Bücher der Reihe Innovative Approaches for Museums

Technology and Digital Initiatives: Innovative Approaches for Museums discloses the ways in which technology is used as a means of communicating with visitors through podcasts, apps, websites, and blogs; as an educational enhancement through off-site e-learning and onsite participation at interactive kiosks; and as non-site-based experiences through collaborative initiatives providing open access to collections worldwide. This book offers ten case studies that address technology and digital initiatives from the perspective of initiators and consumers. Each of the chapters consider the use of technology in as a means of communicating with visitors through apps, websites, and other online resources used onsite and off-site. For example, strategies of museums detailed on a global level by Jane Alexander and Elizabeth Bolander of The Cleveland Museum of Art and Sree Sreenivasan of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Alexander and Bolander walk us through the creation of a digital roadmap, a digital vision that links the museum’s mission and strategic plans to the needs of its constituencies. Sree contends that museums can lead the way with innovation in the digital sector. And he offers lessons from his experience at the Met that might provide guidelines for your work and your museum.The Innovative Approaches for Museums series offers case studies, written by scholars and practitioners from museums, galleries, and other institutions, that showcase the original, transformative, and sometimes wholly re-invented methods, techniques, systems, theories, and actions that demonstrate innovative work being done in the museum and cultural sector throughout the world. The authors come from a variety of institutions—in size, type, budget, audience, mission, and collection scope. Each volume offers ideas and support to those working in museums while serving as a resource and primer, as much as inspiration, for students and the museum staff and faculty training future professionals who will further develop future innovative approaches.Contributions by: Jane Alexander, Elizabeth Bolander, Elizabeth Botten, Gareth Brereton, Nancy E. V. Bryk, Stephen J. Bury, Duygu Camurcuoglu, Kimberly Christen, John Dallwitz, Birger Ekornåsvåg Helgestad, Jennifer E. Henel, Kelly Quinn, Sree Sreenivasan, Jonathan Taylor, Sabra Thorner, Rihoko Ueno, and Heather Marie Wells

This book addresses how museums forge two-way communication and engaged participation through the use of community curation, social media, collaboration, and inquiry-based learning. Such approaches demonstrate how museums serve as thriving, central gathering places in communities and offer meaningful, creative educational experiences.

Fundraising and Strategic Planning: Innovative Approaches for Museums appraise strategies museums employ to raise funds including admission prices, membership categories, donor and affinity groups, and specialized event-driven efforts while examining new crowdfunding models such as Kickstarter and Indiegogo.

Collections Care and Stewardship: Innovative Approaches for Museums considers best practices and innovations related to documenting collections with regard to movement and safe handling of items for transport, display, photography, and treatment; collections storage; and information-sharing within and beyond the museum.