Passage Museums Nova Scotia

December 2011 Update

2011-12-26T19:04:00.000-04:00

It's hard to believe that this year is already over...it feels like it just began.

As the ANSM office closes for two weeks in December, we rushed through our time in the office, trying to make sure all the loose ends were tied up before the break. This involved a number of different meetings, final review of documentation, the sending of renewal letters & contracts...lots of stuff to keep us busy. But it was only two weeks, so this update will be brief.

Goodbye Chris

We said goodbye to Chris after a great four months. What a boost to the organization to have such a knowledgeable and fun guy around to help create some new online resources and contribute to the database renewal work. It just won't be the same without him. We're proud to report that he aced his final internship evaluation, having exceeded our expectations at every turn.

Renewal Contracts
Please keep in mind that renewal contracts & payments are due by the end of January. Any questions can be sent by email, or you can phone the office (we'll be back on Tuesday, January 3rd).

Database Renewal Project

Uniform
Army Museum

There were of course many other things on the go this month which means progress was slower than usual, but a number of museums still managed to add a bit to our tally. Our new totals are 172,009 records and 42,625 images - 595 new records and 805 new images.
Regionally, here's how things sit:
Southwest - 84,118 artifacts, 17,642 images
Central - 34,926 artifacts, 9,178 images
Northeast - 32,611 artifacts, 12,603 images
Cape Breton - 22,199 artifacts, 3,202 images

Congrats to the Southwest region for entering the most artifact records this month, and to the Central region for adding the most images. And for anyone interested in knowing how we compare to the British Museum's online catalogue, we've got 25% of our artifacts photodocumented compared to their 30%. I'm convinced that we can catch them before the website launches.

New Year's resolutions:
1. Figure out how to slow time. Chris' valiant efforts in this regard resulted in an extra hour, but I have a feeling we might lose this in the spring.
2. Launch our new collections website with 180,000 artifacts and 60,000 associated images.
3. Eat more cake.

So goodbye 2011, and thanks for letting us survive the craziness. You're definitely ending on a high note.

Goodbye Cake Walk

2011-12-15T11:25:00.003-04:00

CCI workshop

Wow! How quickly 4 months flies when you’re having fun! On one hand, I can’t quite believe myinternship has come to an end, but on the other, I look back and realize howmuch has been packed into my time with the ANSM. Site visits, professional developmentworkshops, website planning, policy writing, research projects…it’s been verybusy! I hope that these projects willall be of some use to the museums of Nova Scotia long after my internship ends. If that work proves to be half as beneficialto all of you as it was for me, I will be a happy camper. The work I completed, without doubt, hasgreatly enhanced my knowledge of museum practice and protocol, and will bewonderful asset to have in my pocket as I move forward with my career in theheritage field.

Between tagging along with Karin on site visits and my ownweekend excursions, I’ve been able to meet a lot of wonderful people and visitmany great museums across the entire province. I will be taking awesome memories of whale-watching, hockey games, ghostwalks, and general site seeing goodness back with me to Ontario. However, there is still a part of me that wishes I could stay longer andexperience more of Nova Scotia’sbeauty and its citizen’s wonderful hospitality.

birthday cake

A great number of thanks must be given to everyone who touredme around their sites, shared their knowledge, and handed out snacks andgoodies along the way. Pretty much allof the projects I completed during my time with the ANSM would not have beendone without your guidance. Thanks inparticular to the ANSM staff for welcoming me into their ranks with open armsand providing copious amounts of cake on a regular basis. I feel that my ability to intake sugar hasreached new levels of absurdity and will have prepared me for the upcomingholiday season in ways never before witnessed. Of course, the biggest thanks must be directed at Karin for taking meunder her wing and cramming as much of her considerable expertise as possibleinto my brain since September. She“exceeded my expectations” on a regular basis, and every day I was able towitness firsthand what a wonderful resource she is for museums across Nova Scotia.

So, with that, I guess that’s about it for me. I’ll be heading back to Ontario on December 19 with a lot of mixedemotions, but with the knowledge that, in my own mind, my internship was asuccess in every sense of the word. Itwas wonderful meeting everyone I did and for everyone I didn’t- I wish Ihad. Hopefully our paths cross againsomewhere down the road. Thanks again,and Happy Holidays!

Chris with the famous Crosby dryer at the NS Sport Hall of Fame

Dating Artifacts

2011-12-14T16:44:00.002-04:00

One of the fun things about our fancy website is that visitors will be able to browse through records by date. So if I'm in a historian who is all about the Victorian Period, the website can accommodate me. Or if I want to relive the 1960s because my memory is a little fuzzy, the website can help me with that. Groovy. Except that if there is no date listed in the object record, the website can't give accurate results. Major downer.
Dates don't have to be perfectly exact. If you know something was made in the 1950s, you can put in 1950-1960 as a date range. Or if you know something is 19th century, you can enter 1800-1900. What we need to do is start narrowing down these date ranges so that browsing by date will be more and more accurate as we work on the system.

We've been talking a lot in the office about how to date artifacts without being an expert on a specific type of collection or time period - basically we've been talking about how to cheat. So here it is, your cheat sheet to artifact dating.

Nova Scotia Historical Vital Statistics
novacotiagenealogy.com

1. If you know who is in a photograph, or who made an object, visit novascotiagenealogy.com. Look up the person and if you're lucky, you'll find a birth, marriage or death record that will help you narrow things down. Other genealogical websites can help with out-of-province individuals.

2. Fashions change every season (or so they say), so for textile collections and all those photos of people, check out what they're wearing. Here's a great blog post to give you some tips.

3. Talk to your local experts:

a) Donors - even if they can't say exactly when something was made or when a photo was taken, they can tell you what they remember about the object, ex. "it came from my great-grandparents' house; we got it after they passed away". Once you tie the artifact to a person, refer to step 1. Maybe they remember buying the object, or getting it for Christmas one year. Their memories will help you start the process of narrowing down a date range.

b) Antiques Dealers - I know I know. We don't always see eye to eye with them, but the fact remains that they have a lot of knowledge on a variety of subjects. So would it really be so bad to ask if they'd be interested in stopping by to help you date some artifacts? Be perfectly clear that nothing is for sale. If they agree, ask what their speciality is and pull out a few things for them to look at.

c) Local Historians - every town has them; the 5th generation cabinetmaker, the guy who used to work at the foundry/mine/factory/fish plant/whatever place before it closed, local collectors...there are local experts who would love to talk with museums about their artifacts.

4) Stating the Obvious - coins are dated, most books have a publishing date, ceramics and silverware have makers marks/stamps, a lot of manufactured goods have patent dates (or numbers that can be looked up to get a date)...various objects in the collection will have a date right on them. Plug this into the begin & end date field and you're done.

"this binder", says Chris

5) Collections Management Resource Binder - remember this? It was compiled by Paul Collins and given out at workshops or during site visits for the past few years. It's big, it's black, and it has tons of information in it on proper museum procedures, including a bunch of resources on specific types of artifacts: books, ceramics, documents, prints, paintings, costumes, glass, and a visual dictionary of random stuff. The section on costumes is especially helpful.

6) Google It!! This should probably fall under stating the obvious, but I think it deserves its own section. The internet can be very helpful in identifying and dating artifacts. Academics, collectors, and enthusiasts have created reference sites for all kinds of objects. I like to use this as a jumping off point. Maybe the site seems a little funny, but there's a reason they say this [insert random object here] dates to the mid 20th century. Subsequent searches and enquiries using the suggested date may get you better results from more reputable sources.

Over the coming months we'll be sharing dating & reference resources via our facebook page. We'd also love to hear from you. If you have a favourite reference website, please share it as a comment below so everyone can check it out.

Mapping the Museum

2011-12-08T19:00:00.000-04:00

Having just released a new game plan for database work, I thought it might be helpful to examine some of the steps in detail. But before we do that, let's talk about museum floor plans.
I noticed some trends as I conducted data cleaning for the Database Renewal Project. I expected to see some "dirty data", ie records that weren't entered in the proper format or correct field. What I did not expect to see were so many inconsistencies in the location fields. Buildings, rooms, and shelves/units are being named very inconsistently in museum databases. This makes it impossible to print out an accurate inventory list for that building, room, or unit. Remember my previous post about dissociation? Yup, that fits here.

Ironhill Museum floor plan
from www.ironhill-museum.org

It all comes down to the fact that you need a floor plan of your site. It doesn't matter if it's one room or 51 rooms; a floor plan is essential. The plan doesn't have to be made to scale or be overly complicated. You just need to map out where things are and what they are called. Otherwise when staff and volunteers are doing data entry, you run the risk of inconsistencies and an inaccurate inventory.

Building: use the formal name of each building, such as James House Museum. Do not shorten this to Museum or James House, or JHM.

Room: each room should be numbered or named on your floor plan so that new volunteers, summer students, and board members can easily understand and locate artifacts and archival holdings. Some museums like to label their rooms on the door or wall to make things even simpler.

Unit: each room should be sub-divided into sections (the database uses the term unit). In storage this may mean numbering or naming cabinets and drawers, ie Cabinet 2, Drawer 6. In the galleries you should be numbering or naming the display cases. If you have objects hanging on the wall, consider numbering the walls or using directional designations, ie. North Wall.

Once you have mapped out the museum, review the storage location hierarchy in your database. This should match your floor plan exactly. Reconcile any duplicate entries or inaccurate names, moving the artifacts to the appropriate location. Once the locations have been set, they should not require updating unless you obtain a new building, display case, shelving unit etc. The curator is the only person who should be editing the locations. This function should be locked from students and volunteers. This is why we set up additional accounts for volunteers and students - they can edit artifact records, but cannot change the storage locations as established by the curator.

November 2011 Update

2011-11-30T11:34:00.000-04:00

Workshops

Janet & Carole give some care & handling tips

We had two workshops this month, CCI's Artifacts in Aboriginal Cultural Centres, and our own Museum Management & Governance. CCI's workshop was very hands-on, and they brought some fantastic examples of Aboriginal object for us to discuss. The Management & Governance workshop was preceded by our first real blast of winter, but thankfully the weather was fine as we made our way to New Glasgow. It's hard to make this topic hands-on, but we had some great discussions and it was really interesting to watch the class grab onto certain pieces of information. There was some serious synchronized note-taking going on. We had great turnout for each, and are already talking about where and when the next workshops will take place (in the spring...no more winter travel). Thanks to the Glooscap Heritage Centre and the Museum of Industry for being excellent hosts.

Meetings
As I mentioned last month, we're garnering a lot of interest in our database renewal & website development work. This month I met with the CNSA to discuss their review of Archway and how we are currently on very similar paths. The recent departmental shuffle has put museums, archives, and libraries all under the same umbrella, and there seems to be general agreement that this is an opportunity for us to work together and do some great things. Anita and I also sat down with some friends from the Heritage Division to talk about our process and the sharing of collections information online. We're going to keep these discussions going so we'll be better able to coordinate efforts as all of our projects continue to align. Very exciting times!

Also taking place right now are Community Museum Assistance Program (CMAP) meetings. As the program is currently under review, community meetings are taking place in each of the regions to ensure that museums' input is incorporated into the final report. If you have not already attended one of these meetings, I strongly urge you to do so.
Here's the list of dates & places:
1. Northeast Region - November 23, 930am-1230pm - Marigold Cultural Centre, 605 Prince Street, Truro
2. Central Region - November 30, 1-4pm - Fairbanks Interpretative Centre, 54 Locks Road, Dartmouth
3. Cape Breton Region - December 1, 1-4pm (storm date Dec.2) - Highland Village Museum, Iona
4. Southwest Region - December 6, 1-4pm - Greenwood Military Aviation Museum, Greenwood

Database Renewal Project - Website Development
We received official word that our SDI funding application for website development was approved. So now we can start to use all that research and background work to kick things into high gear. Our goal is to have the website ready for my 2012 summer site visits. This way I can give sites a sneak peak of their data as it is presented in the site. The official launch will still be September, so we've got 10 months to clean things up.

Chris has just finished up all sorts of documentation and policies. They are in the final stages of approval and should start to appear in our resources section before Christmas. We've also revised the Passage Game Plan to better address public expectations. Here are the steps in a nutshell:
1. Enter all paper-based info, georeference objects
2. Do an inventory - fill in as many blank fields as possible and get a high-quality image of the object
3. Enrichment - conduct research to fill in more blanks and share personal stories for every object
4. Reconcile loans - there is no such thing as a permanent loan!

There will be an update to the system in the near future (before Christmas), which means that the database will be down for a few hours. Seth and I have been talking about this and will be sure to schedule it overnight so that it won't interfere with anyone's work. I'll be sure to send an email to everyone about the update when it is done.

Tapestry
Les Trois Pignons Centre Culturel

We are still making very excellent progress in the database. I want to commend you all for your hard work. I know it represents many hours and you've been fantastic about adjusting your work plan to prepare for our 2012 website launch. Kudos to you!
So where do we sit this month? Well, we added another 722 new records and 2,125 images! We now have 171,414 records and 41,820 images in the database. Yay team!

And now for that ever-popular regional breakdown:
Southwest - 83,904 artifacts, 17,323 images
Central - 34,735 artifacts, 8,696 images
Northeast - 32,461 artifacts, 12,599 images
Cape Breton - 22,014 artifacts, 3,202 images

Congrats to the Central region for adding the most artifact records and images this month. They had some stiff competition from the Southwest for the artifact records, but blew everyone out of the water with the images.

I am amazed at how many images are being added each month. This is exactly the kind of progress we want to see as we work on website development. I've been getting questions about artifact photography and the dating of artifacts since we have identified these tasks as priorities, so Chris and I are working on some blog posts to deal with these issues. Let me know if you have other areas that you'd like addressed and we'll do our best to accommodate.

Photographing the Small Stuff

2011-11-29T16:39:00.001-04:00

So we've looked at 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional photography, and now we're going to focus on all those tiny artifacts in the museum. This can include coins, buttons, pins, small stone tools, lead shot, badges and medals, etc etc. We've got lots of little stuff, and it requires special attention.

1. Set the camera to macro. This is the little flower icon, and allows you to get much closer with the camera lens. With the Passage-supplied cameras, you should be able to get within 5-10cm of the object. Don't forget to you use this setting on larger objects as well when you want to get a detail shot. And all those ceramics, silver, and other stuff with makers marks stamped on the bottom - macro is your best friend.

2. Use your tripod. Since the macro setting sets a longer exposure time, the camera needs to be absolutely still for the the image to be clear. Try as you might, a shot without a tripod will not be as good as one with a tripod. Small tabletop tripods are also available and well worth the investment if you have a large collection of tiny artifacts.

3. Use the self-timer. This is another very helpful tool when using macro and a tripod. Set the timer to two seconds (or something comparably short) and push the button. So if your hand bumps the edge of the camera or the pressure of pushing the button moves the camera slightly, the lapse in time allows for everything to settle before the shot is taken. It also ensures that the longer exposure takes place without movement, thereby giving you a much clearer image.

If you are comfortable playing with your camera settings, you can also try adjusting the aperture (generally speaking, a larger f-stop number gets you a better close-up shot), but the auto settings coupled with macro should give you a decent image.

Ok, now let's look at some tiny artifacts from our collections.

First up is a lovely fake tortoiseshell hair comb. It's small, but not tiny. However, the detail of the marbled plastic can quickly be lost if the picture is not taken close-up. One of the general artifact photography rules is to centre the object in the shot, but if the scale is larger than the object, this can really ruin the aesthetics of the shot.

VS.

In terms of setup, this is a great 3d artifact image. The object is dark so the light background fabric was used to provide contrast, the scale is pretty straight, the image is cropped, and the colour is decent (a bit dark). But where the object is so small, the scale is a little overpowering. So again using Picasa, I cropped out the edge of the scale so that the measurements are still visible, but the scale becomes less of a focal point. The only thing that would have made the shot even better would have been putting the comb closer to the scale so that it would be truly centred in the shot.
Remember, the scale is not what you are photographing. It is a reference point that should be included, but it's perfectly acceptable to crop out one side, or in the case of this, the outer edges of both sides.

Here's a tiny object with even more cropping. Since the ends of the scale would have left a lot of dead space in the shot that would take away from the artifact, they were cropped out. But we can still tell that this object is about 4cm in length and 2cm in diameter. As with the hair comb above, the object should be a bit closer to the scale, and a few little fine touches would have improved the shot, but you get the idea.

What if you don't have a scale? I know that some sites have made their own, or have tried to use a normal ruler instead. If for some reason you cannot have a scale in the picture, follow the same steps above and focus on centring the artifact (and don't forget to crop once you transfer the image to the computer). Here we have a biface from the south shore. Since this object is very light in colour, it was photographed on a dark background. The macro setting was used, which is why so much detail in the stone can be seen. The photographer took the time to play with the camera settings to ensure that the aperture, ISO, and white balance produced a high-quality image. The tripod and timer were used to ensure that a clear image was captured (I'm not just making all this up, I was there when the image was taken). The measurements are noted in the object record, which means that even without the scale, the audience will still know the size of the object.

2-Dimensional Digitization

2011-11-29T12:43:00.001-04:00

As we prepare for our website launch, I have been getting more and more questions about photographing and scanning museum collections. Digitization can be a difficult task when you're staring at thousands of objects and overstretched staff and volunteers. And what if you're a seasonal museum and you can't even access the building over the winter months? So many obstacles. So let's focus on making this task easier. How can you get the most bang for your buck?

General rules for photographing artefacts can be found on the ANSM website: Artefact Photography Tips. I've also blogged about the good, the bad, and the ugly of artefact photography. Many of those basic rules still apply, but here we're also going to talk about scanning small 2d items such as photographs, postcards and documents. I know I talk a lot about the importance of using a scale during photography, but the exception to this rule is when you're working in 2d.

How to scan:
1. The length and width of the scan should each be at least 1200 pixels.
2. If you aren't sure how to adjust the pixel settings, set your scanner to 600dpi, which should produce a good quality image in all cases.
3. Preview the scan first to make sure that the scanner hasn't automatically cropped out white space and that the item didn't shift when the lid was closed. You want the image to be as straight as possible, so take full advantage of that corner orientation.
4. If you have postcards or other two-sided documents, be sure to scan both sides.
5. Crop the image tight to the item. The original scan will likely have a bit of black around the edges that can be cleaned up.
6. Save the file as a tiff.

vs.

