professionals. These professionals wanted to use computers to manage and share museum information. They aimed to make museum data easier to use and understand.

MCN does many things for its members. It holds an annual conference. It also has an online discussion group called MCN-L. There are special interest groups for different topics. MCN also provides an online list of museum websites. People, museums, and companies can all become members. A Board of Directors runs the organization. This board includes a president, vice-president, secretary, and treasurer.

MCN's Yearly Conference

MCN has held a conference every year since 1979. These conferences bring together museum professionals. They learn about new technologies and share ideas.

Past Conferences

• 2015: Held in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The theme was The Invisible Architectures of Connected Museums.
• 2014: Held in Dallas, Texas. The theme was Think Big, Start Small, Create.
• 2013: Held in Montreal, Canada. The theme was Re:making Museums.
• 2012: Held in Seattle, Washington. The theme was Shifting Perspective, Evolving Spaces, Disruptive Technologies.
• 2011: Held in Atlanta, Georgia. The theme was Hacking the Museum: Innovation, Agility and Collaboration.
• 2010: Held in Austin, Texas. The theme was I/O: The Museum Inside-out/Outside-in.

You can find a complete list of MCN Conferences online.

Spectra Magazine

MCN used to publish a magazine called Spectra. It started in 1974. This magazine shared important information about computers in museums. For example, it published the Computer Interchange of Museum Information (CIMI) Standards Framework. This framework helped museums share information in a standard way.

See also

• Museums Computer Group, a similar group in the United Kingdom
• Museum informatics, the study of how information is used in museums
• Everett Ellin