Apps to Replace Docents and Headphones?
According to this recent article from the New York Times, the Apple iPhone app is becoming a mainstay for museums and other cultural institutions who want to assist their patrons in visiting their collections.
But replacing audio guides and docents? Probably not. The review of the app as a do-it-all tool is not favorable:
"But the app’s limitations overshadow its strengths. The information is generally far less than what appears on the museum’s labels. There is no audio. . . .The app also ends up undermining the structure of individual galleries, particularly when they have narratives. The app isolates objects rather than connecting them. "
