Here is what we know about web users today. While we tend to think of young people as power-users, the audience for the web is much more broad. In fact, the center of web activity is GenX’ers who are starting families and have kids that are power-power users. We also know some things about how people use the web. It is becoming a trusted source of information (not all sites of course, but it is a place to start.) However, only 8% of users in all categories are “digital collaborators”. These are the people that are ahead of the trends and are the early adopters for a given social group. These are the people we need to reach.
The site incorporates Web 2.0 technology by asking users to “Help others find me” as well as different views of the object. Users can also order study prints or even license the image. Scrolling down below the object is a link to hear the artist talk about the piece.
While important for collection management, Barcoding and RFID technologies can also be used to develop end-user connections. In this case, the MoMA uses codes (based on the barcode) to develop podcasts that users can view on their iPod. The same technology that makes this possible in the museum can also be used online.
Connecting the City: Wilkshire Blvd. won a Muse Award from the American Association of Museums in 2007. The project focuses on a particular area and allows users to find their own way through the site.
An interesting aspect of the MoMA project is that the podcasts were created by MoMA’s “Red Studio” group, a teen affiliate group.
For Outreach, we can interact much more closely with other historical societies, libraries and museums. Another aspect of this is allowing insitututions to put their own content on the portal. (Service-based fee model). Winner, Best of the Web 2007 Collections Link http://www.collectionslink.org.uk Managed by MDA in partnership with Institute of Conservation and The National Preservation Office. As users submit questions, they are dynamically linked on to the front page. Links on the left connect librarians and museum professionals with resources.