This image was obviously taken with a camera, following 3d artifact photography rules. Wow, is that scale ever distracting! And look at how much smaller the left image is compared to the right image. To make the improvement I just straightened and cropped the existing image in Picasa. This isn't ideal, but as you can see it's a big improvement. Here's what a properly scanned photograph looks like:

Scanning is a great way to get a lot of bang for your buck. Start with a folder or box, wherever you have these items stored, and just work your way through it. You'll be surprised at how quickly the work goes, and how great your images look when added to the database.

Feeling more adventurous? Maybe you have paintings, tapestries, or other large 2-dimensional pieces that are difficult to move. These objects can be photographed in situ, ie where they are. This makes the cropping process very important, as exhibit labels and other artifacts that can't be moved can get in the shot and distract you from the artifact.
1. Always use your tripod to set up a shot that is looking straight at the object.
2. Always use the camera timer so the camera will be still when the image is captured. Two seconds is adequate time to push the button and step back.
3. Make sure that the longest side of the object corresponds with the longest view in the camera. For this image, the camera was turned sideways to ensure that the tapestry filled the frame as much as possible.

4. Crop the image close to the frame or edges of the object. We don't want any distractions in the shot.

vs.

Notice the difference between these two shots. The second is much cleaner and the colour and detail looks crisper because there is nothing distracting the eye. And the cropping was done in a matter of seconds - well worth the time.

At the end of the day, these images are a direct reflection on your level of professionalism. So if you aren't satisfied with the image, or you think you can do better, redo it. Don't just attach something to the database for the sake of attaching something. In our fancy new website, that will make us all look bad.

Museums and Remembrance Day - 2011 Edition

2011-11-07T16:25:00.000-04:00

Last year I wrote a Remembrance Day post in honour of my grandfather and his contribution to the RAF in WWII. While my grandfather and his brothers all returned home safely, my grandmother's family was not as lucky. The biggest blow to the family was when her youngest brother was shot down over Belgium during a bombing run. The stories and objects associated with Grenville have now become part of the Stanley family lore.
All too often this kind of information is excluded from museum collection records.

the musician

Grenville was elevated to a sort of immortal status in the family, having two nephews named after him, and a few semi-shrines established in his parents' and siblings' homes. He was the promising youngest son who never got to live out his potential or truly experience life. The stories that have been passed down about him reveal him as a very kind, caring individual, full of life and love for his fellow man. He played the clarinet in the Salvation Army band, volunteered with youth, and planned on becoming an Anglican minister after the war. His nickname was Bumps. His cheerful personality made him very popular in his squadron, Bomber Command No.76, and when that terrible letter arrived at my great-grandparents' door, his courage, skill, and popularity were all referenced.

young love

We also know that he had a special lady friend who he was planning on marrying. Her name didn't make it on any of the photographs, but there are enough images of these two to know that they had something special; that they looked forward to building a life together when the fighting finally stopped. The story goes that he was on his last bombing mission before heading home for his wedding. I don't know what happened to this poor girl whose heart was broken - the family didn't maintain that tie and she has now faded from memory.

the wireless operator

His military record sheds a lot of light on his war-time activities, but also has a lot of blacked-out sections that leave the reader guessing. We know that P/O Stanley served as a wireless operator on Halifax bombers, making night-time runs into Germany. We know that when his plane went down, there were no survivors. He was buried in Schouselhof, Belgium, alongside many other promising young men whose lives were cut short. He was only 23 years old.

Having suffered the sudden and unexpected loss of a very significant person in my life, I understand how difficult it is to talk about it. You want to focus on those good memories and silly quirks that make you smile. Those things that used to drive you crazy seem far less important, and so you let them slip from your memory. It's just natural that certain aspects of the story are maintained, others are lost, and some are altered slightly through retelling. So when museums interview donors to find out the stories behind the objects, we always end up with a slightly altered truth - the lore of that object.

Artifact records will always have loose ends and unanswered questions. Some purists will refuse to include family lore in their records because they want only the proven facts, but in my mind these stories are a valid and important part of the object's history. The museum exists to provide answers about the past. Sometimes we will have wonderful proven facts to include in our records, but other times we will have fascinating stories that have been passed down for generations. Maybe the story isn't always 100% accurate, but there is something very special about reading a record that tells me how the family talked about and treated the item.

I don't know what Uncle Gren was really like, if he truly was on his last bombing mission, or what all of his plans were for after the war. But I do know that we cherish the family memory of him; that we will never forget the sacrifice that he made. And one way that we can pay tribute to him is through the sharing of the family lore.

lest we forget

October 2011 Update

2011-10-29T17:30:00.003-03:00

Workshops

Museums & Community
Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic

ANSM's Museums and Community workshop (part of the new core curriculum) was held Oct.6-7th in Lunenburg at the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic. Chris and I sat in on this one and what's interesting to me is the generational divide that appears in this topic. We agreed that the methodology prescribed during the workshop was very similar to what we were taught about community engagement in school, but for some of the older crowd the information was a major shift from how their museum has operated in the past. So for anyone wondering if these new workshops are really any different than the old Federation of Nova Scotian Heritage workshops, I can assure you that they are. A lot has changed in the past 15 years, and these workshops are a great way to stay up-to-date with the field.

Meetings, etc.
The first meeting of the month was with an old acquaintance from the library community who heard about our database & website project. Next up is a meeting with the archival community, and then on to the Heritage Division. From what we've heard so far, our sister communities have all been heading down the same road (or maybe a parallel road), so now is the time to be talking to make sure we don't inadvertently reinvent the wheel or further divide our heritage resources. Interesting times...

We also had a very pleasant surprise this month when the director general of CHIN came to town. Gabrielle and Claudette were in town to meet with the Nova Scotia Museum and so Chris and I got to have lunch and talk shop with Gabrielle before she went back to Ottawa. We also got to sit in on part of her talk at the NSM, which was great because part of her talk was about what people expect from museums that share information online. Here are her top 6 expectations: immediate access, content, rich media, participation, personalization, and findability.

The Southwest Curator's Group met in Kentville on October 21st. There was a very good turnout, a tasty lunch at a local restaurant, and a spell book that opened up to reveal many mini chocolate bars. Chris and I got to present on the website development in the afternoon, and I think it's safe to say that the crowd liked what they saw.

The Information Management and Access Committee met at Fultz House on Friday October 28th. It was a very full agenda, covering qr codes, wifi security, and of course our database renewal & website project. This was Gail Magee's last meeting with us, so we want to extend our heartfelt thanks for all of her work over the past few years. She's done an excellent job as our secretary, and shared some very yummy food with us along the way...big shoes to fill.•

Database Renewal Project - Website Development
The website survey results are in, and we had a good discussion at the IMAC meeting about website development. We received 18 surveys in total and a number of themes came out in the feedback:

The more information in the records, the better (especially for provenance). People are looking for unique, personal content. Grammar, spelling, and consistent formatting count - and speak to the trustworthiness of the site and contributing institution.
The overall design should be clean & minimalist, but interesting and hint at the vast quantity and variety of information within.
Users need to have the ability to sort, refine, and change the viewing method of search results, and should be given suggestions for related objects.
The ability to comment, tag, share, and link to the contributing museum's website is a must.

Next on our to-do list is the drafting of supporting documentation, such as disclaimers & guidelines for use. We've also been working on updating the Passage Game Plan to align with our new database and public expectations for the website launch.

Snowshoes
Queens County Museum

As I was tallying up records today, I was thinking how obvious it is that sites have shut down for the season. And I'm not going to lie, the lack of progress was a little disappointing. Adding 5 or 10 records to a museum's tally just didn't seem like a big deal. But then I got to the overall number of records and images. I forgot my own basic rule...that each individual site is feeding into something much larger. So even with all the seasonal museums closing up shop for another year, we added 428 new records and an amazing 2,010 images!! We now have 170,692 records and 39,695 images in the database. Yay team!

And now for that regional breakdown that I know people are watching:
Southwest - 83,600 artifacts, 16,640 images
Central - 34,397 artifacts, 7,276 images
Northeast - 30,451 artifacts, 12,579 images
Cape Breton - 21,944 artifacts, 3,200 images

Congrats to the Central region for adding the most artifact records, and to the Northeast region for adding the most images. It was a tight race this month...it will be interesting to see where things stand at the end of November.

Funding Opportunities
As you think about funding applications for next years' students and projects, keep in mind that funders like to see very tangible outcomes related to technology, and want to see partnerships. So the fact that you'll be part of this fantastic new website is great leverage - you have a lot of artifacts to photograph, photographs to scan, and updating of object records to do; now is the time to start thinking about positioning those applications to incorporate at least some of this work. Set yourself some goals, and feel free to call the office to discuss your application.

The call for Community Memories projects will take place after Christmas, and I've heard from a little birdie that they're looking for African Canadian stories this time around. So this is another thing to be thinking about. Africville, Black Loyalists, the Clarion, Mathieu de Costa, Buddy Daye, George Dixon, William Hall, Sam Langford, the No.2 Construction Battalion, Rev. Richard Preston, Marie Marguerite Rose, Portia White...the list goes on and on. We have some amazing stories to share.

Stay tuned for more details via the Beacon and our Facebook page.

September 2011 Update

2011-10-03T10:13:00.000-03:00

Database Renewal Project - Website Development
The shift in focus has taken place, and we are now all about websites. Very few similar websites exist - most collections websites have records from only one organization. This month we identified our top 4 comparable websites (eHive, Europeana, Gathering the Jewels, Virtual Museum of Canada) and Chris developed a website review questionnaire to determine what we like about these sites. The Information Management & Access Committee is putting in a lot of work in this respect, and we've recruited a few friends and former ANSM staff members to help out as well. Thanks to all!

By the Numbers

Saucepan
Wallace & Area Museum

Apparently I lied last month when I said we had almost 180,000 records. That number should have been 170,000 records (sorry for the typo). In any event, it is still a very impressive number and after this month's work we have crossed the threshold and are sitting pretty at 170,264 objects. And the number of images? 37,685! That means we have 22% of our collections photographed or scanned. To put this into perspective, the British Museum shares its collection online and 30% of these items have images attached. Anyone feel like chasing the British Museum? I know I do!

Now for the regional breakdown:
Southwest - 83,465 artifacts, 16,275 images
Central - 34,165 artifacts, 6,754 images
Northeast - 30,445 artifacts, 12,008 images
Cape Breton - 21,889 artifacts, 2,648 images

Congrats to the Southwest region for adding the most artifact records, and to the Northeast region for adding the most images. It's great to see progress!

Meetings and Site Visits and Events...Oh My!
Chris and I made 8 more site visits in September. From Moose River to Springhill, Middleton to Pugwash, we definitely made the rounds. Later this fall we will be attending the various regional meetings, so while our road trips are becoming fewer and further between, we haven't yet stopped for the winter.

ANSM's Education & Training Taskforce, aka ETT, met to talk about upcoming workshops. We have 3 scheduled for the fall: Museums & Community, Management & Governance, and CCI's Artifacts in Aboriginal Cultural Centres. If you've been procrastinating about sending in your workshop registration, keep in mind that the first workshop filled up well before the registration deadline, so be sure to register early.

Africville Church Museum
Halifax

I also attended a very special event in Halifax - the opening of the Africville Church Museum. After such a wet summer, the building may not have been entirely finished, but what a powerful event. All levels of government were present, and members of the Africville community shared their memories and the significance of the renaming of Seaview Park and the establishment of the museum. I won't even try to convey the emotion and meaning of the event because I could never do it justice.

QR Code Usage Stats
Well folks, I think it's time to declare the QR Codes a bit of a rural dud. I've spoken with a number of participating museums and they say while visitor stats are steady, September has brought an older crowd that isn't inclined to cell phone use, let alone smartphone use. Numbers have also dropped in the city, but the codes are still being used. One thing we're hearing from tourists is they are worried about roaming charges. We knew this would be the case, and are partnering with CHIN to develop a wifi security guide for museums to deal with the issue.

Writing Funding Applications

2011-09-18T13:23:00.001-03:00

Last week I was part of the Strategic Development Initiative Fund adjudication team, which basically means I was locked in a room with a bunch of people and we had to review and discuss funding applications for special heritage-related projects. We then individually scored each application, the scores were averaged, and the highest scoring proposals will be recommended to the Heritage Minister for approval.
This was my first time adjudicating funding proposals - until now I've always been on the author end of them. I thought it might be helpful for people to hear a first-time adjudicator's perspective, so here are some thoughts that popped into my head as I was reading & reviewing all of these applications.

Always read through the application guide with a fine-toothed comb. Highlight whatever it says is required. Give your proofreaders this list of requirements.

Ask at least two people to proofread your application.

Talk to the funding program coordinator before you submit your application. Ask questions, share your thoughts & plans, and listen to their feedback. If they offer to read your proposal and provide feedback, don't say no.

Be succinct and structure the application in a very straightforward way: project overview, brief background info, project goals, methodology, and deliverables, evaluation process, budget, and appendices.

Think about the big picture and don't assume the adjudicators know what's going on with your organization. How will this work set you up for bigger and better things? If it's Phase 2 or 3 of a project, give a very brief outline of previous work that has led you to this point. If the work is part of a long-term plan, attach the plan as an appendix so the adjudicators can get the whole story and where you're at in the process. This shows how organized and professional you are.

Name any employees/consultants you want to hire, and attach résumés, quotes, and/or letters of agreement. This lets the adjudicator know that you've done your homework and you can hit the ground running if your application is approved.

Check your math and then check it again. If you mention any numbers in the application text, make sure they match what's in your budget sheet.

For funding programs that require a certain percentage of cash contribution from the applicant, it always looks better if you exceed the minimum requirement. The higher the contribution, and the more partner organizations putting in cash, the better you look.

Try to get letters of support from your community - the mayor, chamber of commerce, school principals...whoever makes sense for your proposed work. These can be attached as appendices.

Spelling and grammar counts!

August 2011 Update

2011-09-08T17:14:00.000-03:00

Database Renewal Project
Guess what?! We're done!! Everyone has been migrated into CollectiveAccess and the first celebratory cake has been eaten. It's very surreal after actively working on the migration portion of the project for the past 9 months. We (ANSM & Whirl-i-gig staff) are rather proud of ourselves and a little in awe of how smoothly it all went, and would like to thank everyone for their support, patience and understanding.
As our former intern Alexandra put it, "time for another monster project, I guess!" Yup, sounds about right. So soon we'll be turning our focus toward the public website, aka Database Renewal Phase II. Yes we are gluttons for punishment, or perhaps just overachievers, but by next fall we'll be ready to launch a great new website featuring the collections of Nova Scotia museums.
For anyone who has not yet renewed their ANSM membership, keep in mind that you need to do this in order to continue in the database program as it is a service offered to ANSM members only. Membership packages were mailed out over the summer so if you did not receive one or have questions, please call the office.

By the Numbers
We have almost 180,000 object records in the database system, and over 35,000 images. This means that since last year an additional 13,000 object records have been entered. So every time that you log in and see your nice counts widget, remember that you're feeding into something much larger than your individual museum.
In previous posts I have tallied our collective contributions to Artefacts Canada by region. So in keeping with that tradition, here is a tally from our new CollectiveAccess system:
Southwest - 83,347 artifacts, 15,901 images
Central - 36,609 artifacts, 6,563 images
Northeast - 30,427 artifacts, 11,645 images
Cape Breton - 21,855 artifacts, 2,642 images

Congrats to the Southwest region for holding the top spots for number of records and images! Special mention to the Northeast region for having over 1/3 of their images attached!! Way to go!

Remember that if all goes according to plan we'll be launching the public website in September 2012, so that gives you one year to work on your records & images before they go live. As you work on the fancy and fun new system, think about the public perception of your records, and what people will expect to be complete and accurate. Please review your entries and use the spell check feature like it's going out of style. If your visitors are always asking you "how old is that?" then try to narrow down the begin & end dates. If they always ask "what does the makers mark look like on the bottom of that plate?" then make sure you get some nice detail shots of the various marks & labels on your artifacts. If you have questions about artifact photography or scanning (or anything at all), please call the office. We want to make sure we present your collection to the world in the best possible light (pun intended).

Site Visits
August was an insane month of driving from one end of the province to the other, but it was great to see everyone. I visited 22 museums and trained over 30 people on CollectiveAccess. This means that site visits are almost done for the season, and that summer is unfortunately nearing its end. Thanks to everyone for all your hospitality and good conversation. Let's do it again next year!
I know I quickly fell behind in my travelogs, but don't worry, I have lots of photos and tidbits to share over the fall.

QR Code Usage Stats
After an exciting increase in July usage, August went back down to only 230 hits. The Halifax area museums are still maintaining steady use, but rural usage is very hit or miss. While I'm not ready to declare a final verdict yet, I've been casually analyzing all the data for trends. We'll watch for another couple of months and then formulate some conclusions.

New Faces
As many of you have already heard, we have a new face in the ANSM office. Chris has joined us for his final term of Fleming College's Collections, Conservation and Management Program - the dreaded internship. He'll be around until Christmas, and will be helping out with all sorts of tasks, one of which is creating more online resources for the ANSM website. If you need a particular sample form, policy, or tip sheet, feel free to place your request with Chris. He can be reached by phone at the office and by email at project[at]ansm.ns.ca. I'll be dragging the poor boy around the province as I finish up site visits, and he'll also be putting in random appearances at meetings and workshops, so feel free to introduce yourself and show him how friendly we are on the East Coast.

Introducing Mr. Selman

2011-09-06T13:51:00.000-03:00

Hi everybody! My name is Chris, and I’m very excited to be in Nova Scotia to work as part of the Association of Nova Scotia Museums team for the next four months. This internship is the final requirement for completing the CollectionsConservation and Management (CCM) Program at Fleming College in Peterborough, Ontario.

