I think online phone books are a great idea. Online museums are an even better one.
There are hundreds of museum sites on the World Wide Web. Some offer a simple description of their collections and basic information - how to get there, hours of operation, fees, etc.The best of the breed give you the feeling you're standing in one of their viewing wings, a world famous painting before you and an art history professor at your side.
Here are five museums I think are worth a virtual visit:
American Museum of Natural History
This New York-based site offers a wonderful collage of text and images that showcases Internet interactivity at its best.
This superb site is both educational and spectacular looking. Current online displays include an exhibit about amber. In one section, you can click on various chunks of amber and try to guess what's trapped inside. (http://www.amnh.org/)
The WebMuseum of Paris
This is your window to the Louvre. This site is a labor of love of Nicolas Pioch, who's dubbed the site "pleasureware".
With support of several technology companies, Pioch has created a brilliant digital peek at France's famous museum. The site features famous artwork from the Gothic period to the 20th century. Theclarity of the images is incredible; it's possible to discern brush strokes in some pieces.
Special online exhibits currently are of Paul Cezanne and "Les Tres Riches Heures du Duc de Berry" - described as a classic example of a medieval book of hours or prayer book.
The site also has three different "tours" of France and an auditorium, where you can hear clips of musical masterpieces. (http://watt.emf.net/louvre//)
Southern Utah University
A Utah museum worth a look! Southern Utah University has three offerings at the Braithwaite Fine Arts Gallery, the Archeology Repository and the Natural History Museum of Southern Utah.
The best of the three is the Braithwaite Gallery. You can view works of some of Utah's most prominent artists: Maynard Dixon, Mary Bastow, Allen Bishop, Edith Hamlin, A.B. Wright and Paul Salisbury. (http://www.suu.edu-/WebPages/MuseumGaller/)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Met has more than 2 million pieces of art in its holdings; you can skim the collection at its online site.
A floor plan of each level of the New York City museum offers online views of selected works from each collection, from prehistoric to 20th century art. The museum currently is showcasing a retrospective of Winslow Homer pieces.
A shortcoming: There's more text than images. (http://www.metmuseum.org/)
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
The museum, located in Cleveland, chronicles the history of rock and roll.
In the online version, you can see quicktime videos of exhibit halls, hear audio clips of musicians and order merchandise from the gift shop. The song clips and biographies make the museum worth a virtual visit. (http://www.rockhall.com)