Dorothy's ruby slippers from "The Wizard of Oz" are in the Museum of American History.

Cool news from The Smithsonian Institution! The massive organization plans to digitize its collections, totaling 137 million objects, CNN reports.

No word on how long it will take or how much it will cost, as the process depends on available funding.
But making exhibits interactive is becoming necessary, as curators struggle to find new ways to keep youth interested in viewing artifacts.

The article says digitizing their collections is also in response to the federal No Child Left Behind Act and high gas prices. Fewer students focus on the arts, and school districts can’t afford field trips.

It’s a great way to use technology to bring America’s priceless pieces to students without leaving the classroom… and a great way to keep the institution current.

“I worry about museums becoming less relevant to society,” Secretary G. Wayne Clogh, director of the Smithsonian, is quoted as saying in a previous interview. “I think we need to take a major step… Can we work with  outside entities to create a place, for example, where we might demonstrate cutting-edge technologies to use to reach out to school systems all over the country? I think we can do that.”

Way to listen and react, Smithsonian. 10+ cool points for you!