The organisation that is responsible for reaching thousands of young adults in Amsterdam each year has launched a new initiative: a blog for the museums in Amsterdam. While most museums lack budget and experience to install a blog on their own Web site, the n8 tries to spur the development by inviting museums to write on their site.

Blogs are more commonly used by museums worldwide (e.g. Walker Art Center, Brooklyn Museum) to give more and different information on current affairs, exhibitions and the organisation. For a good overview of museum blogs go to http://www.museumblogs.org/.

n8.nl/blog

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The Baghdad Museum, or the Iraq National Museum in Baghdad, has been looted, and stripped of its priceless collection of cultural artifacts that date back to the dawn of civilization. More than four years after these tragic events the museum, which has been sealed with concrete, is forced to reopen to staff. There are concerns that without human intervention, underground water and rats will damage the museum even further. In the meantime, the British Museum is in discussions with Iraqi officials about financial assistance to aid the Baghdad museum and Iraq’s archaeological service.

Read full article (The Art Newspaper, August 2, 2007)
Watch an in-depth video report of the looting (The News Hour/PBS, March 7, 2003)
Go to website The Baghdad Museum Project