I grew up in rural Ontario in a place called Prince Edward County (about 2 hours east of Toronto), and minus some time served in Peterborough during school months (four years at Trent University and one year at Fleming College) have lived there my entire life- until now. Not a whole lot to do in rural Ontario…played hockey a fair bit, exhibited chickens/ducks/pigeons at shows, and spent a lot of time reading or wandering around the farm (being an only child and having friends that live a ½ hour car ride away will do that).

It was all that reading that got me hooked on history. It was my favourite subject all through school, so it was natural that I decided to major in it at university- which I really enjoyed. The only downfall of a history degree is the whole “using it to find a job” problem that emerges afterwards.

That led me to CCM at Fleming. The program was very “hands-on,” and practical learning assignments (and this internship) will, hopefully, lend themselves to addressing the “using it to find a job” problem (I’ll let future Chris deal with that for now though). Right now, again, I’m just really excited to be here. I’ve never been to the East Coast of Canada before, so everything is new- which is pretty exciting (and a little intimidating). I’ve toured around a little bit on my way down here from Ontario, I have weekends off, and Karin is going to let me tag along on some site visits, so hopefully I can see as much of the province as I can before my internship is over and future Chris has to start worrying about new things. I look forward to meeting as many of you as possible and visiting your sites!

July 2011 Update

2011-08-05T15:44:00.000-03:00

Database Renewal Project

Now that I'm spending 80% of my time traveling around the province, the migration has slowed down a bit. In July we switched over another 6 museums, bringing our grand total to 40. We may not be ahead of schedule anymore, but we're still working away and seeing some very nice progress.
I know that people are actively working in the new system and adding lots of photos and information to their records. It's great to see such progress and to hear that everyone is pleased with their new museum toy. As a reminder, please try to narrow down your begin & end dates for when the artifact was made. This will be very important to the public website, aka phase II of the renewal project.

Site Visits, aka Karin on the road
I spent a lot of time on the road in July, visiting 12 sites across the province. August is going to be even busier now that the majority of migrations are done. Aside from this past week, the weather has cooperated and I've been enjoying some lovely drives in our very scenic province. While I have fallen behind in my travelogs, I do have a great stockpile of images and stories to share. So once things settle, you'll be able to read all about my adventures with fog and fossils and 35-pound lobsters.

QR Code Usage Stats

We're finally seeing an increase in qr code use at our pilot sites. Whereas last month we only had 140 hits, this month we had 413. That's more like it! The top 3 sites were the Army Museum, Museum of Natural History, and les Trois Pignons Centre Culturel. Natural History's bullfrog was the most popular code of the month.

Shelburne County Museum has a qr code scavenger hunt that they are inviting visitors to do. When completed, visitors return their sheet to staff to be entered into a prize draw - a great way to encourage visitors to check out all the codes and spend more time in the museum.

Museum Travels - Shelburne County

2011-07-19T21:53:00.000-03:00

Time to play catch up with the site visit posts. If you allow me to backtrack a few weeks, in this edition we'll be traveling down the south shore of Nova Scotia. Our first stop is Barrington, home of the Cape Sable Historical Society, Seal Island Lighthouse Museum, the Old Meeting House, Western Counties Military Museum, and Barrington Woolen Mill Museum...Barrington really likes museums. And the variety means that no matter what you're interested in, they should have something to accommodate you.
It was a busy place when I visited, with visitors coming and going, and summer staff working on sprucing up the Society building in preparation for their CMAP evaluation.

From Barrington I took the Lighthouse Route back to Shelburne, one of the "official" scenic routes in the province. Having traveled the same highways and main roads so often, it's nice to take a back route sometimes for variety. Taking the back roads also drastically increases your chances for wildlife sightings. This trip's count (other than all the birds, squirrels & chipmunks) came to 1 coyote, 2 deer, and a porcupine that decided to show off for the camera.

My visit to Shelburne was a special one, because of a surprise retirement party being held that afternoon for the Shelburne County Museum's Curator. Finn has been with the Museum for 31 years, and so has become synonymous with the organization. The concept of one existing without the other seems very strange. I wish I'd gotten a photo of her as she walked into the room because she had no idea that around 40 people were quietly waiting for her. The look on her face was one of total shock. She told me afterwards that she had a lovely lunch with her coworkers the day before, and so she figured that would be the end of it. She had no idea that something much bigger was planned.

Having worked with Finn for the past 5 years on various special projects and the usual database support stuff, I have always been impressed by her high standards of professionalism, her enthusiasm for learning, and her seemingly infinite knowledge of the collection and Shelburne's history.

Finn attended as many workshops and conferences as possible, and made sure to apply what she learned to her work at the museum. Her reputation and many connections in the field saw that her retirement party was jam-packed with museum workers, historical society members, friends, and family. Those who couldn't attend in person made sure to send cards or greetings. This is truly an end of an era.
From all of us at ANSM, we wish Finn the absolute best in her retirement, and that there are many sunny gardening days ahead. The new bench will make a great rest and reading spot.

June 2011 Update

2011-07-13T12:40:00.001-03:00

PMA Meetings
We kicked off the month with a trip to Ottawa to meet with other provincial museums association staff and federal agencies. Being a glutton for punishment, I rashly promised to blog daily updates and somehow managed to actually do so. In case you missed them, here are the links for you to read about day 1, day 2, day 3, and/or day 4.

Database Renewal Project

This month we doubled the number of CollectiveAccess users, from 17 to 34. This has put us slightly ahead of schedule, which will come in handy as my summer travels will take over data cleaning time. Our projected timeline has us finishing the first week of August. Right now our theme song is "this is the project that never ends, it just goes on and on my friend. Some people started doing it not knowing what it was, and now they keep on doing it forever just because this is the project that never ends..."
Please bear with us as we continue this massive undertaking. We are increasingly convinced this was the best decision for Nova Scotia's museum community, and aside from a few minor growing pains, everything is working well. People are actively adding and editing information, and summer students are picking it all up remarkably fast.
If you are still working in the old database, I promise that your turn is coming soon.

Anna Swan - After the Fire

QR Code Usage Stats
We haven't yet seen the big jump in numbers that I've been hoping for, but people are still using the codes at a steady rate. We had another 140 hits over June, which puts us at a total of 1161. The Army Museum continues to be the most popular, and even surpassed the Museum of Natural History, which has held the top spot for monthly views ever since we began the project. The Army Museum has a bit of catching up to do, but if they continue at this rate I wouldn't be surprised if they overtake MNH in total views before the end of the summer. The Lewis Gun also kept its top spot of most popular qr code. Apparently our museum visitors have a violent side. Who knew?!

Site Visits

Scheduling has proven tricky this year, as I'm not visiting sites until they have been migrated to the new database system. And since we aren't migrating in any sort of geographical order, this means I have to wait until I've got a few museums that are near enough to allow for some coordination. As I said, tricky. But I'm slowly making the rounds, clocking many hours in rental cars with audio books. Thank goodness for the Halifax Public Library. I'm trying to blog more casually about my travels, so you can read about my visits in Digby County and Halifax & Annapolis County and stay tuned for more travelogs.
I encourage everyone to bring in volunteers, board members, and students for my visit as I'll be training you on the new database system. To keep things simple we'll just be covering the basics, and will address more advanced features once we get over the initial learning curve. Oh the things this new toy can do!!

Museum Travels - Halifax and Annapolis Valley

2011-06-27T13:28:00.000-03:00

from www.canadiansky.ie

This week's travels began in Halifax at the Army Museum on Citadel Hill. Most people know that Parks Canada operates the citadel, but not everyone knows there is also a community museum on the site. A visit to the army boys (as I affectionately call them) is always educational. They have so many stories to share that I always leave with some new gem. This time I heard about a certain War of 1812 raid on Washington and the adventures of two Nova Scotian brothers who took part in the burning of Washington and more specifically the White House (apologies to my American readers, but you guys did make a mess in York that required retaliation). I won't say exactly what they did, but I'm sure the army boys would love to share the tale with you.

Don't forget to take your smartphone with you either, as there are qr codes throughout the exhibits. Some of them explain more about a particular artifact, like the very popular Lewis Gun, while others have stories from veterans. My personal favourite is the one about the haystacks.

West Hants Historical Museum

After Halifax I went on to Windsor and the West Hants Historical Museum. What I love about West Hants is the focus of their collection. It's all local, very reflective of the various industries from the town's history, and they have some really great stories behind artifacts and photos. They also have a fantastic archives with oodles (yes, I said oodles) of genealogical information for those with Hants County roots. It's hard to pick out favourites in such a great collections, but a few items do stand out. One is a love letter quilt, which at first glance looks like any other quilt. What makes it special is that a young lady sewed in her sweetheart's love letters between the fabric layers.

love letter quilt

For my New Brunswick readers, the museum has a connection to Henry More Smith, aka Frederick Moon, aka the Lunar Rogue, aka the Mysterious Stranger. An 18th century hooligan, my hometown of Kingston was plagued by this thief and con artist who made marionettes from his straw mattress and even faked death in order to escape from the humble Kingston jail (or gaol for the more historically-minded). Our local sheriff chased him all the way to Ontario before losing the trail, and later wrote a book about it all. Well, it turns out that Henry (if that was his real name) married a Hants County girl and even had some kids before crossing the bay and butting heads with Sheriff Bates.

Annapolis Valley Macdonald Museum

From Windsor I went on to Middleton for a 2-day workshop by the Council of Nova Scotia Archives. Another New Brunswick connection, the workshop was held in the Annapolis Valley Macdonald Museum, which used to be called Macdonald Consolidated School. Sir William Macdonald built 5 of these schools in Eastern Canada - New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Ontario and Quebec. The premise behind the schools was that rural children required a different kind of education than city children, which meant that the schools had extensive gardens and students were taught agricultural and other practical skills. Macdonald even paid for horse-drawn vans to pick up the kids each day. Only one of these schools is still a school (good ol' Kingston), another is a museum, and the one in Guelph is now an arts centre. I think Sir William would be pleased with this.

And to bring it back to our dear friend Henry More Smith, the Kingston school was built on top of the old jail's foundation, and in its basement you can visit the John Fisher Memorial Museum and check out the outline of the old cells.

Museum Travels - Digby County

2011-06-20T12:01:00.001-03:00

As I've mentioned before, I like statistics. And the stats say that we have a lot of people reading the blog who aren't from Canada so may have no idea what Nova Scotia is like. So I thought I'd have a sort of photo review of my museum site visits around our fair province for all the Australians and Ukrainians and Russians who have been regularly checking in. Enjoy, and stay tuned for many more. Summer's just beginning.

My first stop was the Kings County Museum in Kentville. Yes I know this isn't in Digby County but I stopped on my way. While this wasn't their official seasonal site visit, since I was passing through it seemed like a good opportunity to pick up their database file for cleaning & migration. It also gave the curator and I a chance to talk about the new database and our big plans for future work. With almost 12,000 entries this is one of the largest databases being migrated to the new CollectiveAccess system, so sitting down with the curator to show her what to expect and how easily she'll be able to work with the collection was a nice way to break up what would have been a 3 hour drive. By the time I got to Digby the weather was starting to clear and I got to enjoy some great scenery.


my favorite view in the province

Admiral Digby Museum

I spent Thursday at the Admiral Digby Museum with the curator and summer student. We had a very full day of reviewing the CollectiveAccess database and dreaming up all sorts of potential projects. I'm especially interested in seeing all the old photographs in the Digby collection, because I know that what's currently in the database is only the tip of the iceberg.
There was some sort of antique car event taking place in town, or at least a tour group who decided to stop in Digby. The downtown was lined with some beautiful old cars, and the locals were definitely enjoying the treat. It's not every day you get to see a century-old automobile, let alone 10 of them.

downtown Digby

Friday was spent in Freeport with the Islands Historical Society volunteers and summer students. Maritime hospitality at its finest, they had homemade seafood chowder for our lunch and cookies for dessert. I somehow managed not to take a picture of the Archives, so I'll have to remedy that the next time around. As in Digby, we reviewed the new system, set up some extra logins for volunteers and students, and came up with a good work plan for the season. There was a lot of interest in the georeferencing feature of the new database, as so many items in the collection can be traced to an exact location. Those students and volunteers are going to be very, very busy.

on the way to the Islands Museum

wharf & rockweed at low tide

It was a hectic few days, but great to be back on the road. Until next time...

heading home

Provincial Museum Association Meetings - Day 4

2011-06-09T01:03:00.000-03:00

CCI is so cool! Our final day in Ottawa was spent at the Canadian Conservation Institute, talking about preservation issues. This is great. Having studied Collections Conservation & Management, I obviously have a soft spot for these guys. Not only are they our national experts, but they are highly respected on the international level as well. And this is a very small field, so we are extremely fortunate to have such an organization.

Over the past few years many federal programs and services have been undergoing review, and CCI's was recently completed. In discussing preliminary results, it sounds like we're all on the same page about what issues are most prevalent in Canadian museums (regardless of size, operating structure, budget, etc.). We have insufficient room and inadequate conditions to house collections, we have difficulty caring for collections in the long-term, difficulty financing core functions that don't generate revenue (and insufficient revenue in general), and insufficient funds for the necessary professional development. In comparing these issues to the services provided by CCI, it is very easy to recognize its importance. Access to expert advice, reference materials on their website, workshops delivered through the provincial museum associations (we've got one coming up in the fall...stay tuned for more details), an extensive lending library, research & publications, the list goes on and on. We heard today that since 2006, CCI has trained 1707 people in 113 workshops.

We also talked a lot about relative humidity and temperature, and the ASHRAE guidelines that are now being used. In a nutshell, you want to avoid extremes - fluctuations are bad and end up costing you a lot of money to try and control. So if you will realistically never be able to achieve 50% RH, you should instead focus your efforts on minimizing the fluctuations that take place. As this is an active area of discussion in the conservation field, it was recognized that more work needs to be done on implementation strategies - simple things that any museum can do to help improve their storage and display environments. I think this is a topic to dig a bit deeper into, so I'll put it in my list of future posts.

Thanks to Charlie Costain for the quote of the day, "don't let things go mouldy". Mr. Costain is an expert, so I'd listen to his advice if I were you.

After 3 days of beautiful summer weather, this afternoon was a completely different picture. At 445pm the skies opened, the wind picked up, and we had a crazy thunder and lightning storm. Maybe Ottawa was just sad to see us all go back home, but throwing a tantrum that involved picking up and tossing patio umbrellas around seemed a little extreme. Thanks to CHIN & CCI for pulling all of this together, and to the other PMAs for some great discussions and "networking". And now it's time to catch up on sleep.

Thank you Ottawa and Good Night!

Provincial Museum Association Meetings - Day 3

2011-06-08T00:16:00.000-03:00

The first topic of today's discussions hit very close to home - documentation standards. As most of you know, I tend to get a little preachy sometimes with this topic, so hearing what's new with standards was great. I've got a long list of resources to share which I'll be doing through our Facebook page over the coming weeks. Thank you Heather!

We also heard from CHIN staff about the latest and greatest in digital technologies, ie emerging trends. I'm very happy to say that QR codes were at the top of the list, and have actually created a lot of buzz at these meetings. Almost all the other provinces want to follow our lead in doing their own qr code project, or at least encourage their members to incorporate qr codes at their sites. Yup, ANSM - trendsetters. Sheila also talked a lot about augmented reality and rfid tags. Very inspiring stuff, and I took a lot of notes and thought up even more stuff to add to the ever-growing project wish list. Oh the possibilities!

Ken from Newfoundland talked about all the work they're doing with intangible cultural heritage. This is the province to watch. Since the provincial government decided there should be a provincial initiative to deal with ICH, they've developed guidelines and are now actively capturing information. We got to watch a video of "running the goat" from 1981, which was pretty amazing. I'll definitely be delving more deeply into this work. Huge potential for Nova Scotia's museums, and something that people have been asking about fairly frequently.

David and Jim from BC talked about their new website, timetravelbc.com. This is definitely an inspirational site. David gave a great presentation on the process they went through in developing it, and Anita and I were definitely paying very close attention. Lots to learn, and lots to apply to our website plans. The BCMA is very closely aligned with BC Tourism, and has been gradually shifting their focus in this direction over the past few years. Once again, this is a phenomenal project that we can learn a lot from. It has been a banner year for ideas.

Anita with Maman

We ended the day with a guided tour of the National Gallery of Canada. Unfortunately, when you put that many museum geeks into a space they tend to wander around a lot, so as Anita put it, we were very amoeba-like in our tour. Unfortunately we didn't get to see the new Caravaggio exhibit because it's still being installed, but it sounds like that's a show worth coming back to see. I think my favourite pieces were the ones from home, like the painted room that used to live in Nova Scotia, which had mill-work that was practically identical to my house. I also liked the old harbour views of Halifax; there's just something about the age of sail...
The Group of Seven works were pretty great as well. Thanks so much to CHIN for organizing the tour, and to our lovely tour guide whose name I did not catch.

that's all for today

Provincial Museum Association Meetings - Day 2

2011-06-06T23:17:00.000-03:00

view from our meeting room

So the first "real" day is over.
We started off by talking about digital preservation issues. Museums have been creating lots of digital content over the past few years but have often missed planning for the preservation of this content. It was pointed out that digital preservation requires active intervention beginning at the time the digital asset was created. While it is imperative for someone at the museum to be responsible for this, based on the goals of the organization, this question of "how do we do it?" is being asked at the national level and there is much debate about the potential for preservation services and how these should be provided.

National Arts Centre

The issue of digital preservation is much more pronounced with "born" digital data - content that can't be re-scanned or digitized if the files go corrupt or are lost. While much of our digitized materials have some physical representation, digital images, audio, and video files are just that, files. For this reason, we should be checking these every few months to make sure the files are still readable. We also talked about physical security, such as keeping copies off-site and making sure doors are locked and files are secure on-site.

Rideau Canal

I presented on our recent qr code project, and realized that the OMA's video production how-to guide will work beautifully in conjunction with our how-to guide. Both should be posted on the CHIN Professional Exchange website by the end of the month.

memorial to First Nations veterans

CHIN gave us a membership update, which included announcements about the VMC Investment Programs. The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia will be creating a virtual exhibit, and Community Memories Projects were awarded to the Charles Macdonald Concrete House and Wedgeport Sport Tuna Fishing Museum.

