The paper “Structuring for digital success: A global survey of how museums and other cultural organizations resource, fund, and structure their digital teams and activity” by Kati Price, V&A-Victoria and Albert Museum, UK, Dafydd James, Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales focuses on those who contribute to digital projects and collaborations along with other factors of digital projects. One big factor is “digital responsibility” and “digital maturity” that helps identify those who can make or break certain projects. The surveyed GLAM (galleries, libraries, archives, and museums) organizations were asked a variety of questions that focused on digital teams, measuring success and goals, skills, and responsibilities. From the 56 institutions that responded to the survey, 64% of responses were from museums, 8.6% from libraries and the remaining percentage include theater arts and other smaller disciplines.

Among the questions asked some of these included:

·      How big should a digital team be relative to the size of the organization?

·      How should a digital team be structured?

·      Where should a digital team sit in the organization?

·      What should a digital team be responsible for?

·      How to measure digital success?

Since one major theme of the research focuses on digital teams and responsibilities there is a good and easy-to-follow breakdown of different types of teams. The authors identify five different models of digital teams that are composed of:

·      Outsourced: smaller museums, manages outside contributors

·      Decentralized: unstructured but cover different departments and a few staffers

·      Centralized: one particular output across multiple disciplines and offers more accountability

·      Hub and Spoke: one unit that coordinates smaller digital teams which is good for specialization but might lead to miscommunication

·      Holistic: only achievable with digital maturity and can operate properly if staff is well versed in digital activity

There is a great calling for organizations to become digitally mature but because of some obstacles like staff size and cost it is not always easy to achieve this goal. A group labeled “differentiators” are considered some of the most digitally matured because of their experience with customers and big-picture experiences but dealing with museums does not always consider competitive-based customer tactics. In fact in surveys conducted for this paper about 60% of museums stated their digital team is only composed of one to five staffers.

Despite staff numbers and the different needs of museums some trends emerged that help distinguish popular needs of digital teams. These aspects include content, communications or marketing, and additional needs and wants like visitor experiences and publishing. As we have been discussing in class technologies and needs really vary depending on what museums can handle and afford but these needs and wants do align with popular trends. Needs do not always focus on visitor interactives and do include back-of-house operations and scholarly interests.

One of the other parts discussed during the paper is defining success and discovering that of those museums who participated only about half had a goal or objective established for their digital projects. The authors suggest multiple ways that organizations can help themselves measure success and compare it to their objective goals. Measuring outcomes rather than outputs is one way staff can define their success so far and use it to define future goals. Other suggestions point to leaders to help define success in multiple outlets. This not only helps digital efforts and teams but can also be applied to other departments.

Class discussions also have included considering the need for new integrations or projects and reading on case studies help us understand findings and future goals. This is beneficial in assessing needs before projects begin or in determining if they are even feasible in the first place. With the research in the Price and James article the information contributes to factors like determining if there is enough staff or resources available for new digital projects. In depth surveys and research like that presented here expose certain areas of digital management and offer insight into how to remedy and address shortcomings.

My museum observation took place at The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia. Their latest exhibition Vikings: Beyond the Legend just opened on October 13, 2018 and had been promoted for a time leading up to now. Ticket prices for the institute’s exhibitions are a little steep with general admission included but I made the trip with my boyfriend (who is not a museum person) to see what this exhibition had to offer. We went on a Wednesday and fortunately were not swarmed by crowds in the exhibition.

The exhibition was surprising in that it offered much more technological integration and hands-on interactives than expected. Multiple projectors were spaced around the first half of the exhibition, touch screen devices were provided for multiple activities and pictures, there was a dress up station, and some of the interactives coincided well with some of the exhibition elements. My personal favorite interactive was one on an excavation table where visitors got to dig up the remains and artifacts of a personal Viking ship. One example where the technology missed the mark was on devices that coincided with a Viking ship reconstructed with a metal skeleton. The devices were supposed to lay a digital image over the ship but only one device was in sync with the skeleton and even still it was a little difficult to navigate around the ship to access information points. There was also one device where visitors could interact with a Viking warrior and take a screenshot to send via email but after putting in my information the image could not be sent. At the end of the exhibition I was pleasantly surprised to find a touch table where visitors could quiz and be quizzed on information provided throughout the show which I believe wrapped up our time nicely in the exhibition.

