Online Exhibitions - Top tips and creating the buzz - Alison Bean The British Postal Museum & Archive

Who are we? The British Postal Museum & Archive was established in 2004 to manage the public records of The Royal Mail Archive, and to develop access to the museum collections of the former National Postal Museum, which closed in 1998.

The British Postal Museum & Archive was established in 2004 to manage the public records of The Royal Mail Archive, and to develop access to the museum collections of the former National Postal Museum, which closed in 1998.

Locations Freeling House, London Storage of Archive and high-value material Public Search Room Small exhibition space Museum Store, Essex Storage of Museum collection (large objects) Some public access and events

Freeling House, London

Storage of Archive and high-value material

Public Search Room

Small exhibition space

Museum Store, Essex

Storage of Museum collection (large objects)

Some public access and events

In-house exhibitions Space is limited to three display cabinets in our Search Room used to display philatelic material

Space is limited to three display cabinets in our Search Room used to display philatelic material

Museum Store displays Primarily a working Museum Store, although objects are arranged with visitors in mind No room for exhibitions

Primarily a working Museum Store, although objects are arranged with visitors in mind

No room for exhibitions

New Centre A new home for the British Postal Museum & Archive, opening in 2013 in Swindon. It will offer the full Museum and Archive experience for the first time.

A new home for the British Postal Museum & Archive, opening in 2013 in Swindon. It will offer the full Museum and Archive experience for the first time.

Online exhibitions Online versions of real life exhibitions e.g. Designs on Delivery: GPO Posters 1930-1960

Online versions of real life exhibitions

e.g. Designs on Delivery: GPO Posters 1930-1960

Online exhibitions Benefits An affordable way to mount an exhibition Raises the profile of a real-life exhibition Raises the profile of the institution Demonstrates what an institution can do Provides greater access to the exhibition and collection Online exhibitions allow you to display more material, in more detail, than you could in real life

Benefits

An affordable way to mount an exhibition

Raises the profile of a real-life exhibition

Raises the profile of the institution

Demonstrates what an institution can do

Provides greater access to the exhibition and collection

Online exhibitions allow you to display more material, in more detail, than you could in real life

Online exhibitions Gentleman on Stamps – Stamp designs

Gentleman on Stamps – Stamp designs

Making the most of online If you don’t have the budget for a bespoke mini-site, get a flexible CMS designed with online exhibitions in mind Structure your exhibition to suit the medium Text should be engaging, intelligent and interesting rather than short for short’s sake Consider what different audiences will want or expect (i.e. zoomable high quality images)

If you don’t have the budget for a bespoke mini-site, get a flexible CMS designed with online exhibitions in mind

Structure your exhibition to suit the medium

Text should be engaging, intelligent and interesting rather than short for short’s sake

Consider what different audiences will want or expect (i.e. zoomable high quality images)

Making the most of online Add details and extras for those that want them Informative image captions Links to related material on your website and elsewhere Related products you may be selling Include multimedia elements Audio and video 3D scans Interactive elements and comments boxes

Add details and extras for those that want them

Informative image captions

Links to related material on your website and elsewhere

Related products you may be selling

Include multimedia elements

Audio and video

3D scans

Interactive elements and comments boxes

Social media and web 2.0 Build, generate and target audiences, and let them find you through tags and searches Blog and tweet about the progress and process of your exhibition Put material from your exhibition on sites such as Flickr or You Tube Flickr is a cheap and easy alternative to building an online exhibition from scratch

Build, generate and target audiences, and let them find you through tags and searches

Blog and tweet about the progress and process of your exhibition

Put material from your exhibition on sites such as Flickr or You Tube

Flickr is a cheap and easy alternative to building an online exhibition from scratch

Using Flickr Flickr Groups Add your photos to special interest groups (e.g. London at war) Members will not only view your pictures, but may know more about them than you!

Flickr Groups

Add your photos to special interest groups (e.g. London at war)

Members will not only view your pictures, but may know more about them than you!

Using Flickr Flickr Notes The notes feature in Flickr allows you to draw a box around part of a photo and annotate it. The annotation can include a hyperlink Any Flickr user can add a note

Flickr Notes

The notes feature in Flickr allows you to draw a box around part of a photo and annotate it.

The annotation can include a hyperlink

Any Flickr user can add a note

Using Flickr

Arago An innovative website from the Smithsonian National Postal Museum Online catalogue Online exhibitions portal Volunteer involvement User interactivity http:// www.arago.si.edu /

An innovative website from the Smithsonian National Postal Museum

Online catalogue

Online exhibitions portal

Volunteer involvement

User interactivity