Historians Must Embrace the Future to Survive

Original model of the NCC-1701 Enterprise at the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum Gift Shop

by Kim Schutte

Every business acknowledges that to connect with potential customers they must have an online presence. But for public history venues – museums, living-history exhibits, etc. – the best way to navigate the potentially troubled waters of the Internet is still under debate. Should public history organizations even be online? 

Absolutely.

Though initially the fear was that sharing too much online might discourage live visits to locales counting on such foot-traffic (and donations) to survive, today most museums and other public history sites have a digital footprint – ranging from simple websites offering basic information like hours of operation and major exhibits (Andrew County Museum), to elaborate sites that incorporate video, virtual tours, blogs, etc. (Colonial Williamsburg).

Many historic sites have realized that a great web presence can both attract visitors and give them a way to relive and enhance the experience once they have returned home. (Not to mention, the marketing boost these organizations can get if they add social media into the mix - more on that next week!)

Here are two public history sites making smart use of the Internet:

• The International Spy Museum offers collection highlights and images from special exhibits, giving potential visitors a clear understanding of the experience in store
  
• The Metropolitan Museum of Art uses their website to supplement their Mbembe Art exhibit, which offers so much that visitors may walk away slightly overwhelmed; information on the museum’s website allows viewers a chance to look more closely at many of the objects, to read scholarly analyses of Mbembe art, and to watch videos that can further enrich their live experience
  

And as people increasingly turn to the web for attraction specifics before deciding to commit their time and dollars to a visit, posting information may actually encourage more live visitors.

As much as some who work in public history may hate it, there is no question that digital technology offers an advantage. If they are going to successfully compete for visitors, the hold-outs will need to embrace technology sooner rather than later. Once they do, they'll quickly see it was worth it.

Has an historic site’s website encouraged or complemented your visit? Tell me about it in the comments!

IMAGE CREDIT: CHRIS DEVERS