From my time close to Philadelphia I am aware the Franklin Institute is famous for school trips and younger educational development (other areas of the institute include sciences like electricity and weather, human anatomy, the giant heart, and sports sciences). It was difficult to get around and see other types of technological integration in the whole institute so that is why my focus is on the Viking show alone. Vikings: Beyond the Legend is running to March 3, 2019 and I would highly recommend if anyone is interested in an enjoyable (but costly) exhibition.

The fall 2018 Seeing Red exhibition curated by Meghan Brady and Alexandra Henderson conveyed the different values of the color red among various personal and political platforms. By combining paintings, posters, three-dimensional items, and certain technological items the show aimed to show the significance of the color red.

The use of multiple mediums and platforms made the show visually appealing and captivating though not overwhelmingly “techy”. In one alcove a projector displayed Yuli Sung’s Democratic People’s Republic of the United States (2017) that represented how the color red was used in the flags of both the United States and North Korea. The video was ideally placed alone in the alcove where the light could remain dimmed and no other objects were in the way. This is not any type of ground-breaking integration but adequately represents politics in terms of the interpretation of the color red and, given a certain budget for the gallery, did offer more than just posters and art objects.

Secondly the exhibition included one object by Carole Loeffler that utilized headphones and device to play back soundscapes. Rooted is a piece meant to encourage reflection and meditation using the music and a mirror that visitors could sit in front of. This correlates to the Buddhist and Hindu beliefs in the root chakra and the association it has to the color red. The device was hidden behind the felt-decorated mirror so visually there was no bulky or obvious devices seen. I believe this is beneficial to the purpose of the piece where nothing frivolous could disturb the visitor’s experience. Since the device was not plugged into any sockets it would have required some monitoring so it did not die during operation hours. One aspect I did not enjoy about this tech integration was that the mirror would be reflecting oneself out towards the glass wall between the gallery and the hallway. Personally I felt this took away from the self-reflection purpose and was intrusive.

These two objects along portrayed the color red in two very different styles and meanings. Overall I was not too enthralled by the exhibition (whether that was because of a certain attitude I was in or because of different interests) but the two tech objects easily stand out from the other objects involved. I did enjoy some of the first pieces I saw including Eric Jiaju Lee’s painting and some of the other Asian-inspired art. I do not have much of an eye for curating or exhibition design but I could see how the flow of the space was laid out to accommodate the different reds and pieces.

Much like how homes and business incorporate technology and computer usage in everyday operations museums rely on these technologies for a number of important and helpful functions. Using technology comes at a cost when multiple platforms must run together or begin crashing and when technology becomes dated and unhelpful. There are plenty of updates, physical fixes, call centers, and other methods to get something fixed or replaced but there are other ways to efficiently use technology in some areas of  museum management. For this analysis I am presenting and analyzing the development of a program titled Tools for Show that will consolidate programs and operations into one platform. While it is still in the testing stages and being offered for demos Tools for Show will allow users to input object files and pictures, use digital layouts and measurements to assist in show design, and offer collaborative outlets for users. The key idea is that consolidating these multiple tools in one will help expedite processes that take up more time using other programs or devices and also allow for easy access to collections or archives. One aspect of using this program would to also encourage users to work together to help sort out some technical issues when they arise (although I will note there was very little discussion in terms of physical or software issues). Due to some common ailments of museum technologies the development of programs like Tools for Show can help museum staff work together in one place and allow them more time to focus on their work rather than dealing with technical issues.

I enjoyed the chapter four reading as it focused on the digitization and preservation of archaeological findings and reports and not on visitor interfaces. Not only was the excavation  project monumental but also combines some of the subjects we’ve touched in class. This was an international collaboration effort between English and American museums, digitized the objects and the original paperwork and notes taken, and details the staffing that went into making it happen. Personally I know UPenn is an important institution for archaeology especially in the Middle East so establishing relations across the ocean with the British Museum strengthens scholarly ties between the continents. From a registrar viewpoint it was satisfying to read about the process of the project and how the work focused on both digitization and preservation/restoration.

