computer science

Museum Computer Network

Museum Computer Network is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Museum Computer Network rather than just read about it. In short: The Museum Computer Network (MCN) is a US-based non-profit organization for professionals with an interest in the use of computer technology for museums. Overview MCN was established in 1967 in the New York City area.

Key takeaways

Museum Computer Network belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Museum Computer Network to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Museum Computer Network from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Museum Computer Network (MCN) is a US-based non-profit organization for professionals with an interest in the use of computer technology for museums.

Overview MCN was established in 1967 in the New York City area. The history of MCN spans a period during which information technology developed at an exponential pace. The organization began as an informal grouping of museums with the goal of automating registration records. With funding from the New York Council on the Arts, MCN developed a prototype mainframe network that was shared by participants from 1968 to 1971. When the funding ended in 1971, MCN was formally incorporated as a nonprofit organization that has since attracted members from around the world. As new technology superseded the original shared registration system, MCN evolved into a network of professionals wishing to improve their means of developing, managing, and conveying museum information through the use of automation. MCN organizes an annual conference, the MCN-L discussion forum, special interest groups, an online directory of museum websites, etc. Members include individuals, institutions and companies. The organization is run by a Board of Directors. Officers include a president, vice-president, secretary and treasurer.

Conference MCN has held an annual conference since 1979. Recent Conferences: 2015 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, November 4–7, 2015, with the title of The Invisible Architectures of Connected Museums. 2014 in Dallas, Texas with the title of Think Big, Start Small, Create. 2013 in Montreal, Canada with the title of Re:making Museums 2012 in Seattle, Washington with the title of Shifting Perspective, Evolving Spaces, Disruptive Technologies 2011 in Atlanta, Georgia with the title of Hacking the Museum: Innovation, Agility and Collaboration 2010 in Austin, Texas with the title of I/O: The Museum Inside-out/Outside-in Complete list of MCN Conferences

Spectra MCN published Spectra, established in 1974. For example, the Computer Interchange of Museum Information (CIMI) Standards Framework was published in Spectra.

See also Museums Computer Group, United Kingdom Museum informatics Everett Ellin

References

External links MCN website Museum Sites Online Mustech Central, MCN Project Registry

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Museum Computer Network

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Museum Computer Network claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Museum Computer Network before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Museum Computer Network ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Museum Computer Network

In research: Museum Computer Network appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Museum Computer Network in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Museum Computer Network is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1967 establishments in New York (state), Information technology organizations based in North America, Museum informatics, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Museum Computer Network outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Museum Computer Network in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Museum Computer Network means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Museum Computer Network out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Museum Computer Network in simple terms?

The Museum Computer Network (MCN) is a US-based non-profit organization for professionals with an interest in the use of computer technology for museums. Overview MCN was established in 1967 in the New York City area.

Why does Museum Computer Network matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Museum Computer Network?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Museum Computer Network.