The changing role of museum guides
A combination of digital displays and changing visitor expectations is radically altering the job of a museum or gallery guide. Many guides now regard themselves as information specialists who (1) ________ and manage access to the museum collections needed for study, leisure and research. They agree that the pace of change has (2) ________ and much more material is displayed interactively. As a result of this, a guide’s responsibilities include digital interpretation, collection knowledge and visitor portals, in addition to being excellent communicators and interpreters of specialist knowledge drawn directly from an increasingly broad (3) ________ of cultural resources. Despite tremendous changes within museum environments, these (4) ________ are regarded as stimulating. Guides respond by being flexible and adaptable in establishing a strong customer (5) ________, while continually expanding their practical skills by providing (6) ________ to museum visitors and delivering interactive services. (7) ________, most guides say that many traditional guiding skills are still (8) ________ in the modern museum.