Highlights of the day include:
1. Passing notes in "class" in order to figure out dinner plans
2. Lunch time walk with Julie & Pierre in the beautiful summer weather
3. Bilingualism...there's just something so Canadian about meetings where people use English and French interchangeably
4. Quote of the day: "for it to be a conspiracy someone has to be in charge"
5. The LOCKSS Principle - lots of copies keeps stuff safe!

Provincial Museum Association Meetings - Day 1

2011-06-05T21:03:00.000-03:00

Ok, so technically tomorrow is day 1, but I'm going to cheat a bit in order to remind people about the PMAs. For the past few years I've been making an annual pilgrimage to Ottawa in order to meet with CHIN, CCI, CMA, and other provincial & territorial museums association staff members. Having all these museum people and key stakeholders in the same place at the same time means lots of talking, listening, brainstorming, analyzing...by the end of the three days our brains are fried and sleep is at the top of our "to do" list.

waterfall wall...ooooh!

Having said that, I think I speak for all attendees when I say that these meetings are crucial. We're all so busy in our own work that we sometimes forget to look up and compare notes with the other provinces and territories. Sitting around a table and learning from eachother always sparks new or borrowed ideas that can be brought back to Nova Scotia for the benefit of our museums. This is also a chance for ANSM to bring Nova Scotia's issues to the national table. The stakeholders we meet with are funding and service agencies, and advocacy associations. And what we find more often than not, is that when an issue is raised by one province, it is echoed by others. For instance, over the past two years we have been raising the issue of Young Canada Works not allowing you to hire the same student twice. For museums in rural areas the candidate pool is often too small to accommodate this restriction, and from the perspective of the employer, it means losing valuable time retraining instead of being able to hit the ground running with an interested individual whose expertise can be built up over several years. This year, those restrictions were finally lifted. Many voices carry much power.

Anita getting cozy with Macdonald & Cartier

Anita and my adventures began at the Halifax airport where we learned that the flight had been overbooked and so there was a small chance that one of us wouldn't get on board. I managed to get through security without setting off the metal detector, and even avoided the random laptop swab test. The guy behind me was not as lucky. In the waiting area we ran into Janice and Lynn from Association Museums New Brunswick. Janice trained me in collections management databases back when I lived in New Brunswick, which means we share many acquaintances and always enjoy catching up on the latest news. The ensuing shop talk helped pass the time as we waited and hoped that the plane had enough seats. Luckily, we all made it on the overbooked flight, arrived with all our luggage, and got to the hotel safe and sound.

So we're here, we're settled, and we're almost ready to go. Tomorrow I'll be presenting on our recent QR Code Project, and we're having a roundtable on digital preservation. So it's time to review my presentation and speaking notes. And after that it will be time to review the digital preservation questions. After that I think sleep might be in order. Stay tuned for daily recaps!

view of parliament from my hotel window

May 2011 Update

2011-05-31T12:21:00.000-03:00

Museums 101 Workshop
On May 26-27th we held the inaugural workshop in our new museum studies program. We had 18 participants in all, representing each of the 4 regions. We've received some very positive feedback and many people said they're already looking forward to the next workshop. You can read more about Museums 101 here.

Database Renewal Project

With the Museums 101 workshop out of the way, I will now be focusing on this a whole lot more. This month we migrated another 10 databases, bringing our grand total of CollectiveAccess users to 17. What I'm hearing from users is that the system is far easier than our old one, one person even calling it "a thing of beauty". Seriously though, we are very happy with the new system and so grateful for all the help we're getting from the Whirl-i-gig gang. You guys rock!

As you can imagine, this is a very fast-paced project, so please keep that in mind when I call to get your database for migration. I really need you to respond promptly. Also remember that once I get your database, you cannot continue to work in the old database. Until I get the database file, you can continue to enter and edit records, but cannot attach photographs. Should you experience any weird error messages or issues, it is crucial that you stop using the old database and call me right away.
Our goal is to have everyone migrated by the beginning of August.

QR Code Usage Stats
We've cracked the 1000 view mark! We now have statistics coming from 11 of the 12 participating sites. Most notable this month were the additions of the Army Museum on Citadel Hill in Halifax, and the North Highlands Community Museum in Cape North, Cape Breton. Both have only had their codes up for a couple weeks now, but are seeing at least 2 views every day. While this may not be very impressive, I am encouraged by the steadiness of usage. I'd be very worried if we saw a complete drop-off in use.
The most popular qr code this month was the Army Museum's Lewis Gun.

If you have qr codes in your museum, please make sure your interpretive staff mention them to visitors.

Site Visits
I am now starting to schedule site visits for the season. This year will be a bit trickier than others because of our major database renewal project. This means that I won't be visiting until your database has been migrated to CollectiveAccess. So I'll be in touch soon, and look forward to a fun summer of travels and database training.

Provincial Museums Associations Meetings
Fyi, Anita and I will be in Ottawa next week for the annual PMA meetings so the ANSM office will be closed from Monday - Wednesday. This is a great networking opportunity where we can meet with the Canadian Heritage Information Network (CHIN), Canadian Conservation Institute (CCI), Canadian Museums Association (CMA), and staff members from the other provincial associations to talk shop, share notes, and see how we can partner more. Stay tuned for pics and posts.

Museums 101 Workshop - Halifax edition

2011-05-27T19:43:00.001-03:00

You knew it was coming, and now it has come and gone. We just completed our first workshop of our new Museums Studies Program...Museums 101. For the past two days I've been hanging out and talking shop with some great people from across the province. We had a diverse group of 18 participants - some were brand new to museums, and others have been working in the field for years.

Museums 101 was designed to introduce people to the complexity of the museum world, so we touched on a lot of subjects. We talked about the public perception of museums, and what implications this has on our work. We went back in time and discussed how museology has evolved over the years, and we looked at the current lay of the museum land in Nova Scotia. We talked about the laws, policies, and ethics that guide us in our work. On day two we looked at the five key functions of museums, and how the lessons learned on day one play into the way we collect, preserve, research, interpret and exhibit. We also admitted that there are a few challenges in the museum world, but we stayed positive and focused on how to overcome them. To top it all off, we looked at where the museum field is headed, and what trends and opportunities exist.

Participants were very positive and we had a lot of great discussions over the course of the
two days. I know there will be things to adjust before the next Museums 101 delivery, but given the feedback, I think we're on the right track.

Here's what people had to say:

"The basics were really valuable to me as I have not had much museum experience - so knowing the ethics and formats of collecting was very good to know."

"Made the responsibilities of museums much clearer."

"All information was helpful. The importance of basic established policies and mandates to operate your site stood out as important. The ideas of engaging, provoking and revealing were great and I will use more of that. Great 2 days. The sharing of ideas was very important."

"It showed me areas that need a lot of improvement."

"An overview was most valuable to me. I am new to museums and needed the basics. It was great! I look forward to more workshops."

"Everything I found was interesting and relevant."

"Great content, good pace, interesting range of participants."

"It was nice to see how ethics can apply to the museum work. I also enjoyed going over the process of how to take artifacts from donation to exhibit/interpretation using examples of artifacts. Well run workshop. Looking forward to attending more."

"The history of museum collections was fascinating. The activity about accepting donations, research & display of artifacts was also very engaging. I found all of the info given very useful/valuable. The course was very informative & time well spent."

Thanks to the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 for hosting the workshop!

Museums and Youth

2011-05-21T13:42:00.000-03:00

While some people may not believe it, I do actually have a life outside of work. This recently involved chaperoning a group of middle and high school kids at a weekend youth event in Moncton.

As I was driving to and through New Brunswick, listening to hip hop and made up rhymes about camels and dragons and tomatoes, wondering if 6 kids rocking an SUV back and forth while doing 110km/h could possibly tip the vehicle, I couldn't help but think about work...nice, safe, quiet work. I was thinking how very far away a typical Nova Scotian museum is from the world of these kids. They're fun, easily excited, very intelligent and critical thinkers, and just want to be taken seriously as individuals. Ok, so some museums can deal with people like that. But what about a mob of teenagers like that? And did I mention that they come from very diverse backgrounds? Almost half weren't even born in Canada. So how are Nova Scotia's museums relevant to them?

At our recent conference we asked attendees to fill out an evaluation form, and part of that was voting on next year's theme. A lot of people asked for a conference on engaging youth, which makes me really excited. We all seem to understand the concept of "getting them while they're young", but few of us are really good at this.

Whenever I talk to people about teenagers and museums, I share one of my favourite museum stories. A couple years ago I was doing a site visit and the curator was telling me how worrisome it is that kids these days just aren't interested in museums, that the schools never bring them anymore, and that if nothing changes we'll start to see museums closing because there's no one to continue the work. Before I could respond she started to complain about how a group of teenagers were hanging around the front yard of the museum and "scaring off" potential visitors, and that she was having to spend a lot of time chasing away these troublemakers (literally, she even used a broom).

Gezim
Photo by Evan

On the off-chance you encounter something like this, let me enlighten you. These teens are interested. You have a space that they recognize as being safe, and the reason they chose it is because at least one person in the group really wants to check out the museum. They just need to know this is okay. So go out, introduce yourself, tell them it's totally cool to skateboard and practice their bboy routines in the parking lot (without blocking entrances or getting in the way of traffic of course). Let them know you've got water and washrooms and weird old stuff inside if they want to check it out. And if they say they don't have the money for the entrance fee, who cares. Is the loss of $5-$10 really going to break the bank?

April 2011 Update

2011-05-09T16:15:00.000-03:00

Membership Renewal
We've received all but a few Passage renewal payments/contracts. If you are one of the few, please note that renewal is now past due. For those in Cape Breton, please bring the signed contract and cheque to this Saturday's Heritage CB Connection meeting. I will be sending out final notices this week, after which any remaining sites will be contacted by the chairman of the IMAC committee.

Database Renewal Project
Four more museums were migrated to CollectiveAccess this month, and another four databases were cleaned and prepped for migration. I recognize that we're in a bit of a time crunch now as sites begin to open for the season, and I promise that we are moving as quickly as possible to accommodate your summer staff training and work schedules.

I've had similar questions from a number of people about what work they can/should be doing in the old database before they get migrated to the new one. You can still enter records and information, and edit whatever textual information you want. What I ask that you don't do, is attach any more images. You can scan and photograph to your heart's content, but don't attach these to the old database.

Seth came to visit in April, which allowed IMAC and a few other people to sit down and discuss the database renewal project. In case you missed it, my blog post about his visit is here.

Museums Studies Certificate
Registration for the first workshop, Museums 101, is now open. The workshop will take place at the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 on May 26-27th. Space is limited and the registration deadline is May 19th. If you have new staff, volunteers, board members, or if you would just like to take a refresher course on museum history, functions, ethics, trends and challenges, this workshop is for you.

QR Code Usage Statistics
Usage seems to be picking up a bit, as this month we had 307 views at 6 sites. That makes for a grand total of 887 views. The Museum of Natural History's bullfrog video is the most popular.

Annual Conference
We finished off April with a very successful annual conference in Tatamagouche. Congrats to the local arrangements committee for a job well done. In case you weren't able to attend, you can check out my review of the museum tour and conference, and see photos on our Facebook page.

Goodbye Josh & Katie

Well, it's back to just Anita and I. Josh finished his contract with us on Friday, which means we're back to being an all-female office. Josh took our qr code project to a whole new level of professionalism with his great graphic design skills. No matter how stressful things got, he remained positive and dedicated. We wish Josh all the best in his upcoming adventures, and have a feeling we haven't heard the last of this boy... Since we managed to not take a photo at Friday's going-away dinner, I thought I'd share something from our conference adventures. If you see him around, feel free to congratulate him on all his good work. And if you're looking for a graphic designer, I hear he has business cards to hand out.

Katie was around for a 3-week practicum from the Dalhousie University MLIS program, so she came and left us in April. She was a great fit for our quirky office, and while her practicum focus was our reference library she also helped out with the conference. Best wishes to Katie as she works for Dal this summer, and we hope to see her again soon. For those who didn't meet her, here's what she looks like, so if you see her on the street, feel free to stop her and say "good job Kate!"

ANSM Conference 2011 - Part 2

2011-05-09T11:12:00.002-03:00

Having to work at the conference meant that I didn't get to hear each presenter, but from talking with the attendees, I think it's safe to say this conference was a success.

Our keynote speaker was Scott Mair from the Swan Lake Nature Sanctuary. He sang songs, he dressed up as a dragonfly, and he gave some really great advice on how to develop interactive and engaging programming. He shared some solid stats that prove your visitation, revenue, and community buy-in will drastically increase if you take yourself a little less seriously and have a bit of fun. He also provided a host of inexpensive ideas that any museum can incorporate into their work.

For the past couple of years we've had best practices panels - show and tell 2.0. These sessions are always very popular since the presenters are all ANSM members and are very open about successes and challenges of their projects. This year we had two panels - Out and About, and Close to Home. In Out and About, we heard about Ross Farm's re-enactment of the New Ross Freighters, ox teams that carried goods from New Ross to Chester. We also heard about Digby's annual fundraiser SAILabration, and about a group of museums along the Yarmouth-Acadian shore that joined forces to update interpretation and create a more cohesive network.

Josh and I presented on our qr code project while the second best practices panel was taking place, but I've heard that people learned a lot from the Glooscap Heritage Centre, Highland Village Museum, and Memory Lane Heritage Village speakers who addressed the issue of creating culturally relevant and engaging programming. The other session that I missed was David Carter's - looking at what constitutes a good interpretive idea, and why some things that sound good may never work.

Dr. Dean Oliver (Canadian War Museum) delivered a general address on how to tell difficult stories. Dr. Oliver reminded us that a difficult story can be anything that is "an important, visible, contested subject, challenging, yet within one's realm of professional competence, having high audience or public interest, and the possibility of substantial institutional impact". This is what museum visitors are looking for, and is reflective of the shift from "tell and know" institutions to "help and understand" institutions. As the Canadian War Museum continues to make this transition, it is finding that its audience-base is expanding.

Sally Warren ended the day with a talk about designing accessible programming for schools. She gave us some very good points to ponder:
1. Schools want kids to learn how to think and to learn by doing. Museums have the primary resources to enable this.
2. Teachers want to clearly see how museum activities link to curriculum so they can evaluate their students' participation in the program.
3. Start small - develop one program and do it well.
4. School programs need to include on-site and off-site work, pre- and post-visit activities for the teacher to facilitate, and on-site activities led by museum staff and volunteers.

The AGM was attended by a dedicated and engaged crowd on Saturday morning. It was a pretty standard meeting with one exception. It was voted to move our annual conference to the fall. Anita has been talking to our members about this for some time now, and what we've heard is that this will work better for everyone.

See you next year in the Southwest!

ANSM Conference 2011 - Part 1

2011-05-05T14:08:00.000-03:00

It's great to be back at the blog after a two week hiatus. Things got very busy in the office juggling some pretty big projects and preparing for our annual conference. While things haven't really settled, I think it's time to take a step back, breathe, and review.

We focus a lot on geography in our work. In order to provide fair and equal services to the four heritage regions (Cape Breton, Central, Northeast, Southwest), we move our conference around the province. This means that it should be in your neighbourhood once every four years. This year it was the Northeast's turn, and we were in the lovely town of Tatamagouche.

Thursday's afternoon activities divided the group. The studious crowd stayed at the Tatamagouche Centre for a workshop on museums and insurance. This is an issue that we've been hearing a lot about over the past 2 years, and it was great to be able to bring in some experts to share their insights. The adventurous crowd went on a tour of local museums. We visited the Creamery Square Heritage Centre, Wallace and Area Museum, Balmoral Grist Mill and Sutherland Steam Mill. Yes, there were oatcakes and apple cider.

Having never been to the mills, it was great to finally check them off my list of Nova Scotia museums to visit. I also thoroughly enjoyed our local tour guides and their insights as we drove from site to site. I miss that during my lone travels around the province, and while I've spent a fair bit of time in this region, I'd never noticed the extensive Acadien dyke system or knew what old settlements were hiding in the woods.

So here are some pictures from the tour. Thanks to the local arrangements committee for pulling the tour together. It was a job well done!

Brule fossil collection,
Creamery Square

Sally posing beside a reproduction of Anna Swan's dress,
Creamery Square

one of two 2-headed calves,
Creamery Square

hiking trails,
Wallace & Area Museum

mural in progress,
Wallace & Area Museum

Darrell teaching milling 101,
Balmoral Grist Mill

inside the Balmoral Grist Mill

Balmoral Grist Mill

school desk graffiti,
Sutherland Steam Mill

milling about,
Sutherland Steam Mill

There are lots more photos on Facebook, so feel free to check them out.

Museums and Politics

2011-04-20T21:15:00.001-03:00

I grew up in rural New Brunswick, where families vote for a certain party, and no one strays from the party line because...well, they just don't. The other common school of thought is that you vote for who you know and trust - we know Bev, we like Bev, and we support his terrible high-pants wardrobe choices. It wouldn't matter if he drastically changed policies because when you know the guy, why bother to check out the party platform right? We'll just march to the polls and vote for him because he's a good guy who is very community-minded - surely Bev wouldn't steer us wrong.

I work in heritage so obviously I appreciate and enjoy traditions, but voting the same way your family has voted for generations isn't exactly a smart move. The issues change and the people change, so the parties are always having to reevaluate where they stand. As for voting for Bev...well, having a personal relationship with the candidate is not equivalent to a "get out of jail free" card when it comes to reading the party platform.

Museums are among the groups that remain politically neutral. We must work with all levels of government, regardless of which party happens to be in power. Chantal Hebert commented at the 2009 CMA conference in Toronto that a common mistake (not just among museums) is that we focus all of our attention on the party in power instead of maintaining relationships with political parties in general. By maintaining better relationships with all parties, advocacy will be much easier since we won't be a stranger, but a recognized and respected organization.

