New type of discourse with museum visitors in Basel
MúzeumCafé 34.
Basel is a small metropolis in the northwest corner of Switzerland. For centuries it has been a meeting point of cultures and peoples. The university city, nourished by the interaction of German and Latin culture, was the location of the world’s first public museum. No wonder that its example-setting initiatives are often reflected in the world of local museums. Recently big changes have occurred in the life of Basel’s museums – their communication has undergone a complete transformation. Since January this year the museums have been using both electronic and printed means of communication. The Basel museums now have a new, easy-to-use website. In the main, the new internet site covers the content of the formerly printed matter, though it is continuously updated. On the site you can register for a newly launched monthly electronic newsletter. In addition, there is a new bi-monthly online newsletter containing special information for schools and teachers. Museen Basel is also on Facebook and Twitter, where every day there is fresh information, and even games are initiated with the involvement of the public. There is also a profile page on the image hosting website Flickr for uploading photographs relating to the city’s museums. However, the print media has not been abandoned. museen basel guide will be an annual publication containing a summary of basic information and news, while museen basel tipps is a bi-monthly, short publication about current events and other matters of interest. The new system gives space to the most creative museum professionals as well as the most committed members of the public. Three times a year museen basel tipps will appear with museen basel supplement, which aims to have a most varied form and content – academic essays, notes about the fine arts, background information and even entertaining content.