Museum Lives Project

2008 2009 2010

The Great Unknown

Museum Lives Project

Web pilot

2008 2009 2010

Narrative Stakeholder

Group created

The Great Unknown

“Like turning an oil tanker”

• “Big institution inertia”

• Not making any headway

• Staff at bottom of pile trying to make a difference

• Too many potential lines of communication, but no direct link to ‘the planners’.

Organisational structureDirector

ScienceExec.

Botany

Entom

Palaeo

Min

Library

Zoology

Learning

Development

Communications

Exhibitions

InteractiveMedia

CollectionsCommittee

NSG

DirectorOf

PEG

Museum Lives Project

Web pilot

2008 2009 2010

Palaeo. web request

Narrative Stakeholder

Group created

Library Migration

Void ofdespairThe Great Unknown

Winter ofdiscontent

Museum Lives Project

Web pilot

2008 2009 2010

Palaeo. web request

Narrative Stakeholder

Group created

Library Migration

Science Strategy

Digitisation Survey

Planning Conference

Void ofdespairThe Great Unknown

Winter ofdiscontent

Museum Lives Project

Web pilot

2008 2009 2010

Palaeo. web request

Narrative Stakeholder

Group created

Library Migration

Science Strategy

Digitisation Survey

Planning Conference

CLD Project is born

Void ofdespairThe Great Unknown

Winter ofdiscontent

Thingslook

Rosie!

The Vision• Empower science staff to capture their specialist

knowledge about collections.

• ‘One shoe fits all’. Single web template. – single implementation and easy to upgrade.

• Real-time updates.

• Link related collections across departments.

• Search Interface in addition to browse

• Improved navigation

• Alternative methods of representing information

Linking Collections

Library CLD’s

W. H. Lang

Devonian

Geographic Information

Taxonomy

CollectionEvents

Sites

Parties

Stratigraphy

Navigation

ACTIVE NARRATIVE

Parent narrative

Child narrative

Child narrative

Child narrative

Associated narrativeAssociated narrative

Party record

Taxonomy record

Stratigraphy record

Collection Event record

Sites record

Visualisation

• Took inspiration from business websites….

Visualisation

• Took inspiration from business websites….

• Hull Museum, UK and Te Papa, NZ websites

• And Indianapolis Art Museum..

Collection Statistics

The Vision

• Real-time updates

• Link related collections across departments

• Improved navigation

• Visualisation

Botany Collection Statistics

The Vision

• Real-time updates

• Link related collections across departments

• Improved navigation

• Visualisation

The Vision

• Real-time updates

• Link related collections across departments

• Improved navigation

• Visualisation

Geographic representation

Timelines

• Visual representation of sequence of events

• Collections Development

• History of the department

Twist in the tale

• No staff to deliver to the web….!

• Recruitment freeze.

• Hopefully employ somebody before Christmas.

• First draft by end March 2011??

Pros and Cons

• More heads more ideas

• Single template to suite all needs.

• Strategic priority - buy-in from depts.

• Impossible to get heads together.

• Bring everyone upto speed.

• Longer to consult with depts.

• Longer to reach agreement.

Conclusion• Pet projects go nowhere.

• Need an overall strategy in place.

• Fit the project to the strategy to get it on agenda.

• Ensure buy-in from all potential stakeholders (miracles can happen!).

• Collaboration slows planning but…

• Collaboration prevents re-inventing the wheel.

• Programme in some experimentation time to avoid circular discussions.