We recently published our article “Heritage in lockdown: digital provision of memory institutions in the UK and US of America during the COVID-19 pandemic”. This paper presents a review we undertook during the lockdown period in 2020 on digital provision of UK and US memory institutions. Our research aimed to understand how memory institutions adapted during COVID-19 lockdowns by surveying the existing and novel digital resources that enabled access to cultural heritage organizations.

The research demonstrates that memory institutions have adapted or increased their communicative capabilities with their existing audiences, while trying to attract further audiences online. Many of the communication offerings have used collections as prompt for events, activities, discussions and more. However, there is great potential in trying to explore better ways to link communication offerings and digitised collections not only to enhance interest for the collections themselves but also to make them more relevant to the society while strengthening its bonds and building resilience through engagement with heritage.

Full article is here: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09647775.2020.1810483