Many museums struggle with where to put Web and New Media on the organizational chart and the decision can have far-reaching consequences for visitors and staff alike. Are they part of Information Technology? Education? The Director’s suite? Or all of the above? This session uses case studies and insight from small, medium, and large museums to help attendees identify the best organizational home for Web and New Media activities in their museums. Aurelie Henry is the Education Technology Projects Coordinator for the National Postal Museum’s Education Department. Her background in history and cultural tourism is completed by an extensive training in website and interactive development within the realm of museums and practical interpretive and exhibit development experience. She is the project manager in charge of the enhancement of interactive kiosks located on the museum floor. She also brings her education background and expert knowledge of museum visitors’ use and needs for New Media and Technology to exhibits’ website creation and website’s redesign.

1. What are the pros and cons
of an educator leading a project team
to develop an interactive exhibit?
Aurélie Henry
Education Technology Projects Coordinator
National Postal Museum

2. The National Postal Museum?
Smithsonian Institution
Washington, DC
Presents the history of the nation’s mail
service and the largest collection of
stamps in the world
About 40 full-time staff
Visitation in 2008:
On-site: 300,000
Online: 2, 500, 000
(2 websites)

3. NPM Organizational Chart

4. Director’s suite
Curatorial & Collection & External
Education Exhibits
research Preservation Affairs
Main website Arago
postalmuseum.si.edu Arago.si.edu

5. Director’s suite
Curatorial & Collection & External
Education Exhibits
Research Preservation Affairs
Main Internet Affairs Arago
website March 2009 Arago.si.edu
postalmuseum.si.edu

6. Cross departmental collaboration
• Museum-wide project teams for major
projects
– Exhibit creation
– Technology based projects
• Museum wide committees
– Exhibit committee
– Web strategy meetings

7. Postal Museum organizational
strengths and challenges
• IT handled outside of museum
– Challenge: Projects don’t get direct input and
support
• Museum-wide project teams:
– Strength: Collaboration
– Challenge: How can our processes mature?
• Top down structure:
– Strength: Strong project support from the director
– Challenge: Need a long term strategy

8. Educator and project manager
• Educator
• User-centric approach
• Generation Y
• Technology enthusiast
but no technical skills

9. My role as an educator
Assist with public interpretation
•
• School tours
• Highlight tours
• Public Program development
• Education’s representative on exhibit teams
• Website product development / Web material
review

10. My experience as an educator
and project manager

11. The Ford Education Center’s goals
• Five interactive touch
screens
• Fun and engaging
• Merging museum’s themes
• Link on-site & on-line
experiences

12. Project management by an educator
• Target audience: families
• Based on observed visitor
needs
• Focus on usability and
ergonomic design
• Spiral project planning

13. Project management by an educator
Evaluate Design
Test Build
• Spiral project planning

14. All Aboard to Sort the Mail!

15. All Aboard to Sort the Mail!

17. What are the pros and cons
of an educator leading a project team
to develop an interactive exhibit?
• Pros:
– Focus on users and their learning
– Emphasize evaluation
• Cons:
– No in-depth understanding of IT
• Recommendations:
– Gather a reliable team of experts
– Make the project management the priority