MCN 2002

About CHIN

THE CANADIAN HERITAGE INFORMATION NETWORK (CHIN)

The Canadian Heritage Information Network (CHIN), a Special Operating Agency in the Department of Canadian Heritage, was created in 1972 to foster sound management of the knowledge and collections developed by museums and to provide public access to that knowledge through a national inventory of museum collections across the country.

CHIN's mission is "to broker effective access to Canadian and international heritage information for public education and enjoyment and for the collective benefit of Canadian museums'. As of the summer of 2002, more than 700 Canadian museums had joined in the collaborative effort to develop content for online audiences.

Through the Virtual Museum of Canada (VMC), CHIN assists the Canadian museum community in achieving a collective online presence. The VMC, which is part of the Canadian Culture Online Program (CCOP), enables Canadians to freely access, in both official languages, heritage content and features developed by Canadian museums and galleries. Content includes virtual exhibits, games, educational materials, close to 200,000 images and records of museum treasures, and information about nearly 2,500 heritage attractions and their offerings. For further information, consult the program guidelines for the Virtual Museum of Canada (VMC) Investment Program.

The CHIN site provides the heritage community with access to professional resources, with a particular focus on skills for creating, presenting and managing digital content. Products and services include online courses on image digitization and automated collections management systems; information about professional events and career opportunities; research and reference tools; a national inventory of nearly 4 million museum objects, including artifacts, natural science specimens and archaeological sites; intellectual property publications; bibliographies and data dictionaries. CHIN also represents the museum community in international projects related to access to heritage information. CHIN's work in developing standards for museum documentation has been internationally recognized and has been extended to encompass a broad range of information types and the technical protocols necessary to exchange information in a widely distributed environment.

For more information on CHIN including available resources or becoming a member museum, contact:

Canadian Heritage Information Network
15 Eddy Street, 15-4-A
Hull, Quebec, Canada K1A 0M5
(819) 994-1200
(800) 520-2446 (Canada and the U.S.)
Fax (819) 994-9555
Service@chin.gc.ca
www.chin.gc.ca

	MCN Home Page Invitation/Who should attend Register Biographies of Plenary Speakers Free Sessions Educational Sessions Workshops Highlights of Other Educational Sessions Toronto Information Hotel Information About CHIN About MCN Exhibitor Information Sponsorship Opportunities
					About CHIN THE CANADIAN HERITAGE INFORMATION NETWORK (CHIN) The Canadian Heritage Information Network (CHIN), a Special Operating Agency in the Department of Canadian Heritage, was created in 1972 to foster sound management of the knowledge and collections developed by museums and to provide public access to that knowledge through a national inventory of museum collections across the country. CHIN's mission is "to broker effective access to Canadian and international heritage information for public education and enjoyment and for the collective benefit of Canadian museums'. As of the summer of 2002, more than 700 Canadian museums had joined in the collaborative effort to develop content for online audiences. Through the Virtual Museum of Canada (VMC), CHIN assists the Canadian museum community in achieving a collective online presence. The VMC, which is part of the Canadian Culture Online Program (CCOP), enables Canadians to freely access, in both official languages, heritage content and features developed by Canadian museums and galleries. Content includes virtual exhibits, games, educational materials, close to 200,000 images and records of museum treasures, and information about nearly 2,500 heritage attractions and their offerings. For further information, consult the program guidelines for the Virtual Museum of Canada (VMC) Investment Program. The CHIN site provides the heritage community with access to professional resources, with a particular focus on skills for creating, presenting and managing digital content. Products and services include online courses on image digitization and automated collections management systems; information about professional events and career opportunities; research and reference tools; a national inventory of nearly 4 million museum objects, including artifacts, natural science specimens and archaeological sites; intellectual property publications; bibliographies and data dictionaries. CHIN also represents the museum community in international projects related to access to heritage information. CHIN's work in developing standards for museum documentation has been internationally recognized and has been extended to encompass a broad range of information types and the technical protocols necessary to exchange information in a widely distributed environment. For more information on CHIN including available resources or becoming a member museum, contact: Canadian Heritage Information Network 15 Eddy Street, 15-4-A Hull, Quebec, Canada K1A 0M5 (819) 994-1200 (800) 520-2446 (Canada and the U.S.) Fax (819) 994-9555 Service@chin.gc.ca www.chin.gc.ca