7 Institutional Convergence and Divergence in Norwegian Cultural Policy: Central Government LAM Organization 1999–2019

Abstract

The commonality between the three sectors is even stronger through the growing use of information and communication technology (ICT) both in the organization and management of collections and materials and in the dissemination work towards the public. In addition, the three types of institutions increasingly handle digital material, either in the form of digitized representation of other original material, or material that already exists in digital form. This may lead to the working methods becoming more similar, and it is natural to consider how closely the coordination potential can develop so that users can have the easiest possible access to combined services. (St.meld. nr. 22 (1999-2000), 2).¹ 1 The quotations from Norwegian public documents have been translated by the authors of this chapter.

Libraries, Archives, and Museums in Transition

“…What these writings point toward is that digitization has wide consequences in terms of the digitalization of societal, cultural, and institutional contexts. In a recent LAM study, a differentiation is made between digitization, digitalization, and digital transformation (Vårheim, Skare, and Stokstad 2020a). Here, the authors apply a definition of digitalization that perceives it as "[a] sociotechnical process of applying digitizing techniques to broader social and institutional contexts that render digital technologies infrastructural" (Tilson, Lyytinen, and Sørensen 2010, 749).…”