As we explained in our last post, to kick off the project of forecasting the future of museum ethics we will be hosting a Twitter chat on June 15 at 4 p.m. (ET). Join the voice behind @futureofmuseums, Elizabeth Merritt to contribute ideas (and links, and resources) on ethics issues that should be included in our forecasting. We are looking towards the Twitterverse to help us out here.

Elizabeth introduced the project this way:

Ethics, like other cultural values, change over time, affected by social, political, economic, technological and environmental trends shaping our world. Forty years ago, the ethical dilemma attending choosing a new car might have been whether to “buy American.” Now we angst over whether it is, environmentally speaking, ethical to drive an SUV. Technology creates issues that didn’t even used to exist—is cloning a human being ethical? How about selecting a child based on gender, or potential IQ?

Museum ethics are subject to the same evolutionary forces. What emerging issues face museums in the 21st century? Will our positions on enduring concerns (use of funds from deaccessioning, cultural property, conflict of interest) hold firm, or morph with changing times?

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In case you’ve never participated in a Twitter chat before, or it’s been awhile, here are tips for joining in:

How to join in:

1. Sign in to Twitter, Tweet Deck or Tweet Chat. I’ll be using Tweet Chat since it adds the hash tag automatically and allows you to reply and retweet easily.

2. Follow and tweet with the hashtag #futureethics

3. Watch for the questions in the Q format. Provide answers using the A format, and interact with other tweeters using replies and retweets.

The chat will get underway at 4 p.m. (ET) on Wednesday, June 15.

Hope to see you there!