[logo: WWW Virtual Library, copyright Sir Tim Berners-Lee, used by permission.]

WWW Virtual Library


Mountain-Plains Museums Association

MPMA 2013 Web Session

The Top 10-Websites and How Your Museum Can Be One of Them

Robert Hickerson will present an overview of using a statistical data model of on-line visitors to improve the web relationship. Data mining of on-line experiences with examples of what KU Spencer Museum of Art is doing. What to plan for the future will be included.

Also see: MPMA Museums MySpace; Museum MySpace Tips; MPMA Social Network Tips

Chair: George Laughead, Laughead Web; President Emeritus, Ford County Historical Society, Dodge City, KS; Manager, WWW Virtual Library @ www.vlib.us, WWW-VL: United States History and Kansas Heritage Group. He has been a member of Tim Berners-Lee's Virtual Library management committee. His volunteer museum social network site: on Facebook. Founding Chair, MPMA Technology Committee.

Presenter:

Robert Hickerson, Digital Archive Manager, Spencer Museum of Art, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS (full collection online)



Some Museum Web Resources

  • AAM: Small Museums & Technology Panel [ http://www.vlib.us/aam/ ]
  • Selection: Museums on YouTube
  • Museums and Social Networks: What to do the easier way, MPMA Technology Committee [http://www.vlib.us/mpma/social.html]
  • Web tools for non-profits, from WWW-VL [www.vlib.us/websitetools.html]
  • Search Engine Tips and Secrets [http://www.vlib.us/web/searchenginetips.html]
  • WWW-VL: US History Museums [www.vlib.us/history/museums.html ]
  • WWW-VL: US Art Museums [www.vlib.us/history/artmuseums.html]
  • Mueller-Schmidt House Museum 1881, Dodge City, KS QT virtual tour of Old West cattleman's mansion [http://www.kansashistory.us/fordco/preview/]
  • Nasher Sculpture Center, Dallas, TX [www.nashersculpturecenter.org/]
  • The New Web: Getting US Ready To Stay Home, Get Fat, and Live On-Line [www.vlib.us/web/newweb.html ]
  • WWW-VL: W3 Web Ethics [www.vlib.us/web/ethics/ ]

  • List of Social Networking Sites


    MPMA 2012 Web Session

    BFF: Small Museums and Digital - Best Friends - Online, Off-line, in the iCloud

    The digital world requires on-line cooperation, not just technology. This session will address the question of how small museums can work together to use digital technology and media effectively. We will consider a new model for overcoming concerns about sharing and engaging in collaborative work on the web.

    A radical new approach for museums will be suggested.

    Chair: George Laughead, President, Ford County Historical Society, Dodge City, KS; Manager, WWW Virtual Library @ www.vlib.us

    Presenters:

    Robert Hickerson, Information Technology Manager, Spencer Museum of Art, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS

    David Kennedy, Curator, US Marshals Museum, Fort Smith, Arkansas

    MPMA 2011 Web Session

    Museums, Computer Clouds, OCR, Smart Phones, iPads, and More: New Technology Risks and Rewards

    The future of computing is clearly in the clouds, with smart phones and small handheld devices for museum visitors. Costs are dropping, security is good, and for most museums there is not a better way to expand user services than letting Google, Amazon, or Microsoft provide infinite space and speed for on-line content delivery. Costs are very low. Which services to use and how to plan for technology changes in the future will be covered.

    Barcoding: Not just for inventory anymore

    This presentation will discuss using QR barcode technology to deliver content to our Museum audience. Gone are the days of managing portable devices in your galleries. QR barcodes and smart phones are the new technology. The Spencer Museum of Art has begun a project that uses QR barcodes to link to their website, deliver multimedia content, and replace costly cell phone tour service. Strategies for implementing and outcomes will be discussed.

    Chair: George Laughead, President, Ford County Historical Society, Dodge City, KS; Manager, WWW Virtual Library @ www.vlib.us

    Presenter:

    Robert Hickerson, Information Technology Manager, Spencer Museum of Art, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS

    MPMA 2010 Web Session

    Museums, Web Social Networks & Virtual Reality: From Facebook and MySpace, to Buzz and Second Life

    Should your museum be famous on the web? Does it matter if your museum is real? Do the funding people care? Can you get massive increase in on-line viewers due to on-line collections? How do you keep all this social networking going? And, does it matter to your job, your job future, and your museum's future? (Hint - Yes, it does.)

