In Washington, a group has formed to bring women's history into the mainstream. Joan Wages, one of the organizers, says her group has put together a cyber-museum and a traveling show. Part of the museum's agenda is to train young women in technology through a computer laboratory, mentor programs and classes held at the museum. Given that concern, it's no surprise that the Texas museum makes extensive use of high-tech gizmos to ensure a sense of freshness as well as provide the ability to change the stories it tells frequently. The audio guides are cell phones, the video images are on high-definition TV, and the library is almost entirely electronic.
Some features blend the old and the new.
For example, a continuous stream of text runs up an electronic pole. Standing at a video screen, the visitor selects a category such as Fame, Patriotism or Energy. Several choices of writers and speechmakers pop up. If you select environmentalist Rachel Carson, a short biography and a quote appear. Then you can send Carson's words up the electronic pole.