The chapter 7 reading was intriguing in that the exhibition in question was a recreation of a country store that tailored to a range of audiences and interactives. There is a logical progression by adding and modifying the Pepper’s Ghost animations although I do not agree with spending so much time making it a visitor interactive. From the reading it was apparent there was some apprehension on behalf of visitors and some issues syncing the holograms to the physical items. The reading doesn’t necessarily state a need for the holograms but continually claims the space was “passive” so that would explain why the AAHOM wanted to incorporate more visitor-based holograms. The chapter states that this particular exhibition is “trendsetting” and I agree it is but without reading on visitor feedback or a visitor-based desire for certain technologies I would definitely reconsider what is needed and what is not.

The Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in chapter eight is a good example in what museums in the 21st century are doing to expand and enrich their visitor experiences. The study reveals a great deal about what the museum wanted to do around the time of their opening, how they made modifications, and how technology began playing an increasingly bigger role in their exhibitions. Naturally their studies helped pinpoint issues with visitor interaction with the technology and discussed some changes even as simple as leaving courtesy notes for visitors. Though it is a lesson seen in nearly all assessments the idea of subsequent changes is continually helping museums make changes to technologies so that interaction is beneficial and not a complication.

Chapter nine of the readings on the Smithsonian’s AAA exhibition on the Monuments Men was (personally) a bit out of scope with the previous readings on digitization and visitor experiences. It is still a good study in discussion how museums are using social media and collaborative efforts to make collections more accessible and promoted. The AAA has a plethora of documents and significant records from the work of the Monuments Men and stated this was the first time they were able to contribute documents to be on view (page 93). The online collection from this exhibition (hyperlinked in paragraph) is also beneficial to allowing access for those who were unable to attend. The discussion of the social media outreach seems to be becoming a no-brainer for younger generations but in the scope of museums it is becoming a more pivotal method of promotion and visitor feedback, so understandably there must be analytical reports conducted and presented on it.

Rijksmuseum Mobile First: Rijksstudio Redesign and the New Rijksmuseum App

Peter Gorgels

https://mw18.mwconf.org/paper/rijksmuseum-mobile-first-redesign-rijksstudio-the-new-rijksmuseum-app/

The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam has been studying, developing, assessing, and tracking digital media that are helping connect “visitors” to their collections. By “visitors” this means that more people can begin accessing the museum’s collection via website from virtually anywhere. In addition the museum launched Rijksstudio that allows visitors to view collections objects and also bookmark, edit, and use images. This media revamp was intended to bring the museum out of a “boring” and “traditional” mindset and was met with popular reception. Over five million image downloads were reported during the first phase of the study. Although the first studies revealed positive results there was still more the Rijksmuseum medias could do. The biggest trend noted was that more and more visits were using their phones to access the media. A second phase began focusing on user interface, platforms, tours and wayfinding, and adding ticket sales into the program. The Rijksmuseum still successfully underwent a project to allow more access to their collection and can now continually monitor and assess the needs its “visitors” from around the world.

Musete.ch interivew

Annelisa Stephan

Posted by Jasmin Mitchell on October 15, 2016

https://musete.ch/2016/10/15/annelisa-stephan-manager-for-digital-engagement-the-j-paul-getty/

This interview focuses on one person involved in visitor engagement and how they reach out and branch the visitors to the museum. Annelisa Stephan of The Getty discusses a bit about herself and her years of experience in the field. A prominent topic in the interview is her work digitally for The Getty including a large blog and outreach to its audiences, connecting the various bodies that make up The Getty, and managing other social media components. Stephan’s work has her focusing on relaying information to visitors about collections, conservation, events, and how The Getty is perceived by visitors. There is a good deal of people working on digital outlets for The Getty that help support everything that goes on whether they are contributing information or actually managing uploads and data. One aspect Stephan points out is how part of digital media is connecting people to people using hashtags and comments.  Though more and more media is being used daily Stephan’s interview brings up a vital point that there needs to be diligent management to be able to sort through and relay the proper information on blogs or channels.

Here’s my introduction video of (who else but) me talking a little bit about how I got into the museum world. Seeing as though this is my very first edited video it’s nothing fancy, nothing I’d win an Oscar for, but I managed to add a few pictures and crop a few “umms” out of it. Enjoy!