Several recent studies have shown that Canadians value museums. They trust us, they believe in our work, and they expect to see it continue. We need to take this message to the political candidates. The Canadian Museums Association, Heritage Canada Foundation, and Tourism Industry Association of Nova Scotia have come up with some key facts to raise and questions to ask your political candidates. These can be used when the candidate comes knocking at your door, when you attend public meetings, phone in to radio talk shows, or submit questions to the party leaders and candidates via social media. It all helps to get the message across that Canadians do in fact care about their heritage, and museums provide many benefits to their communities in terms of quality of life and economic spin-off.

These tools are great! We need advocacy groups who can help to keep an overall message on target, and to tackle those issues which are common to museums across the nation. While we often feel like we're fighting the uphill battle alone, museums across the country are actually in the boat with us. Imagine the power of all those voices.

On May 2nd Canadians are going to the polls. Over the past two weeks students across the country have been rallying through vote mobs to tell politicians what they consider to be important issues. Let's take a page from their positive, non-partisan book and get educated and advocating. Oh, and then let's vote on May 2nd.

Southwest Curator's Group Meeting

2011-04-16T22:05:00.001-03:00

It feels like we've had a very long winter, and while the crocuses and robins are starting to appear, a sure sign of Spring in the heritage world are the regional meetings. Yup, road trips are starting up again. On Friday we traveled to Lunenburg for the Southwest meeting. We were missing a few people from the Annapolis Valley side, but there was still a good turnout at over 15 attendees. The meeting was hosted by the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic, which is pretty much impossible to miss as a building. It's very big, and very red, and located right on the water.

Since our conference is only two weeks away we weren't able to stay for the entire day...too many things to do in the office. But these meetings play a key role in reporting to our members and figuring out how we can better meet their needs. We strongly encourage our members to connect with their regional group - the meetings are great networking and learning opportunities, and sometimes it's just nice to get together with people who understand the struggles of operating a museum, to complain and compare notes. These are the kinds of meetings that board members, volunteers, and staff can all benefit from since you gain a much broader perspective on the museum landscape in Nova Scotia.

During our morning with the Southwest group we heard an update from Paul Collins of the Department of Communities, Culture & Heritage. Anita gave an update on ANSM activities - the conference and advocacy issues, and I got to ramble a bit about our QR code and database renewal projects. The group also talked a lot about statistics and the importance of submitting this information to the government. We had to leave right after a tasty lunch at a local restaurant, but in the afternoon a couple people from the Department of Education met with the group to talk about how museums can work with schools to enhance curriculum content. At each meeting, the group invites some sort of expert in to talk about some key issues, whether they be fundraising, artifact research, insurance, or whatever else people are interested in. Not all of the regions do this at their meetings, but the Southwest group is finding this to be a very effective use of their time together.

One of the fun things about the South Shore of Nova Scotia is its colourful houses. It's especially pronounced along the shore, but even as we drove across country we would see a random bright blue or yellow house amid the white farm houses. Lunenburg definitely has it's fair share of colourful buildings, which somehow adds to the fun of wandering around the town.

The next road trip will be to Tatamagouche for our conference...hope to see you there.

The week that Seth came to town

2011-04-16T02:53:00.001-03:00

We rarely have visitors at the office. We're a little out of the way, so unless you're checking out the new Seaport Farmer's Market and somehow wander into the wrong building, or you have a meeting with us, chances are that we won't accidentally run into you. But somehow, someone managed to find us this week.

This week we had a very fun and special guest in Halifax, all the way from the U.S. of A. We (royal we) first started talking to the CollectiveAccess team last summer when I was looking for a replacement database system to our rapidly devolving MS Access system. In less than a year we went from discussing options to having a totally customized CollectiveAccess database for the community museums of Nova Scotia to use. We've got instructional videos on YouTube, and the traditional pdf user manual. We now have 8 of 55 museums migrated into the new system, and plan on bringing two more in next week. Sometimes it feels like it has taken us forever to get here, and sometimes it seems like we just started the process.

Our next door neighbour, the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21, is also working with Seth's team on a database project, and so he was invited to town to talk shop. This provided us with an opportunity to bring a few IMAC people and one of our beta-testers to town for a meeting with him as well. Unfortunately we were missing a few committee members, but we were still able to have some good discussion, and Seth was able to answer a lot of questions. We looked at the database and talked about what needs to be done to set up phase II of our database renewal project. Based on these discussions we'll be coming out with a new version of the Passage Game Plan, which will focus on improving data for the launch of our new Nova Scotia collections website.

There's still a long road ahead in this project, which means many more Skype conversations about databases, websites, desserts, vintage kids' tv shows, Lego, and Heritage Moments.
Seth also hopes to return over the summer, which means we might be able to make a few museum site visits together. Until then, thank you Seth for visiting, and sorry about the bad weather. You're welcome any time, so long as you realize it's your turn to supply the chocolate.

Aidan, Katie & Seth

Derek, Christine & Anita

Lessons learned during Seth's visit:

Taking photos of a man who is swinging his arms in front of a massive Canadian flag can be tricky. I have promised not to share these since this man ended up looking like a ballerina.
My blog is "too serious".
Cadbury Flake chocolate bars and PG tips tea are good productivity incentives.
Homemade fudge is another good incentive.
Computer models grossly overestimate my weight.

Community Museum Assistance Program

2011-04-08T10:12:00.004-03:00

Having a collections manager mind, I like stats and having things organized...knowing what's what. I confess that I am a stats junkie when it comes to my blog. If I see that a new country has popped up in the list I announce it triumphantly to my co-workers, and I enjoy competing with myself to see if I can increase the previous month's traffic. I plan on devoting a blog post to museum visitor statistics, so in preparation for that and in light of the international visitors that find my blog, here's a snapshot of how the community museum world operates in Nova Scotia.

Last week I attended a talk by Paul Collins, the Coordinator of the Community Museum Assistance Program (CMAP). Paul and I tend to work together a fair bit, and we've had our share of road trips. Paul is basically the provincial government's version of a museum advisor, so it's not unusual for me to get calls from people that start out, "I was talking with Paul Collins and he said I should phone you..."
CMAP was established in the 1960s and is still a uniquely Nova Scotian program. Providing operating support to museums that "effectively provide access to their collections, information and facilities for the benefit of the community", Paul works closely with pan-provincial heritage groups like ANSM in order to provide museums with an integrated approach.

The 1990s saw an evolution of the program, so it now includes a two-part evaluation system: the self-assessment and triennial peer evaluation. The self-assessment is a 200+ questionnaire that is designed to help museums figure out their strengths and weaknesses so that they can prioritize their work. It is also a great tool for groups that are thinking about starting a museum. As Paul says, many of these organizations will call and ask for the assessment and then never move ahead because they realize that museum work is far more complicated than they thought. It's a great reality check for any museum though, regardless of how long they have been in operation.
Once a museum completes the self-assessment and formally applies to become part of CMAP, they are evaluated by a 3-person team of their peers. This team spends half a day at the museum looking at the following areas: Collections and Access to Information, Community, Facility, Governance, Interpretation, Management, and Marketing. If the museum makes the grade, a recommendation is made to the provincial government that they be added to the program.

2003 map of community museums in NS,
slightly out-of-date now

67 community museums are currently part of this funding program, and as Paul explained to his audience last Tuesday, they get a lot out of it. In addition to the funding dollars, they have a clear understanding of excellence. They also have to report their visitor statistics to government, so we know a lot about who is visiting community museums. The triennial evaluation provides an excellent motivation to "clean up" every few years, and the museums are always keen to improve their last score. They are also competing with other museums - the high and low scores are circulated without the name of the receiving museums, so everyone knows what the score is to beat. Since this process first started in 1995, the average score has gone from 51.9% to 73.9%, with the annual high score being around 97%.

For organizations like ANSM, the evaluations are a great way to learn about training needs. While we never know who got what score (unless they feel like bragging), we are notified about trends across the province, which means we can adjust our training accordingly.

So until next time, good luck on the self-assessment and feel free to comment on training needs that you've noticed.

March 2011 Update

2011-03-31T11:58:00.000-03:00

Membership Renewal
If you have not yet sent in your Passage renewal contract & payment, it must be done asap. As mentioned in the renewal letter, we will only migrate your data to the new system if we have a valid contract and payment. If you have not sent in your renewal, please contact me immediately so we can discuss this.

Database Renewal Project
Beta-testing has taken longer than expected, but datasets are now being migrated and museums are finally able to move ahead with their database work. To date, three museums are actively using the system, and another 12 have been cleaned and are ready to be migrated. The duration of the migration process is slightly different for each site; textual records can be migrated fairly quickly, but processing the images takes much longer. This means that the larger the database, the longer it takes us to move it to CollectiveAccess.

Phase II of this project is to develop and launch a public website for Nova Scotia collections. We have just gotten the first mock-up of this website, which means that IMAC will be addressing this at our upcoming meeting. We want to make sure the design is clean and intuitive, and that it has all the features and functionality that we require.

Documentation continues to be developed for the new system. A user manual has been written that will look fairly similar to the old Passage database manual, with lots of screen shots and easy-to-understand language. We have also created a number of instructional videos which are available on ANSM's YouTube channel. Initial feedback from beta-testers suggests that the videos are preferred to the textual manual, so we will be adding more of these as time and resources allow.

Museums Studies Certificate
The Education & Training Task force met on March 22nd to discuss the development of the core curriculum and upcoming annual conference. We recently found out that our application to CCI was successful and we have been awarded the regional workshop - a new one that addresses artifacts in aboriginal cultural centres.

I've been dividing my time between database renewal work and workshop development. The first workshop in our new core curriculum is called Museums 101 and will be taking place on May 26th in the Halifax area. While I could review the old FNSH curriculum, it requires a lot of updating. This means a lot of researching to find good background readings for participants and develop a workshop that will give a great overview of the museum field. Later this year we'll be offering two more workshops as part of our new certificate program; Museums & Community and Museum Management & Governance.

Brochures about the certificate program will be available at the spring conference.

QR Code Usage Statistics
As promised, here are the latest qr code usage stats. As I alluded in an earlier post, the numbers aren't very impressive yet but they are growing and we are hoping to see them skyrocket over the summer months. To date, we've had 581 views. Keep in mind that this is only from 4 sites and the codes have been launched very recently.

ANSM Online
I also want to remind everyone about how you can connect with ANSM online. Our Facebook page is increasing in popularity - on March 30th we reached 100 fans. This is a professional development resource where ideas, tips, resources, and other knowledge is shared.
As previously mentioned, we now have a YouTube channel as well. This is where a lot of the qr code content is hosted, and where our database tutorial videos can be found.

Goodbye Alexandra
Alexandra finished up her contract with us on March 16th. We went out for lunch at a local Thai & Vietnamese restaurant to say thank you to Ala for all her hard work, but I'd like to say another thank you here. Alexandra was instrumental in the success of our qr code project, as well as our ongoing database renewal project. She did some very thorough beta-testing of the new system, wrote the user manual and created the tutorial videos. She has helped us move miles ahead over the past six months and will be greatly missed. We wish her all the best in her summer Montreal adventure, and look forward to connecting again when she begins grad school at Dalhousie University in the fall.

QR Codes in Nova Scotia Museums - Part 4

2011-03-28T16:39:00.006-03:00

I was reminded last week that the museum community is just that - a community. We're small, and we all seem to know each other. Whether we went through the same museum studies program, met at a workshop or conference, or were connected through the world wide web, we're a talkative bunch. We help each other out and share information so that no one has to reinvent the wheel and the general public gains a better appreciation of heritage.
So this post goes out to the Western Development Museum in Saskatchewan where my former dig buddy and fellow Fleming alum Mark Anderson is the Conservation Technician. They'll be using qr codes during their Pion-Era threshing festival in July. So if you happen to be in Saskatoon in July and have never been to a threshing festival, or the WDM, it is definitely worth checking it out.

As with any pilot project, you learn a lot along the way. So here are some of our challenges and lessons learned throughout the process. I hope they're of some help to other museums during their qr code adventures.

Challenges

1. Content.
When working in groups it can sometimes be difficult for people to agree on content. This was especially true with entirely volunteer-run museums with loose operational structures since no one was really in charge of making the final decision.
We also found that some people didn't realize the full potential of the qr codes until fairly late in the process. With such a new technology and steep learning curve, it took awhile for some people to figure out how the codes would best serve their museum.


Telus 3G & Digital PCS coverage map www.comparecellular.com

2. Technical Issues.
With a number of cell phone & internet providers, it is difficult to guarantee that every visitor will be able to use the qr codes. The cell phone coverage offered by one company is very different from that offered by another. Sticking to cell phone service also means your visitors could get surprised with a big phone bill, especially if they are tourists. To resolve this issue we focused on using wireless internet so that accessing the codes is free. This meant a lot of extra work configuring connections and dealing with security settings. And in some rural areas, we still had reception issues due to the nature of the site - lots of trees and buildings that interfere with the signal, if the signal even reaches that far.

3. Reaching the intended audience.
We did a certain amount of marketing for our pilot project, but we definitely could/should have done more. Local newspapers & media seem more interested than province-wide media. We also found that social media and other information sharing sites caught and shared articles and mentions of the project.

4. Troubleshooting on-site.
We have found that some older models of blackberries and random other smartphones don't always want to launch the codes right away. Since most museum staff/volunteers aren't cell phone or technical experts this can lead to a frustrated visitor and bad press. We have a troubleshooting tip sheet for participating sites, but it is impossible to foresee every scenario for why the codes don't work.

Lessons Learned
1. Let the stories guide you.
Rather than selecting artifacts first and trying to figure out what information to embed in a qr code, focus on what you already know. This will give you time to dig deeper in other areas, and may spark interest in the public to share more information with you.

2. Be prepared.
Make sure you have extra batteries and memory cards, and that your batteries are fully charged and your cards empty before you start to shoot video (or take photos). Nothing is worse than a camera going dead right in the middle of something exciting.

3. Put yourself in the visitor's shoes.
Don't take for granted that your visitors will be intrigued by the same thing that fascinates you. Monitor the audience response (not just whether or not the qr codes are being used) regularly to make sure your content remains relevant and compelling.

4. Partner with other museums and organizations.
Two heads are better than one, and 20 qr codes are better than 10. If visitors know that a group of museums or sites are offering this "service", they will take longer exploring the museum, which can mean more of an economic spin-off for the community.

5. Back up all your files.
Whether it's the raw video footage, unedited images, or the qr codes themselves, save everything. You never know when a file will corrupt or be lost.

This is the last post for the qr code series. I hope people learned a little something from my ramblings. As I mentioned previously, I'll be including usage stats in my monthly updates, so stay tuned to find out how museum visitors respond to this new offering over the coming months.

QR Codes in Nova Scotia Museums - Part 3

2011-03-25T09:30:00.009-03:00

So now that we've created the content and qr codes, how do we know if it's working? We used the goo.gl service to shorten urls and track usage. I have a nice little spreadsheet with all the codes listed, and so monitoring the stats is as easy as clicking on the hyperlink.

Not only do we need to track usage for the participating museums, but we also need to report on this to our funder (CHIN). With a number of the museums being closed for the season, we know that these statistics won't be very reliable for interpretation until the summer tourist season. Until then, we'll be depending on year-round museums for our information.

The first codes were launched on February 4th, and since that time five other museums have posted the codes. Only four of these sites are really open to the public, with the other two being open by appointment. Five of the other six participating museums are also seasonal, so we aren't expecting to see big results until May/June. To date, 85% of the views have been from the Museum of Natural History. They were the first to launch and are always a busy site. The second busiest site is the Admiral Digby Museum, which launched their codes on March 17th. Our numbers aren't huge by any stretch of the imagination, but as qr codes become more common in Nova Scotia and summer traveling begins, we're hoping to see a major increase.

Here's what we've learned so far...

Interpreting the Stats:

1. Advertising is important. This is still a new technology for Canada, and a lot of Nova Scotians have no idea what these funny-looking things are. We used simple posters to inform the public about what they are and how they work, and have troubleshooting handouts available at each site.

2. Placement of the qr codes is important. Make sure they are in a well-lit area and very visible - either on/with the exhibit label or text panel, or on the wall next to the display. We can tell from the stats that when these rules aren't followed, the codes don't get viewed as frequently. Remember that nothing about the code itself will attract the visitor since they all look the same from a distance.

3. We forgot about iPods! It's not necessarily the end of the world if your visitors don't have a smartphone. If they've got an iPod touch, they can download a qr reader and enjoy the content along with phone users.

4. There is an urban/rural divide. So far, the codes are being used far more in Halifax than in rural areas.

5. Weekends are busiest. The stats graph shows clear spikes on Fridays and Saturdays. It will be interesting to see how summer holidays affect this trend.

6. Kids think this is magic. The Curator of the Admiral Digby Museum was recently doing a school group tour for a grade 2 class and showed them a few codes with her Blackberry. One student exclaimed, "you...you...you mean he is in THERE?" as she watched an oral history video.

I'll be including usage statistics with my monthly updates for the next six months, so check back to see how things progress over the summer. And if you happen to be visiting one of our participating sites, don't forget to scan some codes with your smartphone or iPod touch.

Last post in the QR Code series will be on challenges and lessons learned - stay tuned.

QR Codes in Nova Scotia Museums - Part 2

2011-03-23T12:01:00.005-03:00

Creating the QR codes is a simple process - what takes the most thought is what kind of content to use. The more we talked to participating museums, the more options we heard. Your imagination is really the limit.

Part of the allure of testing out QR codes was the fact mentioned in Part 1; we've been conducting a lot of artifact research over the past few years and few museums have brought this new information into their exhibits. This information is available online through Artefacts Canada and the Virtual Museum of Canada, so linking to it would be easy enough. We also knew that a number of museums had conducted oral history projects and had video and audio files sitting on shelves. How better to bring history to life than by letting it speak for itself?

CONTENT SUGGESTIONS

1. Readings From Books
Reading short sections of relevant published works can be an easy way to make engaging content. It's easier to record high-quality audio than video, and if you're selling the book in the museum gift shop it can make a great advertisement. These audio segments can be matched with photos, or even just the museum's logo and uploaded to YouTube.

