When the public adds to a museum database
New tendencies in IT for Dutch museums
MúzeumCafé 28.
Communication has always been important for museums, not only for gathering information about objects, but also for informing the public about collections.
Social Media
Today people are organised not only in local groups and associations but also in world-wide internet communities. This makes social networks valuable platforms for communicating with an intended audience. Many Dutch museums already use social media like Facebook and Twitter for communication with the public, but they find it hard to find proper formats for this.
Social media call for interaction
The Leiden-based Boerhave Museum has adopted an extensive social media strategy to gain more recognition and more media attention. Boerhave deploys a multi-network approach including a blog, Facebook page, YouTube account, Twitter and a Flickr account.
Sharing Data
Many Dutch museums use ADLIB software for collection administration. ADLIB is a Dutch company specializing in museum collection management. In recent years the company has developed a powerful web service enabling third-party web developers to easily use metadata and images within websites.
Crowd Sourcing
In the museum world crowd sourcing means that collection metadata and other information are not only provided by museum staff, but also by an open internet community of interested people. Used properly, crowd sourcing can greatly enrich the information a museum can provide about its objects. The value of the project is that it gives information to end-users but also collects data from these users. Today, many Dutch museums are providing similar services. Soon social networks, data sharing and crowd sourcing will become increasingly important for museums.