　　The Muse Award was established by the Media and Technology Committee of the American Association of Museums to recognize the professional performance of museum workers related to media and technology; the 21st Muse Award will be awarded this year (2010). To boost exchanges between cultural property communities in Taiwan and around the world and enhance Taiwan’s international influence, Research Fellow Quo-Ping Lin of the National Palace Museum, who is also the Vice President of MCN Taiwan and the chair of the Media and Technology SIG, once again accepted the invitation of the American Association of Museums Muse Award Execution Team and for two consecutive years convened the Taiwan Judge Panel. The first judge panel meeting will be held on March 18th; the Taiwan Judge Panel is responsible for selecting the multimedia device category of the Muse Award this year.
　　The American Association of Museums was established in 1906, and is currently one of the most important museum organizations in the world; it aims to facilitate professional development and value enhancement of its member museums and organizations via leading museum trends and developments, raising concern over museum related issues, and providing professional consultation and various services; this includes establishing and developing museum related principles and standards, providing practical experience consultation and educational training, sharing and exchanging professional knowledge and skills, and establishing a basis for professional development of American Museums via professional educational consultation, information exchanges and museum evaluations. There are a total of 52 groups under several categories, including standing professional committees, professional interests committees and regional associations, currently working with the association.The American Association of Museums was established in 1906, and is currently one of the most important museum organizations in the world; it aims to facilitate professional development and value enhancement of its member museums and organizations via leading museum trends and developments, raising concern over museum related issues, and providing professional consultation and various services; this includes establishing and developing museum related principles and standards, providing practical experience consultation and educational training, sharing and exchanging professional knowledge and skills, and establishing a basis for professional development of American Museums via professional educational consultation, information exchanges and museum evaluations. There are a total of 52 groups under several categories, including standing professional committees, professional interests committees and regional associations, currently working with the association.
　　Dr. Quo-Ping Lin, the chairman of this year’s Taiwan Judge Panel, began serving at the National Palace Museum’s Information Center in 2003, and was responsible for the implementation of various digitization projects. Due to the requirements of his position, he accepted invitations to attend annual meetings of the American Association of Museums and give special lectures for three consecutive years starting in 2007. In the annual meetings, he made acquaintances with numerous outstanding specialists and scholars of the American Association of Museums and in the field of museum media and technology development, and promoted the energy, creativity and professional performance of Taiwanese museums, such as the National Palace Museum, and cultural property communities in technology and media applications. For this reason, he was invited to become a chairman of one of the Muse Award’s international judge panels added in 2009.
　　Taiwan’s team hopes to use this opportunity to learn how museums around the world utilize media technology and the internet to enhance their educational and cultural influence, and how they expand their international exchange channels and influence. The American Association of Museums Muse Award Execution Team also hopes to introduce international perspectives to broaden the horizons of the Muse Award. Besides assisting with judging work, the MCN Taiwan Media and Technology SIG will share this experience with cultural property communities in Taiwan in the form of workshops, explaining how first-rate art and culture institutions around the world utilize media technology to communicate important cultural connotations and visions.
