Museum Thoughts

If I were a millionaire several times over, I would spend my time and effort working to expand technology utilization in museums. It has always been my desire to combine my love of history with my interest in technology and museums seem like a great place to mix these. If only museums weren’t so cash strapped projects like this might not be something to dream about.

For sake of this post let’s assume I am the curator of the British Museum and had carte blanche. Here are some thoughts on what I would implement.

* Digitize all content

The first step would be to get everything stored electronically. I would start by getting all the content on the cards sitting next to exhibits accessible in electronic format. Pictures of all exhibits must already be available but would be taken as needed.

* Translations

With the content available electronically it will be possible to translate into (n) languages pretty easily with the goal being to enable every visitor to be able to experience the museum in their native language.

* Add technology to the exhibits

– TechTags (http://my.thetech.org/)- the Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose has an interesting implementation of an RFID tag which users can swipe at different interactive exhibits. The server stores a record of which exhibits the user visited and, in the event of an interactive exhibit, the results of the exhibit were stored. This information is then available on the web for later access by the user. The Tech Museum has teminals setup so that users can customize the web pages that wrap the visit results.

This platform would be the basis of the major enhancements I would make. Each user could pick up a TechTag, not be required to give any PII, and could track their progress through the exbibit. As this press release (http://wwww.thetech.org/about/press/index.php?id=136) says “TechTags are ‘personalizing and extending’ the museum experience through the use of a small tag that can be worn around the wrist.”

Tied to the TechTag would also be the option to “register” the tag and set basic preferences. While the two primary uses would be translation of content and navigation the visitor would be able to provide country of origin, age, gender, and anything else the museum wants…

– Display screens would be available

As users visit the stations information on different exhibits will appear based on the RFID tags. Language, content, anything and everything can be customized based on the preferences established when the tag was registered. It is even possible that each teminal can accept changes to an account so that a simple, GUI would let users switch languages or give feedback on elements the visitor wants to see.

It is also possible that visitors could access a dynamic map and enter their desired destination. While I was there three people stopped to ask me where to find the mummies. If they could swipe their TechTag, select a destination on the screen (via map or keyword search and select interfaces) then the system would know the desired destination and provide directions. It should also be possible to plot a course for several exhibits and be directed to the next location with each exhibit stop similar to a GPS directing a driver through several destinations.

* Web-based expansion

TBD

* Post-visit record

TBD

* Usefulness for students

I saw a bunch of students touring the museum and taking down notes and snapping pictures. I would extend the TechTag and web tools tied to them to make it easy to build a summary of the visit, compile notes on what they see, and to build the information into other presentations.

* Connection to other partners

Google and others are looking to digitize the information in the world would like to get access to the additonal information that the British Museum and others house.