2. Oral Histories
Community elders have great stories to share, which can be edited into short videos. They can be placed near artifacts which they reference either thematically or directly. Imagine having a description of housework in the 1930s placed in the kitchen of a historic house museum, or someone talking about their family's tradition of cabinetmaking with the QR code next to one of the cabinets. Since many institutions have oral histories as part of their collection, this is an easy way to share that information.

3. Photo Slideshows
Another way to re-purpose existing content is to create simple slide shows using archival or other photographs. These can be combined with either of the two audio types suggested above, paired with music, or simply kept silent.

4. Single Photographs
Even a single photo can make for effective content. Memory Lane Heritage Village used QR Codes to link to advertisements from the 1930s and 1940s for objects they had on display. This method is simple, but very effective.

5. Database Records
If some of your artifact records for objects on display have been placed online, a link to that content is a great way to share knowledge about that artifact without requiring a large text panel. Records for items which are not or cannot be displayed can also be linked to, providing visitors with a peek into what's hiding in storage. Our new CollectiveAccess database system will have the ability to produce codes for each object record, simplifying the process even more.

6. Audio Tours
QR codes can also be used to create narrated audio tours, providing introductions to rooms and further information on artifacts from curators and staff.

These are just a few methods that we tried out over the course of our project. As I mentioned before, your imagination really is the limit. So don't be afraid to try out some different kinds of content to see what your visitors prefer. You could even take requests.

I'd love to hear from museum people about how you're using QR codes and what kinds of content you think works best. Feel free to share :)

Stay tuned for part 3 - tracking usage.

QR Codes in Nova Scotia Museums - Part 1

2011-03-21T10:42:00.000-03:00

On Friday we finally finished up our pilot project of using QR Codes to enhance interpretation in museums. Looking back it has been a long journey - over a year since we first started talking about how such a project would work. It occurred to me that I had never really delved into this project, so here's some background and a basic comments on the project.

Background:

Over the past four years, community museums in Nova Scotia have participated in artifact research projects in order to enhance their knowledge of their collections. Digital images of artifacts were taken, and the “enriched” records were uploaded to Artefacts Canada. In addition to the research conducted on each specific item, a broader approach was taken in the compilation of a Nova Scotia Manufacturer’s Database. Holding over 7300 entries related to artisans and manufacturing companies in the province, this information is not currently available to the general public, and is not being used by museums. It is now time to incorporate this enriched information into the museums’ on-site interpretation.

At the Association of Nova Scotia Museum’s (ANSM) 2010 Spring Conference members requested assistance with interpretation, especially in looking at ways to make things more interactive through the use of technology. This was identified as one of their top three priorities for ANSM. To deliver on this request, ANSM embarked on a project to build on the CHIN-funded research work conducted over the past four years, and enhance the current interpretive offerings at participating museums.

ANSM worked with 12 museums from across the province to re-purpose existing content and develop new content to be posted online and shared on-site with QR codes. These sites are spread out around the province, located in both rural and urban areas. They represent the diverse nature of Nova Scotia’s heritage, including a specialized military museum, a sports hall of fame, an Acadian cultural centre, and Canada’s newest national museum. Operating structures range from various community museum models to the provincial and federal governments. By working with such a diverse group of sites, it was hoped that all museums, regardless of site or resource constraints, would be able to see how such a project could be implemented in their own organization.

One of the first tasks for Alexandra and Josh was to identify other museums that had used QR codes or other mobile technologies. We wanted to know what worked, what didn't, and what they would change if they could do it all over again. We may not have found any Canadian examples but we learned a lot from these sites, including the Cleveland Art Museum (Cleveland, Ohio), the Louisiana State Museum (Baton Rouge, Louisiana), the MIT Museum (Cambridge, Massachusetts), the Mattress Factory (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), and especially the Powerhouse Museum (Sydney, Australia). Throughout the course of the project, we began to see qr codes everywhere...we couldn't escape them. They were in magazines and newspapers, tv ads, random junk mail, the list goes on and on. Since Canada has been so much slower to adopt their use than other countries, we are taking this as a good sign.

Many of our biggest hurdles were caused by the structure of the project rather than any difficulties arising from QR codes and web content. Many of the sites we worked with were located many hours away from our office in Halifax, and the amount of time we were able to spend on-site was very limited. This meant that getting content from sites was often challenging. The distance was also sometimes an issue with communications, making discussions about content types and possibilities difficult. In a situation where content for QR codes were being developed in-house, this would not be an issue.

Here it should again be stressed that the key to the success of a project such as this is the content. The novelty of QR codes can only go so far, and if what they link to does not enhance a visitor’s museum experience they will not be viable over the long-term.

Another issue we faced was the lack of standards for mobile content. There is a dizzying range of phones which can access QR technology, each with different display abilities; some, such as iPhones, display Internet content almost the same as a regular web browser, while others are very limited in their abilities. We received a large amount of conflicting advice and much time was lost trying to find the best way to deliver content, before ultimately deciding to rely on larger sites, like YouTube, which have already done the leg work of making content mobile-friendly.

That's all for now, but over the course of the week I'll post other info related to content, usage stats, etc.

Provenance and the Role of the Public Museum

2011-03-14T10:12:00.000-03:00

Last week, Dr. David Pantalony (Curator of Physical Sciences and Medicine at the Canada Science and Technology Museum and Adjunct Professor in the Department of History at the University of Ottawa) came to town. A group of university and museum people got together to discuss the current artifact holdings of the local universities and how these can be used by the students (especially those in U King's History of Science & Tech program) to enhance their learning experience. We also discussed the holdings of museums and how there is partnership potential for students to study the mysterious, old scientific instruments that are sitting in so many of our museums.

On Tuesday evening, Dr. Pantalony gave a talk at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic on "Provenance and the Role of the Public Museum: How the Life Stories of Artifacts Challenge the Traditional Accounts of Science and History."
Traditionally, science museums have focused their interpretive efforts on how an object worked and where it fit into the evolution of science and technology. Provenance research has been left to art galleries and social history museums - those institutions interested in sharing the personal history of an object as well as how it fits into the greater scheme of things.

Dr. Pantalony shared some prime examples from the Science & Tech collection that demonstrate how rich a story can become once the history is pieced together. First was the Herzberg spectrograph, which for years had been sitting in a basement at the University of Saskatchewan. While it was previously viewed as a prime example of a 1930s scientific instrument, by researching its individual history it has become a symbol of scientists' exodus from Nazi Germany. Is that story not as important to tell?

flickr.com - Theratron Junior
CSTM 1966.0043

Next up was the Theratron Junior, a Canadian invention from the 1950s that became instrumental in treating cancer. It was not only an innovation of medical science, but a representation of the fact that Canada chose a peaceful use of nuclear energy. Its colour is the iconic 1940-1960s sea-foam green, so recognizable in hospitals and medicine in general. The manufacturer (Atomic Energy of Canada) recruited master machinists to ensure that the best possible product would be created, something that was functional as well as artistic. By conducting interviews with former machinists and service technicians, the Museum discovered just how much work went into the aesthetics of the machine - it had to be sleek and streamlined, with so many coats of paint that it garnered an enameled look. The Theratron Junior was prominently featured at the 1962 World Fair in Seattle, where Canada was presented as modern, scientific and fresh. We were at the forefront of peaceful, scientific progress. This was the presentation of the ideal. Further research revealed that the nurses who used these machines were concerned about radiation exposure and were unable to verbally communicate with patients when they were undergoing the brief treatments. One nurse even remembered bribing a 5 year old boy with match cars in order to get him to stay still.

The question was asked why science museums have ignored this aspect of research when it is obviously so important. It was suggested that the scientific community may have a fear of mundane or uncomfortable results. By sticking to the broader picture of how something worked and during what time period it was used, there are no risks of discovering that the minerals used in constructing the machine were mined in Brazil under terrible conditions, or that something touted as the first of its kind was actually 12 years too old to be the first. Thankfully, we are now seeing a shift from this traditional approach to one that is taking each artifact's individual history more seriously. What we want the object to be and what it actually is will not match, but we must follow the object where it leads.

Rebuttals were given by Robert Bean of NSCAD and Ted Cavanagh of Dalhousie University. One of my favourite observations was that conducting such research gives a voice to the artifact; it is essentially coaching speech and making technology articulate. This fits so well with our collections enrichment and QR code projects - we are making artifacts come to life.

Last year we developed a donor questionnaire to help museum staff and volunteers get the necessary background information about an artifact from the donor. If you aren't already using such a document, I encourage you to check it out.

Book Review - Museum Masters: Their Museums and Their Influence

2011-03-07T11:46:00.000-04:00

Book review number two. As I prepare for the upcoming core curriculum workshop Museums 101, I've been delving into the history of museums. The book Museum Masters: Their Museums and Their Influence by Edward P. Alexander has been an interesting and helpful resource.

First published in 1983, Edward Alexander's book is still considered to be a definitive work on the history of museums. In his words, "museums are learning centers with a long and vital tradition of cultural contributions. A study of the masters may well reveal to present-day professionals a stronger and better-defined profession that may be adapted and developed, to help shape better museums - and museum professionals."

The table of contents reads like a who's who of the museum world:

Sir Hans Sloane, British Museum
Charles Willson Peale, Philadelphia Museum
Dominique Vivant Denon, the Louvre
William Jackson Hooker, Royal Botanical Gardens of Kew
Henry Cole, Victoria & Albert Museum
Ann Pamela Cunningham, George Washington's Mount Vernon
Wilhelm Bode, Berlin's Museum Island
Artur Hazelius, Skansen
George Brown Goode, the Smithsonian
Carl Hagenbeck, Tierpark Hagenbeck
Oskar von Miller, Deutsches Museum
John Cotton Dana, Newark Museum

Alexander investigates the motivations of the people who were instrumental in establishing these organizations and moving museology from "cabinets of curiousity" that were only available to the social elite, to institutions accessible to the entire public. As public institutions, these museums were not only concerned about study and education, but about enjoyment and social responsibility. They wanted the visitor experience to be active and engaging - memorable for more than just seeing a funny-looking antique behind a glass exhibit case.

What struck me about this book is the forward thinking of the "masters". Not only were they ahead of their time 100-200 years ago, but in some museum cases they are still ahead of their time. They recognized that putting a bunch of stuff on permanent display doesn't make for a good museum, and were always troubleshooting in creative ways to keep the doors open and the visitors visiting.

While some of their practices fall far short of our current ethical and other standards of practice, we can all learn a few lessons from these 12 innovators:
1. Community buy-in is key.
2. Children are interested in history.
3. Exhibits need to change on a regular basis.
4. Thinking outside the box is an absolute must.
5. Improving our museum practices should be a perpetual pursuit.

February 2011 Update

2011-02-28T12:29:00.000-04:00

Database Renewal

Three museum databases have been moved over to the new CollectiveAccess system. We have server space with iWeb, the Montreal-based company which also hosts the National Film Board archives,so we are confident that this arrangement will work out well.

The image migration deadline has now passed and that means we're gearing up for migration of more database files. The migration order is pretty set so if you haven't sent in your survey results on database functionality, it's now or never.

Alexandra has been conducting beta-testing and helping Seth with the final customization work. She has also been working on a user manual and instructional videos.

QR Codes

Codes have been launched at the Museum of Natural History and we have gotten a small amount of press over the initiative. French CBC news interviewed Jeff Gray and I about the project and we've seen two online articles about it as well. In less than 4 weeks we've had 350 hits (views). The Admiral Digby Museum will be launching their codes for March Break.
Josh is working on all the final details of this project to wrap everything up by March 18th. The last promotional posters and packages are being mailed out today, which means QR Codes are gradually being installed around the province.

The how-to guide is still in draft form but is shaping up nicely. A copy has been sent to CHIN for feedback, and Alexandra and Josh have also been seeking input from experts on specific areas of the guide, such as working with audio or video files. I am hoping to have this all wrapped up and approved by CHIN by the end of the week.

We will be having a session on QR Codes at our spring conference in Tatamagouche, so if you didn't participate in the pilot project or just want to hear more about this work, this is your opportunity.

Upcoming Workshop & Conference
As you've heard through the ANSM Beacon newsletter and our recent mailout, we'll be having a workshop in Yarmouth on March 24th from 10am-4pm. Stephanie Smith will be leading the discussion on how everyone, not just Nova Scotia Museum sites, can use the interpretive master plan to improve their museum practices. More information can be found on our website and/or Facebook fanpage. Click here to download the registration form.

Our annual conference is also approaching, April 28-30th. Registration will be open soon, so for now mark your calendars. Creamery Square in Tatamagouche will be hosting, and as the final details get hammered out we're getting more and more excited about it. This is an event you won't want to miss.

Facebook
Speaking of Facebook, we now have 89 fans. Our goal with social media is to share resources, news, events, and other professional development opportunities with our members and online community. Feel free to check it out. We'd love for you to become a fan, but you can access all of the information without a Facebook account.

Annual Renewals

To date we've received 22 renewal contracts and cheques. Please keep in mind that in order to migrate your data we require a contract and payment, so these need to be sent in right away.

Blog Archive
I've been trying to blog more often, and have somehow been managing a new post every week. So just in case you missed them, feel free to check out the following posts from the past month:

Central Regional Group Meeting - covers the meeting at MNH & QR codes launch

Photographing Artifacts - tips on capturing good artifact photos

New Agent of Deterioration - an introduction to dissociation and how your museum can minimize the risks

New Agent of Deterioration - Dissociation

2011-02-21T14:54:00.000-04:00

For anyone unfamiliar with the basics of conservation, there are 9 agents of deterioration which cause damage to museum collections. These are direct physical forces, thieves & vandals, fire, water, pests, pollutants, light (sometimes referred to as radiation), incorrect temperature, and incorrect humidity. How many of you have heard about the "new" agent though? CCI has recently revised their preservation framework to include a 10th agent - dissociation. In my opinion it is great to see official recognition that the loss of artifact data can be just as harmful to the collection as physical deterioration.

"Dissociation results in loss of objects, object-related data, or the ability to retrieve or associate objects and data. The principal means of control against the risk of dissociation is establishing and complying with policies and procedures meant to document and control the acquisition and movements of objects. The ability to exercise professional discipline to abide with these policies and procedures through periods of great productivity pressures is often the risk-limiting factor for dissociation. Where appropriate and adequate policies and procedures are not instituted and respected, dissociation will likely be the greatest risk to a collection." ~from CCI's website

I think I speak for many museum professionals when I say that the announcement of the addition of this 10th agent resulted in cheering. Yes, some of us are just that geeky. Over the past few years I have had many discussions involving the 9 agents of deterioration and how they are affecting museums in Nova Scotia. Working with the Passage collections database, discussions around standards include the importance of capturing information - essentially the who, what, when, where, why and how questions relating to the artifact. Without this information, the object loses much of its value. It's like working on a jigsaw puzzle and realizing that one or more pieces are missing. Do you end up with a clear picture at the end? No. And aren't those blank spots distracting?

Dissociation covers:

rare and catastrophic single events resulting in extensive loss of data, objects, or object values;
sporadic and severe events occurring every few years or decades resulting in loss of data, objects, or object values; and
continual events or processes resulting in loss of data, objects, or object values.

Every museum has mystery objects; artifacts left on the doorstep, unknown donors, or the infamous "found in collection". Sometimes this information was never captured, and other times it was lost when a staff person or volunteer left the organization. Maybe an artifact label was misplaced during a move or the accession number wore off or was/became illegible. Maybe the computer crashed and the collections database was lost. Maybe a fire or flood destroyed all of the paper collection records. Perhaps an object with several pieces was stored in multiple locations without being documented, or one of said pieces disappeared.
As I regularly tell museum workers, we will encounter some dead ends when hunting down old information about artifacts. There is nothing we can do to change that. However, if our current practices are increasing the risk of dissociation in the collection, they need to change.

Here are my top 10 tips on minimizing the risk of dissociation for your museum:

Practice due diligence to make sure you can legally acquire potential donations, purchases, etc.
Make sure that you have fully documented the legal transfer of objects to the museum - including intellectual property rights.
Review all policies and procedures on a regular basis to ensure that they are still meeting recognized standards and the individual needs of the museum.
Always get the donor/source to complete a donor questionnaire.
Make sure each artifact has an archival-quality, legible accession number label attached to it.
Maintain dedicated artifact storage space - there's no excuse for accidentally throwing out an artifact.
Maintain an accurate inventory.
Double-check database entries to ensure that everything is accurate and spelled correctly.
Regularly backup files and store copies off-site.
Provide in-depth training to all new staff and volunteers.

To read more about dissociation, check out CCI's website.

Photographing Artifacts - the good, the bad, and the ugly

2011-02-14T15:38:00.000-04:00

I'd like to dedicate this blog post to Miriam Harris, a conservator who is also an instructor in Fleming College's Collections Conservation and Management Program. Miriam trained me in artifact photography, and while our entire class always complained about how strict she was with her marking of our before & after treatment photos, it all makes sense now. I get it. Thanks Miriam :)

To date, 45,199 artifact and archival photos have been gathered for the great data migration to CollectiveAccess. Being a curious person, I've been conducting quick checks of these images - partially to see what's hiding in Nova Scotia's community museum collections, and partially to conduct a little quality assurance. It's been a couple of years since I've done on-site training in photography, so looking at these photos has been a great way to see how much training has "stuck". There are some really great images, as well as some not-so-great images. So I thought I'd share a few samples of artifact photos, and explain what makes them good, or note how they could be improved. I will not say where these photos are from because this isn't about praising or embarrassing anyone; this is about learning and improving ourselves.

The Good: brown silk, cotton and buckram hat with flowers

As Mary Poppins would say, this image is "practically perfect in every way".
What's right: the natural positioning on the head form allows you to see both the top and side of the hat, and gives an understanding of the front and back details; the background fabric provides a good contrast to the dark brown, the scale is tucked close without interfering with the symmetry of the photograph, and the image has been neatly cropped to give the photo a framed effect.

What could be improved: if you want to get really picky, there are some slight shadows and a couple of wrinkles in the background fabric.

The Bad: white cotton blouse

Textiles should be photographed on a mannequin or dress form. If you don't have one, find a local seamstress or tailor who can lend you theirs.

What's right: the entire blouse is in the picture, the colour is pretty good, and the scale lets us know the size.

