Portable museum guides
Museums around the world offer the option of audiovisual guides which allow visitors to view the collections without the help of third parties or language obstacles. These portable guides are usually available in many languages. So far, Greece has lagged in this respect; our museums rarely have air conditioners, let alone less portable guides. The Culture Ministry is now rushing to install the new technology so as to meet the demands of visitors to Athens for the Olympic Games this year. In a last-minute effort, being made under the pressure of the need to upgrade archaeological sites and museums, Greece is preparing to provide this popular system. The Culture Ministry took the initiative through the Organization for the Promotion of Greek Culture SA, which invited tenders for the supply of portable guides and the installation of information kiosks at 35 museums and archaeological sites. Sources say that the first part of a two-stage process, the preparation of books, is complete and by the spring, audiovisual guides should be available at the 15 most frequently visited museums and sites. After that, information kiosks will be installed at another 30 museums and sites. The next step will be automated ticket offices, to be be installed first in the most popular museums, but not this summer. They require the approval of the Central Archaeological Council. The Culture Ministry’s aim is to create 45 electronic admission and information areas. Better late than never.