Transcript:

Hi everyone, thank you for checking out my introduction video. I want to take the next few minutes to talk about myself, some of the things I have been studying, some of the things I’ve been up to, and I’m a little interested in seeing how this goes because I’m not actually too comfortable talking and recording myself like this.

So my name is Amanda. I am from Burlington, New Jersey which is only about thirty or forty minutes outside Philadelphia. I’ve basically been here my whole life, and I actually work full time down here as a waitress. For my undergrad studies I actually got to go away up to Albany, New York. I decided to go there to go to a university that had a little bit of everything, wanted to see what I could get myself into, some of the things I’d be interested in. It was up there where I discovered art history courses. I was really interested in not only how art was produced, how it was perceived, but the history that went behind it, why things were made a certain way, how things were made in a time period. So that’s what caught my interest and I feel like I clicked with it very well. I also studied European history and medieval and Renaissance studies up there and as interesting as everything was I didn’t know what I was interested in doing as a career after I graduated. I was checking out some other museum jobs, just front of the house stuff, kind of what was available in my area. So after a few months I decided to get some experience and start volunteering and that landed me at the New Jersey State Museum in Trenton, New Jersey.

I got to work with the fine arts registrar and follow her around, help her with some tasks, show installations and deinstallations, inventory work, and after a year or so there it kind of led me to working as a curatorial assistant to the executive director and fine arts curator; and that was exciting because it actually had me working with some of the artists, reaching out to them, and the show ended up focusing on artists recognized by the New Jersey Council on the Arts. So it was helping me more and more become comfortable working in a museum and kind of help me sort through what I like and didn’t like about different jobs they offer there. So while I was still volunteering and working there I decided to start looking at masters programs for museums and that’s what landed me at Seton Hall University, which is a good hour and change from where I live. It’s definitely been a whirlwind adventure there. I been keeping so busy with all of the trips and opportunities that they’re offering to get out and visit and talk to some professionals in the field. I am currently in my third semester, so the start of my second full year and I anticipate graduating in May. I have a lot going on this semester with different classes and also trying to work on my thesis paper. I am taking registrar courses as I anticipate trying to find a registrar career once I graduate. It’s more appealing to me than the other jobs because it’s a lot of the stuff that happens behind the scenes. You do, like, a lot of paperwork and a lot of the stuff that people perceive as a little boring but I’m a-okay kind of sitting around filing, sorting, taking care of objects. I grew to love that when I was volunteering and I would love to have a career in it as well.

So the program has offered me a bunch of exposure to other museums and projects I probably would have never experienced if I hadn’t had gone. Last semester I was working on a project at the Guggenheim museum, I’ve become comfortable traveling up to New York City, evaluating different museum, exhibitions, projects, and back in May I was a participant in the seminar abroad where we got to go to the Netherlands for ten days and we took the town by storm: visiting museums and churches and getting to experience what the field was like outside of the United States, and it’s an experience I will treasure forever. I loved going, I loved hanging out with the kids on the trip, and getting to see all the stuff behind the scenes of the museums that we were able to attend.

I am also an intern at the Morris County Parks Commission. I am helping them doing some stuff around the historic sites. I’m doing inventory, moving objects and cleaning, so again some more of the registrar stuff, but I’m love with how much they keep me busy and all of the stuff I get to do for them as an intern. It keeps me busy between working full time and doing the internship and having school, so I don’t have so much free time for myself. I am a homebody, I like being at home, I like lounging around and taking it easy. One of my secret hobbies is that I’m really interested in Japanese anime and manga. I am…really into that stuff, so it keeps me preoccupied when I’m home. I try to hang out with people as much as possible, try to go out, hit up a bar or two. I am very busy this semester but I am looking forward to all this so that I can graduate in May and have the experience, have the exposure, have all these tools I can use when I start looking into different careers and museums that I’m interested in. So that’s a little about me, a lot about what I’ve been doing, and I’m looking forward to more posts and more opportunities for doing things outside my comfort zone. So thank you for checking me out.  

Thanks for visiting my page! I’m currently a graduate student at Seton Hall University studying museum registration. I will use this site to upload assignments I’m working on throughout my Fall 2018 semester.

“There are worthless things, but there are no meaningless things.”- not me