What's wrong: the photo is a bit blurry and shadowed, the scale is up to the right instead of in the lower left, the blouse isn't buttoned and isn't even on the hanger straight. The background fabric should be darker to provide better contrast and wrinkles should have been ironed out (only in the background fabric, not in the blouse).

The Ugly: a chair

Furniture should be photographed similarly to the hat above, angled so you can see all 3 dimensions and lots of construction details - hardware, moulding, inlays, upholstery, carved detailing etc.

What's wrong: I'm not sure which chair I'm supposed to be looking at and neither of them are entirely in the shot, the image is overexposed due to all the sunlight from the window so the colour is off, there's no background fabric or scale, the chair doesn't fill the frame, and the image becomes very grainy in the lower right.

The Unbelievable: knitting needles

This is quite possibly one of my favorite artifact photos ever, so here's what I have to say about it:
Yes this is only a summer job, but you still need to be professional. A good reference can go a long way, and a bad one can lose you your dream job. So if you are going to document your 2008 wardrobe choices in an artifact photo, at least pretend to be interested instead of sitting slouched back in a chair with the camera barely capturing the needles.
Also, I can see the accession number on one of the needles and the image is overexposed at the top.

What's important to remember here is that our new database system is going to be wide open; your artifacts will be available for all the world to see. So if you're photographing your collection you have to take the time to get a high quality image because these will be a direct reflection of your museum's level of professionalism. If you are assigning this task to summer students, make sure you train them instead of assuming that they know how to take good artifact photos. Trust me, they don't know how (unless Miriam or someone like her trained them before they started, in which case you should be able to ask for their portfolio of work). You have to be checking on their work regularly to make sure it's of high quality. We want to be as professional as possible, especially since these images will be seen by the general public. So take the extra five minutes; it will be worth it.

Central Regional Heritage Group Meeting

2011-02-07T12:15:00.000-04:00

On Friday the Central Regional Heritage Group met at the NS Museum of Natural History. There were around 15 people in attendance from across the Halifax Regional Municipality, representing 11 organizations. Not a bad turnout for a mid-winter meeting.

Anita and Karin reported on the various ANSM activities, from the upcoming conference to the new database system.
The Council of NS Archives reported that it has some new emergency supply kits that can be accessed by members in the event of a disaster. They are located at the NSARM in Halifax, the Beaton Institute in Sydney, and the Yarmouth County Museum & Archives in Yarmouth.
Moose River Gold Mines Museum reported that this year marks the 75th anniversary of the mine disaster, and commemoration activities will take place on April 30th. Mainland South Heritage Society is celebrating 20 years, and will be having a tea on Feb.19th at the community centre. Cole Harbour Heritage Farm has just completed a Community Memories project; the funding allowed them to digitize all of their audio-visual holdings.

Destination Halifax was also in attendance and gave us all an overview of what they can offer to heritage organizations. While their target market is the meeting/convention world, they are always looking for activities and products (including museums) to promote to visitors. Their website gets over 35,000 hits per month, and even if you aren't a member you can submit events and promote your organization. With over 22,000 fans on Facebook, this provides a great venue for advertising upcoming events at the museum, whether it's an exhibit opening or tea social.

After the meeting Jeff Gray took us on a tour to visit Sue the T-Rex. It was great to see all the young families coming into the gallery and hear the kids' reactions - Wow! It's so big! Look at the teeth! This is so cool!
What a great way to introduce kids to the world of museums. The interest is there, and in April we'll be looking at ways to move Beyond the Labels in our interpretation so that we can keep the kids interested in coming back again and again.

tree under construction

We also got a behind-the-scenes tour of the upcoming exhibit Netukulimk which is scheduled to open later this year. The premise is to bring the outside inside, so the exhibit development team is working hard at creating a Nova Scotian forest with trees and caves with lots of interactive pieces for kids to learn and play. As one of ANSM's partners in the QR Code project, the museum is taking full advantage of this new technology and using it to share what's taking place behind the barriers. Two QR codes are providing visitors with the opportunity to hear about the exhibit development process from MNH staff who are busy building and painting. As Jeff put it, this is a great way for visitors to engage with museum staff who aren't interpreters or on the front lines, giving the visitors a better understanding of how the museum operates.

looking underground and a new home for the bees

exhibit design behind-the-scenes

The other great thing about meeting at the MNH is that Jeff and Karin got to hang out with a CBC reporter and talk about QR Codes after all the meeting attendees had left. The MNH officially launched their QR Codes on Friday, so this gave an opportunity to garner a bit of press and monitor people's reaction to these funny little square things (according to our stats, so far the code next to Gus the Tortoise is the most popular, surprise surprise). Jeff opted to not post any notices about the QR codes and is taking a "if you know what these are, check them out" approach. So if you go to the Museum of Natural History, be sure to take your smartphone and go hunting for those elusive little black and white squares.

The next meeting has been scheduled for May 13th at Alderney Gate, hosted by the HRM Cultural & Heritage Development team. Stay tuned to the listserv for more info.

January 2011 Update

2011-02-01T14:59:00.000-04:00

The year has just begun but we've definitely hit the ground running.

Renewal Contracts

Passage renewal contracts have been sent out and should be in your mailbox any day. Please return these with your renewal cheque as soon as possible as we need a valid contract before we can migrate your database to the new system. We truly appreciate all of the hard work you have put into this over the years, and look forward to another year of partnership.

ANSM Online

If you’re looking for some professional development tips and resources, or wondering what museums in Nova Scotia are up to, we’d love to have you join our Facebook fan page. If you don’t have a Facebook account you can still access the page by clicking on the Facebook button to your right.

Also remember to check out our website. The resources section is being added to monthly. New resources include a Museums Guide to Internet Marketing and Incident Report for Injury or Illness.

QR Code Project

This project was originally supposed to finish on January 21^st, but CHIN has graciously granted us a project extension until mid-March. So Josh is continuing to work on project branding, getting all the instructional posters printed up, and finalizing content with sites. This week will mark the official launch of the QR Codes at the NS Museum of Natural History in Halifax, which we are all very excited about. Alexandra is dividing her time between the How-To Guide for QR Codes and database migration work (more on that later). There will be a session on QR Codes at our Spring conference in Tatamagouche in April, and we can’t wait to share the process with you.

Database Renewal Project

As you’ve all heard, migration is imminent. You’ve also heard that in order to do the migration we need to get all your artefact photos. If I don’t receive these files by Feb.18^th, you will have to reattach your images in the new system. We hate to do this, but we just can’t wait any longer or we won’t meet our funding deliverables. Alexandra has been phoning around to make sure this is done, so if you haven’t yet spoken with her please call the office right away.

Alexandra has also started working on the new database user manual, and we are hoping to have some how-to videos posted on our YouTube channel by mid-March to supplement the manual.

Pinpointing the location of an archival photograph

I know this probably seems like a big waiting game, but we’re working very hard to get this right. We’ll give you a call the minute we’re ready to migrate your museum’s data.

Artefacts Canada Tally

I haven’t reported on this since November, so I thought I’d remind everyone just how many records we have that have been released to the general public through Artefacts Canada. Once again the central region was the only region to upload records, adding another 844 to the tally. This gives us a grand total of 158,165 collection records on Artefacts Canada.

Here are the new regional stats:

Southwest: 69,923

Central: 41,273

Northeast: 25,731

Cape Breton: 21,238

Blog Poll

There is a new blog poll posted that asks what feature you are most excited about in the new database system. It may be a little less serious than some previous polls, but we’re just as interested in hearing from you.

Book Review - Starting Right: a basic guide to museum planning

2011-01-24T16:14:00.000-04:00

I usually steer clear of writing book reviews, but over the past few months I've been delving into our reference library. Part of my motivation is that some of these books are getting older and outdated, and should perhaps be retired from the lending library. Another reason is that I enjoy reading and so this is a casual way to do some professional development.
I decided that I'd share some thoughts from these books since I think they offer great thoughts and advice for the museum community. These reviews will be an intermingling of the authors' thoughts and my own, ie what the book made me think about when considering our situation in Nova Scotia.

Starting Right: a basic guide to museum planning by Gerald George and Cindy Sherrell-Leo is the first on my list (for review anyway). Over the past year, I've lost count how many times Anita and I have heard about a group wanting to start a new museum, or an existing museum debating about closing its doors. How, in such a small province as Nova Scotia, can this be so common? Perhaps it's time for a little reality check.

image from tower.com

Starting Right is an excellent book that I think all museum workers should read. While it is written for those who are thinking about opening a new museum, it also serves as a great reality check for those of us who have been working in the field for awhile. It's so easy to get caught up in the myriad tasks of running a museum; reading such a reality check is a great way to ensure that your organization is still on the right track. Its purpose is to "help anyone who lacks a museum background but is taking on museum responsibilities, particularly anyone who is considering creating a new museum." What the authors don't want to see is "museum mayhem through the creation of museums that are poorly operated or cannot be sustained." Given current realities, how close are we to 'museum mayhem'?

In a nutshell, it boils down to respect for a community's history (or the particular theme) on which a society focuses. This book defines museums as the stewards of tangible material culture, but it is just as important to consider the intangible. It reminds us that having a collection of any kind does not mean that it has to end up in a museum, let alone a new museum. There are lots of existing organizations in the province with whom partnerships can be formed. Further dividing our resources will only weaken the museum community and burden an already overstretched volunteer-base.

The first section of the book walks the reader through a reality check to see if they are really ready, willing and able to start up a new museum. It also asks some serious questions about whether or not starting a new museum is even a good idea.

What local or provincial organizations can we talk to about our ideas/plans? Museums, historical societies, funders, ANSM...to name a few.
Can you afford the necessary museological training through workshops, webinars, conferences etc., both in terms of finances and human resources? Remember that this isn't a one-time expense, but will be ongoing.
Does your community support you? Once you're up and running, will the community regularly visit and pay entrance fees or leave donations? Will they donate artifacts? Will they volunteer?
Who is your targeted audience? Do you want to reach families, students, seniors, or will the museum cater to a special-interest group? How will you attract these people?
How much will it all cost? Where will the money come from? What other fundraising activities take place in the community, and how will these affect the success of your own?
Should you really start your own museum if there is an existing museum nearby with whom you could join forces? Are you asking your community to support a new museum when there are already two in town?

If you get through the first section and still want to start a new museum, the book then reviews 20 questions to consider in museum operations. These questions run the gamut, discussing missions and mandates, facility and security requirements, governance and policies, human resources, research and interpretation, and marketing. I especially like that they cover museum ethics and staff training. And finally, my two favorite questions are:
1. How will you cope with change?

2. How will you keep your museum alive, dynamic, creative, even visionary, and closely connected to your community?

As I said at the outset, this is not only a great book for people who want to start a new museum, but is a great way for the more practiced professionals to take a step back, look at themselves critically, and see how they measure up.

Hints and Tips for Shooting Video

2011-01-14T12:43:00.003-04:00

Alexandra here. The QR code project is chugging along nicely. A huge relief was hearing word that the project has been extended until the end of March, which means we can breathe a little easier, even when Windows Movie Maker crashes for the umpteenth time

Speaking of Windows Movie Maker, one of the nice things about this project is the insight is has given us into the “dos” and “don’ts” of amateur videography. YouTube channels are a great way to reach out to potential visitors who can’t make it your site, or to offer additional content. Here are some things about shooting video we have learned the hard way, so you don’t have to:

Know your equipment

Some of the first video we shot was done using my iPhone. While the quality is great, at the time I didn’t realize that I was shooting the wrong way! As a result, all of the video we got from that day is sideways, and turning it is a real pain. The lesson to take away from this? Before you’re planning on recording anything, take a few test shots with your camera and upload them to your computer. Spend time familiarizing yourself with how everything works: how to record, stop, playback, and how long your camera will let you record for. Then, when you’re shooting for real, you won’t risk making small errors that will cost you lots of time later on.

Be Consistent

It’s a lot easier to learn how to deal with just one set of equipment, file formats and software than to have to deal in multiples. Find one camera and stick with it.

Test Before You Delete

This might seem obvious, but keeping it in mind can save you major headaches down the road. Never delete anything off of your camera without making sure it’s properly uploaded to your computer! Video files are big and prone to file corruption when you’re moving them from your card to your desktop. Use the software that came with the camera, or if you’re directly moving things from the SD card or other media, be sure to copy and paste rather than drag and drop. Then, watch the file all the way through to make sure that both the audio and video have transferred properly. If not, play back the file in your camera to make sure it’s not a problem with the video itself, and then try again.

Back Up Your Files

It’s much easier to burn a CD or DVD than it is to try and recover something that’s been deleted, and you never know when you’ll want to revisit something that you shot previously. This is especially true for things like oral history interviews, which become a part of your collection.

Bring Extra Everything

Make sure you have extra batteries and memory cards, and that your batteries are fully charged and your cards are empty BEFORE you start to shoot. Nothing is worse than a camera going dead right in the middle of something exciting—like a snake finally eating a salamander after many minutes of coaxing (sigh).

Hopefully these tips prove helpful, and happy shooting!

December 2010 Update

2011-01-05T12:22:00.002-04:00

Well I managed to miss sending a December update. Oops.

December 9th was a fun morning for Anita and I. We invited Paul Collins and Valerie Lenethan to the ANSM office to review the new database system. Not only was it fun to play with the new system, but being of similar collections manager mindsets, we enjoyed our little geekfest. We came up with a pretty big list of adjustments to be made to the new system which we're confident will make it even better and easier to use. Remember that migration will begin in January, and before you can be migrated I need to get all of your artifact images from the Originals folder. Please send these right away so we can get the migration going.

On December 10th we held our second social media workshop in Wolfville at the Acadia University Library. We had a great turnout and feedback from participants was good. Tracey and I enjoyed working together and hope that this is just the beginning of an ANSM-TIANS partnership. A special thank you to the Wolfville Historical Society who opened the Randall House Museum kitchen to us for our picnic lunch. It was a great chance to see the Christmas displays and newly acquired Nova Scotian prints, especially for those workshop attendees from further away who had never been to the museum.

Lunch at Randall House Museum

ANSM dessert platter

Even though our office closed on December 17th for the holidays, we had three very action-packed weeks, ending in a lovely potluck with the other Cultural Federations office staff. While there were lots of healthy food options, I always think the desserts look the best, so thought I'd share a couple images of that. Congrats to our interns Alexandra & Josh who proved their baking skills with this event. This is a tradition that has changed slightly over the past few years, but has quickly become a favorite event in our building. With such amazing food this year I'm not sure how we'll top it for the 2011 potluck.

DANS dessert basket

That's all for December. I hope everyone had a great holiday break and is feeling refreshed and ready for all the exciting things that 2011 brings.

CollectiveAccess database update

2010-12-14T11:19:00.000-04:00

As you all know, we've got a pretty major database renewal project on the go. We're moving from a custom-built Microsoft Access system to CollectiveAccess. This will be web-based, and as a Phase II of the project we're going to have a public interface that will allow anyone to peruse through the material culture held in Nova Scotia's community museums. But that's Phase II. We're still in Phase I.

For the past two weeks I've been collecting all of the artifact photos from participating museums in preparation for the great migration of 2011. This is a very fun task. Not only does it let me sneak a peak at what's out there, but it's also a great way to get inspiration for future ANSM training opportunities. Knowing what people have in their collections helps us figure out what workshops and training is needed. In order to make the migration process smooth, I need to get the artifact photos from the Collections - Originals folder from each museum. Once I get all of these photographs, I send them along to our database developer so they can be migrated into the new system. For anyone reading this who hasn't sent me their photos yet, call the office and we'll figure something out.

We now have the beta-version of the new system and have been playing around with it to figure out what kinds of adjustments need to be made. Once the Information Management & Access Committee (IMAC) is happy with it, we're going to bring in a couple beta-testers. To test the migration process, our new friend Seth (aka database developer) used the Admiral Digby Museum's database and images. Here are a couple of screen shots from the new system.

Dashboard - what you'll see when you log in

artefact record view

We're still making some adjustments and getting everything organized, but I thought you might like a taste of what's to come in the New Year. Also, if you haven't answered the database survey, please do so as soon as possible as this is determining the migration order. If I don't hear from you, I'll assume everything is fine and you'll be put at the bottom of the list.

Stay tuned for more...

November 2010 Update

2010-11-30T16:39:00.000-04:00

CNSA Workshop

view from the Alexander Graham
Bell Museum in Baddeck

This year I enrolled in the Council of Nova Scotia Archives’ Core Curriculum program. This means that once I attend all six workshops and successfully complete the homework assignments, I’ll get a nice little certificate that says I know a bit about the archival world. The first week of November had me traveling up to lovely Baddeck for the Introduction to Preservation workshop.

Social Media Workshop

The social media strategic development workshop took place on November 16^th at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. We had 10 participants from the Central and Southwest regions. Reviews were good, and also gave us some great feedback on how to improve the workshop. Due to the number of people wanting to attend, we have scheduled a second workshop for December 10^th in Wolfville at Acadia University. More information can be found on our website, or by calling the office.

ANSM Facebook Fan Page

In conjunction with the social media workshop, ANSM has officially joined the social media world on Facebook. We view this as a professional development opportunity, as we can quickly share resources, links, success stories, event information...our imagination is really the limit here. So if you’re on Facebook, we’d love to have your join our little group. The more the merrier.

QR Code Project

QR Code travels

Alexandra and Josh have completed the official site visits, as well as the content for two museums. This month they visited the Admiral Digby Museum, O’Dell House Museum, Shelburne County Museum, Citadel Hill Army Museum, Creamery Square Heritage Centre, Colchester Historical Museum, NS Sport Hall of Fame, NS Museum of Natural History and Memory Lane Heritage Village. They’re still spending a lot of their time on content development for the other participants, and Josh is working on the branding of each site’s print materials. Since iPhones will geotag where you take your photos, we have a nice little map that shows where the team have been.

Database Renewal Project

The beta version of the new CollectiveAccess database system is now ready. Our next step is to put in some test data and then bring in a few members of the Information Management & Access Committee to test it out. This work will be completed before the holiday break, which means that we’ll begin the migration process in January. While I know everyone is anxious to get the new system, we’ll be taking our time to make sure that everything goes smoothly.

