N-1-3-003.01, "Network the World's Museums" by Anthony-Michael Rutkowski, The Internet has the remarkable ability to support collaboration and knowledge sharing bounded only by the imagination of human minds. And, as the pages of Internet Society News make clear, this support now includes an incredibly rich variety of activities around the world. However, vast storehouses of human knowledge and imagination lie comparatively untapped. These are the thousands of museums around the world. For reasons that are not apparent, while many initiatives now exist to internetwork libraries and other public institutions, the treasure trove of the world's museums seems to be virtually ignored. This is ironic because of the unique function of museums in our society to collect, communicate, and excite the imagination about almost every significant human activity. In a presentation to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C. this month, I am calling for a new global initiative dubbed, "RIM" for Reseau internationale des muses or the International Network of Museums. There are few institutions more ready made for networking than museums - for their internal administration and for the visiting public. One of my great excitements as a child that has never ceased, is the discovery of new museums to explore - and then to come back again, because there is never enough time to see everything. Imagine how we could construct a Gopher or WAIS server to allow our children and ourselves to pick a subject or a place and virtually explore museums through the Internet. We could set up "museum booths" in schools and even in local museums that would allow people to visit and explore other museums around the world. The time is right. There already exists an small organization attempting to start networking - the Museum Computer Network - which is also developing an EDI protocol. A UNESCO sponsored International Council of Museums Committee is considering the matter. The Boston Computer Museum is focusing on networking. Several natural history museums are collaborating via the new Biodiversity Network discussion group. And museums can and should be embraced within the national initiative like the U.S. NREN.