As the digital demands of both external users and internal colleagues continue to grow, digital departments are trapped in an institutional tension: should institutions scale their departments to meet that ever-growing need, or should digital responsibilities be cultivated and distributed across the organization?
This question has been a key topic in my first year as chief digital officer at The Met. The Met is already (partly) on the path of integrating digital practices across the organization: we’re not proactively talking about it though, nor are we discussing the opportunities, needs, and impacts of walking that path.
My aim in writing this piece is to contribute to a common understanding of digital practices in cultural institutions today, and to help frame discussions about a more sustainable, scalable and mission-serving direction for digital practices at The Met.