The digitisation of heritage material: arguing for an interpretative approach based on the experience of the Powys Digital History Project

In the past, librarians, museum curators and archivists have responded to ICT developments by adapting them to traditional working practices such as cataloguing. Recent developments are creating new pressures, however, and the expectations on information professionals are changing. The most radical innovation is that of the Internet, and it may no longer be appropriate to think in traditional terms to exploit this new medium to the full. The Internet offers remote access and digitisation programmes are being designed to make use of that. So far, these programmes have concentrated on the digitisation of finding aids or of selected primary source materials, but there is also a need for other programmes (“digital exhibitions”) to be developed with a greater emphasis on collaboration and interpretation, aimed at the non‐academic, or casual user. In this way librarians, museum curators and archivists can demonstrate their readiness to embrace the visions of such programmes as the People’s Network and the National Grid for Learning and at the same time reach a whole new audience.