IMPORTANT: If you have not responded to the database survey, you will not be given priority for migration to the new system.

Artefacts Canada Tally

Being November we didn’t see a whole lot of uploading this month. The central region was the only region to upload records this month, adding 781 to the tally. This gives us a grand total of 157,321 collection records on Artefacts Canada.

Here are the new regional stats:

Southwest: 69,923

Central: 40,429

Northeast: 25,731

Cape Breton: 21,238

Congratulations to the Acadian House Museum and Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame for being the only museums to upload new information this month.

Blog Poll

Since not too many people wanted to share how they’ve dealt with the economic recession, I’ve decided to leave this poll up for awhile longer. Remember that this is totally anonymous.

SDI Final Report

2010-11-30T10:17:00.000-04:00

For anyone unfamiliar with our funding situation, ANSM received money this year from the provincial government (through the Strategic Development Initiative - SDI) for a number of support initiatives for Passage member museums. While it's hard to believe, the funding year has come to an end.
I don't know about the rest of the museum professional world, but I often feel like I'm just spinning my wheels. The to do list never shortens no matter how many hours, days, weeks... you put in, and right when you think you've got a handle on things, something else comes up that brings you back to square one. It's not until I sit down to write a progress report that I see how far we've come. Incidentally, this is why the blog was first started - to keep our member museums up to date on project activities. So without further ado, here is this year's official final report.

The Passage Project sought funding to support 60 community museums in the following areas:

1. Core Activities

1.1. Outreach, training and on-site support visits

1.2. Remote assistance

1.3. Documentation package

1.4. Revised database manuals

1.5. Software and hardware standardization

2. New Initiatives

2.1. Internet marketing for museums

2.2. Professional development and promotional videos on YouTube

2.3. Feasibility study on web conferencing software

BACKGROUND AND CURRENT STANDING

Project work began on November 30^th, 2009 and was completed on November 26^th, 2010. The following is an outline of work accomplished over the past year.

1.1 Outreach, training and on-site support visits

Providing support to community museums occurred in person, on-site, by phone, and through the internet (email, Skype, Crossloop). When in the office, the Collections Coordinator (CC) was always logged in to Skype, allowing museum staff/volunteers to quickly contact her by instant message or VOIP (voice over internet protocol) when a question arose. While the CC was not inundated with questions, she did notice that the questions discussed through online means are quite different from those discussed via traditional phone. In the past, museum staff/volunteers expressed a reluctance to “bother” the CC with questions they viewed as being of little importance. The staff/volunteers would either delay work tasks or make assumptions which inevitably required correction. By being available to museums online, staff/volunteers are now asking these “little questions” immediately, allowing them to move forward with their work more efficiently.

The Collections Coordinator attended the Canadian Museums Association conference in St. John’s Newfoundland in May. A full review of the conference was posted on the Passage blog as a professional development offering to community museum staff and volunteers: http://passagemuseums.blogspot.com/2010/06/canadian-museums-association-conference.html

Due to scheduling conflicts, the Collections Coordinator was only able to attend 5 of 8 regional meetings. In order to maintain a presence at these meetings, updates were sent off with other ANSM staff or board members so that museums would still receive a report on project activities.

Outcomes	Actual Outcomes	Percentage of Funding Objective
50 on-site visits	64 site visits	128%
attendance at 8 regional meetings	5 regional meeting	63%
minimum of 200 support emails with partner sites	254 support-related emails	127%
Minimum of 12 blog posts	34 blog posts	283%
minimum of 100 support phone calls with partner sites	222 phone calls	222%
provide assistance to 50+ partner sites to create enriched, digitized records	Offer made to 56 partner sites, 27 museums opted to participate	100%

1.2 Remote Assistance

As mentioned in item 1.1, Skype has allowed for more frequent outreach and training support. Crossloop was used 62 times to provide training and troubleshooting assistance to community museums. This represents over $3000 in cost-avoidance. This service has been so well received by community museum staff/volunteers and is so easy to use that many wonder how we ever got along without Crossloop.

Outcomes	Actual Outcomes to date	Percentage of Funding Objective
As needed database troubleshooting for 50+ partner sites using Crossloop and Skype	62 Crossloop sessions	100.0%
	21 Skype sessions	100.0%

1.3 Documentation Package

There are currently 25 resources available on the ANSM website under the categories of Collections & Access to Information and Management. These vary from sample forms to tip sheets to database manuals. Given how well they have been received by the community, this work will continue as time and resources allow.

Outcomes	Actual Outcomes to date	Percentage of Funding Objective
Compile standardized collections management documentation package, available online to 50+ Passage partners and 100+ ANSM members	12 collections management forms	100%
	10 tip sheets and manuals	100%
	3 administrative forms	100%

1.4 Revised Database Manuals

The task of revising the database manuals was removed from the project work plan following the IT consultants’ feedback (see Appendix 1 – Database Renewal Report) on our current MS Access databases. Through discussions with the SDI funding manager it was determined that moving forward on this deliverable would be irresponsible. Until the new database system is in place, community museum staff/volunteers can access the existing database manuals via the ANSM website.

Outcomes	Actual Outcomes to date	Percentage of Funding Objective
Revise 3 database manuals, available online to 50+ partners through video (YouTube) and text	Initial textual revisions made to Collections database manual (prior to receiving feedback re: databases)	10%

1.5 Software and Hardware Standardization

Two new partners joined the project this year – Wedgeport Sport Tuna Fishing Museum and Mount Hanley Schoolhouse Museum. While the Milton Blacksmith Shop was hoping to join as well, when we discovered the reality of our database situation, it was decided (by both ANSM and Milton) that they would wait until the new system was in place in order to prevent the necessity of learning two database systems in two years. The mentorship agreement that is in place between the Mount Hanley Schoolhouse Museum and the Annapolis Valley Macdonald Museum is working well, and it is hoped that this model can be used with other museums that are just beginning the digitization process.

As mentioned in the interim report, CHIN funding allowed for the purchase of 23 webcams with built-in microphones. This has greatly facilitated the use of Skype as a remote assistance and outreach tool. With this funding we were also able to purchase 32 external hard drives (640GB) with built-in automatic backup software. During the delivery of these hard drives, the automatic backup feature was set up, greatly reducing the risk of data loss.

Also addressed in the interim report was the rfp for a technical consultant to analyze and report on the existing MS Access database structures and make recommendations on how to proceed in the future. A full report has been written (see Appendix 1), but in short, it was determined that the Collections database is highly unstable and it is imperative that a new system be adopted as soon as possible. The Collections Coordinator has been working with the developer of the new system to do customization work so that the learning curve for museum staff/volunteers will be as small as possible. To date, the beta version of the new system has been completed, and the first round of testing by the ITCMA Committee will take place on December 9^th. This has involved many hours of investigation, discussions and testing, but the Collections Coordinator is pleased with how the project is progressing. The Cemetery and Volunteer/Tracking databases will remain in MS Access until the Collections database issue has been resolved, after which the IT & Collections Management Advisory Committee will seek alternative options for these systems.

Given the amount of time required for the database renewal project work, the equipment purchase program was postponed until the fall. A procedural document has been drafted, as well as a requisition form which will be updated prior to each biannual order (see Appendix 2 – Equipment Purchase Program Procedures and Appendix 3 – Equipment Requisition Form).

Outcomes	Actual Outcomes to date	Percentage of Funding Objective
Provide 3 new sites with standardized equipment and software	2 new sites	67%
Prepare terms of reference for IT consultant work, select consultant, review findings and recommend action	Report written, new database system ready in beta-version	100%

2.1 Internet Marketing for Museums

The Collections Coordinator attended workshops and read a number of books and articles on internet marketing for businesses, museums, and tourism operators. Reviews of the workshops were written and posted on the Passage blog (http://passagemuseums.blogspot.com). All of this information was compiled into a reference document (see Appendix 4 – A Museum’s Guide to Internet Marketing) that is available on the ANSM website.

In addition to the internet marketing guide, ANSM partnered with the Tourism Industry Association of Nova Scotia (TIANS) to deliver a workshop on Strategy Development for Social Media (see Appendix 5 – Social Media Workshop Flyer). This workshop was held at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic on November 16^th and due to the high number of registrations a second workshop will be held at the Acadia University Library on December 10^th. These workshops were limited to 10 participants in order to work individually with the attendees’ situations.

In order to be recognized as a leader for museums in this area, ANSM has recently added two new internet marketing platforms to its staff blogs. ANSM now has a Facebook fan page with almost 40 followers after 1.5 weeks. This page will allow for wider dissemination of information and increase recognition of the ANSM brand. A YouTube channel has also been established which will be used to host how-to videos for the new CollectiveAccess database system.

Outcomes	Actual Outcomes to date	Percentage of Funding Objective
Investigate & compile internet marketing recommendations available to all 100+ ANSM members	A Museum’s Guide to Internet Marketing is available on the ANSM website	100%

Queen Elizabeth II visits Halifax

2010-11-19T11:02:00.000-04:00

HMCS Sackville all dressed up

In looking through my pictures I realized that I missed a pretty important blogging opportunity over the summer. Not only were Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip in Halifax, but they unveiled a plaque at the HMCS Sackville, our national naval memorial (and Passage member). Since our office is down on the waterfront it was pretty easy to sneak out and capture some photos of the fleet review and plaque unveiling. Given the recent announcement that Prince William and Kate Middleton are engaged, this seems like an even more appropriate time to talk about the royal visit.

conducting the fleet review from the HMCS St. John's

The Queen's first order of business was to conduct an international fleet review in honour of the 100th anniversary of the Canadian Navy. Ships from Canada, Brazil, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and United States participated in the review, and many of these vessels were also open to the general public over the course of the week. As usual, our international guests raved about the wonderful Maritime hospitality they experienced while in our port.

saying goodbye to the HMCS St. John's crew

The weather didn't really cooperate as the day was blustery and overcast, but thankfully the rain held off. The crowds of people didn't seem to mind the weather, and were very excited to see the royal couple. For many it was the first time to see her in person, and for others it afforded the opportunity to share memories of previous visits with their children and grandchildren.

unveiling the plaque

The unveiling of the plaque was preceded by a speech which was a little difficult to hear due to the helicopters flying overhead. Following the unveiling the Queen and Prince Philip did a little walk about, meeting with veterans and their families who were seated in some reserved bleachers on the dock. I know this is part of her job, but from my vantage point, both the royal couple and the veterans they met with truly seemed to enjoy this.

leaving the waterfront

If you've never visited the HMCS Sackville, it is definitely worth checking out. It is the last remaining WWII corvette and going aboard is like stepping back in time. I'm always struck by how narrow and cramped the space is. I also appreciate how the volunteers of the Naval Memorial Trust have created such a time capsule atmosphere on board. During the summer months she can be found along the waterfront near the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic.

Museums and Remembrance Day - 2010 Edition

2010-11-10T16:31:00.001-04:00


George & Thelma with Susan-Jane 1943

They say to write about what you know. What I know is that Remembrance Day always makes me think of what life was like for my grandfather's generation, with so many men off to war and families left at home. As someone once said: "by remembering all who have served, we recognize their willingly-endured hardships and fears, taken upon themselves so that we could live in peace." As museums, we are entrusted with memories through associated objects in our collections. It's not about the object itself, but the stories that it can tell - the memories it can share. How better can we honour those who sacrificed so much than to shine a little light on their individual experiences?

I never got to hear Grandpa's stories firsthand since he died when I was just a baby, but as I look through his old photographs I wonder what he would have said about each of the "snaps". I wonder how he and his buddies went from the horrors of war to playing cricket during some down time.

"on a wing and a prayer"

"spare time: a cricket match between the army & navy"

George & Ralph

What I do know about Grandpa is that he got into trouble a few times during his years of service. I obtained a copy of his service record, and he apparently went AWOL twice. According to my father, the first was while he was training at CFB Trenton and Grandma went into labour. There was no way that he was missing the birth of his first child. The second time was when he literally ran into his brother Ralph in London during an air raid and accompanying blackout, yelled at the "damn Yankee" to get out of his way, and heard the response "shut up George!" Time flies when you're catching up at a pub. I also know that Grandpa had a reputation for being able to "get stuff done"; he was the wheeler and dealer who traded whiskey for plane parts and retrieved drunken superiors from houses of ill repute, first in England and then in Burma. Apparently the RAF couldn't figure out how the Canadians were keeping so many planes in the air when parts were so scarce.

reminders of home

I imagine that Grandpa would rather talk about these random encounters and shenanigans than about how scary it all was, because I know he had to do some terrifying things that no one should have to experience. And he, just like so many other young men, carried a leather photo album of his family and friends and thrived on letters from home that promised happy days ahead.
On that note, I think I'll end this with one of my favorite lines from one of Grandpa's letters. Such a poetic sentiment was surely echoed by many:

"Sunday has rolled around again, the weeks slide by into months, and in a few days, it will be a year since I left, does it seem so terribly long Darling?"

Northeast Regional Meeting

2010-11-09T11:25:00.001-04:00

Hector Exhibit Centre

For those of you who don't know how Nova Scotia's heritage community is divided up, we have four geographic regions - Cape Breton, Central, Northeast and Southwest. In each of these regions we have what we call the regional groups (I know, very original), consisting of curators, managers, volunteers, and other heritage-minded people. About twice a year the groups hold meetings to discuss issues and compare notes. It's been a few years since the Northeast region has held a meeting, but on November 2nd a group of us got together at the Hector Exhibit Centre in Pictou to revive the tradition.

It was a small but mighty group, and lots of great discussions were had. In attendance were representatives from the Balmoral Grist Mill, Creamery Square Heritage Centre, Fundy Geological Museum, Sutherland Steam Mill, Wallace and Area Museum, and the Pictou County Genealogy & Heritage Society (which operates the Hector Exhibit Centre). Each attendee gave a brief update on the goings-on at their museum and everyone was very interested in comparing visitor stats from the season. Paul Collins spoke about the government programs undergoing review, and Anita brought everyone up to speed on various federal and provincial issues. As this was the first meeting in awhile, the group talked a lot about what they want to get out of these meetings, and even brainstormed on possible collaborative work.

Dayle and Shirley checking out some archival records during a break

wreck wood from the Titanic and the Conley broadax

made in Nova Scotia display

If you are a heritage organization located in the Northeast you are more than welcome to attend these meetings. The next one is scheduled for April 28th in Tatamagouche. We hope to see you there!

October 2010 Update

2010-11-03T21:12:00.001-03:00

New Look
You'll notice that the blog look has changed. I think this format and colouring aligns a bit better with the ANSM website and branding. So enjoy, check out some of the archived posts, and let me know what you think.

Social Media Workshop

We’ve had overwhelming response to the upcoming social media workshop in Halifax. There is a waiting list of participants, so we’re looking at how we can expand the training to meet everyone’s needs. Tracey and I are very excited about this workshop and will be in touch with participants over the coming week with more details.

QR Code Project

As you may have noticed, Alexandra took over the blog earlier this week to let you all know about the recent trip to Cape Breton. The project is progressing nicely. The web space for media is up and running, multimedia files are being created, and marketing and visitor instructional materials are well under way.

Database Renewal Project

I am very happy to announce that I’ll be reviewing the beta version of our new database system with the developer next week. Once I play around with it a bit, the first Passage database will be migrated into the new system and we’ll begin active beta testing with member sites.

IMPORTANT: If you have not responded to the database survey, you will not be given priority for migration to the new system. This survey is our paper trail of who was migrated when and why.

Regional Group Meetings

Two regional meetings will be taking place in November. The first will be in Pictou on November 2^nd. This will be the first Northeast meeting in several years, so if you’re in this region, it would be great to see you there. The second meeting will be in Bridgewater on November 5^th. For those in the southwest who have never attended a curator’s group meeting, this is a great opportunity to start connecting.

Blog Poll

There is a new blog poll online. I’ve had a number of conversations recently with people who are facing major cutbacks and possible closure of their museums. So that got us wondering – how are you dealing with the current economy and financial reality? Have you cut back your hours, laid off staff, cancelled programs or services, or maybe something else? Let us know how you’re trying to save money. If you have taken measures not mentioned in the poll, please email me and let me know what you’ve done and how successful it’s been. We’ve got some museum friends in other provinces that are looking for ideas and would love to hear from you. No personal or museum names will be shared; we’re strictly looking for information.

Artefacts Canada Tally

This month we had uploads from the Southwest and Northeast region, so the stats have changed a little bit. The overall tally went up by an even 500 records, which now puts us at 156,540 records on Artefacts Canada.

Here are the new regional stats:

Southwest: 69,923

Central: 39,648

Northeast: 25,731

Cape Breton: 21,238

Congratulations to the Southwest Region for uploading the most records in October.

2010-11-01T16:32:00.012-03:00

Alexandra here!

Josh and I gave our first round of QR code workshops in Cape Breton late last week and had a GREAT time.

We left cold, wet and miserable Halifax at six in the morning and prepared ourselves for a gloomy seven-hour drive out to Cape North to visit North Highlands Community Museum. It rained pretty constantly up until the Causeway, when it cleared up and became a glorious day—an amazing welcome to Cape Breton! The drive through the Cabot Trail was breathtaking and I think I annoyed Josh with my constant picture taking, loud squealing and requests to stop the car.

North Highlands Community Museum was great. I was particularly blown away by the display of fishhooks (and one huge drillbit!) removed from local persons between 1970-1990. Sadly the display was on loan and only up for the summer, so we couldn't put a QR code on it (maybe too morbid?). They had plenty of other fascinating artefacts, however, and we enjoyed a lovely walk through their garden.

The next day we went to Les Trois Pignons in Cheticamp. The masterful hooked rugs by Elizabeth LeFort were an obvious highlight—my favourite is the near-perfect portrait of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. The eclectic collection of the late Marguerite Gallant was also great. Who knew there was a pair of Douglas Fairbanks Sr.'s boots in Cape Breton?

After a late lunch at Mr. Chicken we headed back to Halifax, but not before a spooky roadside encounter with some "colourful" locals...