In keeping with Smithson's directive to spread knowledge, admission to the Smithsonian's museums is always free. What's more, many objects and artifacts can be appreciated from the comfort of one's home because the Smithsonian has digitized parts of its collections for online learning and exploration. Even the National Zoo has embraced the idea of going digital, placing webcams around the zoo so that viewers at home can observe the daily habits of various animal residents.

Question

In keeping with Smithson's directive to spread knowledge, admission to the Smithsonian's museums is always free. What's more, many objects and artifacts can be appreciated from the comfort of one's home because the Smithsonian has digitized parts of its collections for online learning and exploration. Even the National Zoo has embraced the idea of going digital, placing webcams around the zoo so that viewers at home can observe the daily habits of various animal residents.

Based on clues in the text, why has the Smithsonian most likely digitized some of its collections?
Digitization offers a large number of people the opportunity to learn from the collections
Digitization allows the Smithsonian Institution to earn a profit by selling online memberships
Digitization prevents the museums and the zoo from being overcrowded with visitors
Digitization frees curators from the burden of having to physically store and preserve items

Answer 1

Digitization offers a large number of people the opportunity to learn from the collections.

Answer 2

Based on the clues provided in the text, the most likely reason why the Smithsonian has digitized some of its collections is that digitization offers a large number of people the opportunity to learn from the collections. This is supported by the statement that "many objects and artifacts can be appreciated from the comfort of one's home because the Smithsonian has digitized parts of its collections for online learning and exploration."

Answer 3

Based on the clues in the text, the most likely reason the Smithsonian has digitized some of its collections is to offer a large number of people the opportunity to learn from the collections. The text mentions that admission to the Smithsonian's museums is always free, and the institution has digitized parts of its collections for online learning and exploration. This suggests that digitization is a way to make the collections accessible to a wider audience, including those who cannot physically visit the museums.