The National Gallery will host a symposium, Virtual Reality and the Gallery, on Friday, November 3rd. Speakers will explain the importance of services and new technology in introducing new audiences to the collections, as well as how they can be used to explain and encourage visitors' understanding and enjoyment of the museum. Another symposium "Museum Visit" will be opened by the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands, Sile de Valera. Speakers will include Charles Saumarez Smith, director of the National Portrait Gallery, London and Declan McGonagle, chairman of the Council of National Cultural Institutions.