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.