    Come hear leaders in on-line collections, museum social networks, and museum virtual reality projects tell you what works, and what doesn't. Spencer Museum of Art, KU, will be a prime example.

    Chair: George Laughead, President, Ford County Historical Society, Dodge City, KS; Manager, WWW Virtual Library @ www.vlib.us

    Presenters:

    Robert Hickerson, Photographer/Database Project Manager, Spencer Museum of Art, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS (full collection online)

    Neal Smith, Wichita, KS; graduate student, Wichita State University Public History program.

    MPMA 2009 Web Session

    Economical Websites: Do You Need Help? Blogs, Flickr, YouTube, Facebook, MySpace - Using Free Social Networks for Museums

    These days, museum professionals are expected to know everything about websites. Yet, many don�t monitor their museum�s website and pay others to make changes to it. And, oh those pesky questions board members always ask: How can I see my donation on the web? Why are you on MySpace and not on a more �current� site? Why did our museum website address just become an on-line drug store? How can we save money by using email? Couldn�t you just do that blog in your extra time? Get answers to these questions and see how you can save money and be more web effective.

    Chair: George Laughead, President, Ford County Historical Society, Dodge City, KS; Manager, WWW Virtual Library @ www.vlib.us

    Presenters:

    Robert Hickerson, Photographer/Database Project Manager, Spencer Museum of Art, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS (full collection online)

    Jessica Johnson, Second Life Project Coordinator, Spencer Museum of Art. Spencer Art Museum Myspace. Spencer Museum of Art YouTube: Saint in the City: Sufi Arts of Urban Senegal


    Spencer Museum of Art Second Life Project

    A Second Life for Museums part of the session will include work being done at Spencer Museum of Art, University of Kansas, by a group of students from a variety of departments working together to document Museum Life and respond with creative projects that are then rolled out through social networking sites. The project culminates in an installation/performance/video piece in Spencer's 21st Century gallery. Goal is that thousands will have viewed and interacted with the project via social networking. Spencer Museum of Art will have more virtual friends than walk in the front door. Second Life is a virtual reality social networking site. Spencer Museum of Art has received IMLS funding for some of their social network work.

    MPMA 2008 Web Session

    Museums & Web 2.0: Slaying Dragons or Titlting at Windmills ? Blogs, YouTube, MySpace - Using Social Networks for Museums

    As part of the continuing discussion of the role of technology within the museum field, this session will focus on certain web-based phenomena that have virtually revolutionized how people�particularly teenagers and young adults�use the Web. By examining social networking, self-promotion and �deep personalization� (via YouTube, and virtual reality lives (via Second Life) we will interpret the meaning of these technologies for museums: What exactly are these technologies? How do they function? How can museum professionals use them to reach new demographics?

    Blogs, RSS, social networks etc. are free tools that help market and promote; but when you don't have the manpower or time to use them -- or find that marketing your blog or profile is as much work as your website -- what can you do? Use existing bloggers & social networks to broadcast your message, organization, even your existing press release for you -- in a way that generates excitement and isn't considered 'spam'. Twitter, MySpace, Facebook, Flickr, Technorati, blogging, podcasts, RSS -- not all Web 2.0 opportunities are equal, not in terms of time & ease of use nor in ability to reach your target audience. Discussion on how to identify & evaluate the bloggers, networks & other Internet methods that can help you meet visitors, volunteers and other museum supporters -- and meet your goals.

    A Saint in the City: Sufi Arts of Urban Senegal

    Saint in the City: Sufi Arts of Urban Senegal

    Museums & Social Networks: The Discorporation of Communication, Community, and Culture

    A Second Life for Museums part of the session will include work being done at Spencer Museum of Art, University of Kansas, by a group of students from a variety of departments working together to document Museum Life and respond with creative projects that are then rolled out through social networking sites. The project culminates in an installation/performance/video piece in Spencer's 21st Century gallery. Goal is that thousands will have viewed and interacted with the project via social networking. Spencer Museum of Art will have more virtual friends than walk in the front door. Second Life is a virtual reality social networking site. Spencer Museum of Art has received IMLS funding for some of their social network work.

    Chair: George Laughead; President, Ford County Historical Society, Dodge City, KS; Manager, WWW Virtual Library @ www.vlib.us, and Kansas Heritage Group. In 2005, he was a member of Tim Berners-Lee's Virtual Library management committee. His hobbies include playing google as a computer game.

    Presenters:

    Robert Hickerson, Photographer/Database Project Manager, Spencer Museum of Art, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS and is also the digital image workshop presenter at MPMA.

