External Digital Activity of Museums During the Covid-19 Pandemic: The Case of Lithuanian Art Museums

Summary The COVID-19 pandemic forced the world to a halt. In order to ensure the health and safety of society, many facilities had to transfer their functionality to the digital sphere, or at least enhance their digital capabilities. Museums were no exception – the inability to allow visitors to gather in person at exhibitions meant that communication with the audience as well as educational activities had to develop through digital forms. Between spring and autumn of 2020, a study was carried out examining the external digital activities of major Lithuanian art museums during quarantine, and indicators of public interest in content published by museums on main channels such as websites and social networks. The aim of the research was to identify the main challenges faced by the large Lithuanian art museums in concentrating their activities in virtual spaces, and to determine the causes of these challenges. Based on the data collected through monitoring the virtual published content of Lithuanian major art museums, together with interviews with museum staff and external experts, the study’s conclusions of the study are presented at the end.