    Deanna Dahlsad, Fargo, ND, has decades of marketing/community relations experience, including the non-profit sector, and a decade of hands-on Internet marketing experience. Along with running several websites and blogs, she is a freelance writer and a staff writer at Collectors' Quest.

    Neal Smith, Start-Thinking, LLC, Wichita, KS, non-profit public relation web and communications firm; also graduate student, Wichita State University Public History program.


    MPMA 2007 Web Session

    MySpace, YouTube and OurMuseums: Using Social Networks for Museums - Reaching Generation Why?

    As part of the continuing discussion of the role of technology within the museum field, this session will focus on certain web-based phenomena that have virtually revolutionized how people�particularly teenagers and young adults�use the Web. By examining social networking, self-promotion and �deep personalization� (via YouTube, and virtual reality lives (via Second Life) we will interpret the meaning of these technologies for museums: What exactly are these technologies? How do they function? How can museum professionals use them to reach new demographics?

    Chair: George Laughead; President, Ford County Historical Society, Dodge City, KS; Manager, WWW Virtual Library @ www.vlib.us/

    Presenter: Jeremy Clark, Principal & Consultant, Orinda Group, a museum planning and consulting firm with offices in Los Angeles, Portland, OR, and Charleston, SC. Orinda Group principals have designed online exhibitions and museum websites since 1999.


    MPMA Technology Committee

    Continued formation of the MPMA Technology committee and announcements concerning the developing MPMA Web Site.

    All MPMA members are invited to join, or to submit issues and possible areas of involvement for the committee.

    Suggested MPMA Technology Committee areas of interest:


    • MPMA Website: getting MPMA's website found throughout the Internet and obtaining first page results on related searches. This would involve linkage and other website issues, such as domain name selection and protection of names, and site security and backup. There would be ongoing recommendations for the MPMA website. New area of discussion is the social networking sites and MPMA and museum policies related to them -- and recommendations related to the non-domain status since users don't actually own these addresses.
    • MPMA Member Links: establish back and forth web links to the MPMA site from all Institutional Member sites. Make it part of the benefit of being an Institutional Member of MPMA. All Institutional Members will benefit from linkage, especially the least web visible museums. Linkage and content are the two main building blocks of search engine results. In other words, this is how your institution can be a top result on searches for your museum and your state museums.
      • MPMA business members/sponsors: links established back and forth to our site. They will benefit from items one and two, also.
      • Marketing: Amazon.com accounts and other accounts possible; company links with possible financial benefit to MPMA. There are many other ideas for marketing. This area will benefit from items one and two.
    • Development of future technology projects to help MPMA and the museum community. Digital conversion and storage issues and techniques are possible areas.
    • Public educational and facility opportunities for museums with new technologies is another possible area of interest for this committee.
    • Contact and connection with non-MPMA member sites, such as AAM's website, with important museum related non-MPMA member sites, and with AAM's website, etc. This would be a PR role for the committee, and would also involve building non-MPMA email contact with the broader museum community. National level organizations of all types could work with the MPMA on web issues.

Forming Committee Members

Amy Cleveland Newman, Astor House Museum; Bob Gant, Cheyenne Frontier Days Old West Museum; Mark Janzen, Ulrich Museum of Art; Larry McClymonds, outsource; Doug Mudd, Money Museum; Chuck Regier, Kauffman Museum; Randi Smith; Carey Southwell, Donning Company; Don Traub Design Associates; Richard Urban, Collaborative Digitization Program; Art Wolf, Wolf Museum Consulting; Robert Hickerson, Spencer Art Museum, KU; (more to be added). Attending for MPMA Board, Lorne Render, past MPMA President, Beach Museum of Art; and MPMA President 2007 Dee Harris, NARA Kansas City.

David Kennedy, Committee Chair, Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center
George Laughead, Committee Vice Chair; [logo: WWW-Virtual Library] WWW Virtual Library @ www.vlib.us


Related WWW-Virtual Library Sites:


Museum Associations

American Allance of Museums AAM

Mountain-Plains Museums Association

MPMA Member Web Sites


The Kansas Heritage Group is managed by George Laughead. HDSource site established March 1993 (History Gateway at Kansas) -- the second public web site. See: The New Web. Thanks to Dr. Lynn H. Nelson, who explains "HNSource, the first history site on the WWW". Site hosted at WWW Virtual Library @ www.vlib.us. Updated: 20 December 2017.

MPMA Museum Technology
URL: http://www.vlib.us/mpmatechcom.html