The majority (80%) of historical societies in Minnesota have websites according to a 2008 survey conducted by the Minnesota Historical Society. Of those who do not have websites, the top reasons were cost (13 responses) and lack of technical expertise (5 responses). The top reasons for having a website were to increase public awareness of the organization (59 responses) and share information from collections and resources (43 responses). Most organizations host their websites through hosting services rather than their own servers. Websites are often updated infrequently or as needed due to lack of time, knowledge, or personnel. Maintenance is typically done by volunteers, employees, or consultants.

1. HISTORICAL SOCIETIES IN MINNESOTA
WEB SURVEY RESULTS
Results from a 2008 MHS survey

2. Web Survey
HOW MANY HAVE WEB SITES?
70
60
50
40
n=78
30
20
10
0 80% do have sites

20% do not
Yes No 

3. Web Survey
WHY DON’T ORGANIZATIONS HAVE WEB SITES?
3
Cost
5
Not enough technical
expertise
No time/personnel to
maintain or update
8 site
13
Other
Other includes information

hosted on someone else’s site

4. Web Survey
WHY DOES YOUR ORGANIZATION HAVE A
WEB SITE?
Increase visitors to
our site
11
10 Increase membership
59
42
Increase public
awareness of our
organization
Share information
from our collections
and/or resources
43
Felt pressure to have
63 web presence for
organization
Other

5. Web Survey
OTHER REASONS
Cemetery transcriptions

Let the public know we’re here and hours

It was one thing I wanted to do when started Exec

Director position.
Make the public aware

newspaper indexing

History belongs to all and because we work for no

salary, we try to offer as much of our resources to the
public.
Our building is not handicapped accessible. This is one

way to make the collections accessible.
sell items from museum store


6. Web Survey
WHERE DO YOU HOST YOUR WEB SITE?
Do not understand
Hosting Service
n=61
Host own server
0 10 20 30 40 50 60

7. Web Survey
HOW OFTEN IS INFORMATION UPDATED ON
YOUR WEB SITE?
18
16
14
12
10
8
n=59
6
4
2
0

8. Web Survey
“OTHER” COMMENTS
As Needed

Just getting started

When we can get a web person in to help.

Rarely, because of lack of knowledge and time

…whenever it strikes the fancy or the volunteer

webmaster
when needed - not often enough!


9. Web Survey
WHO IS IN CHARGE OF
CREATING/MAINTAINING YOUR WEB
SITE?
9
27 employee
consultant
volunteer
Other
23
5

10. Web Survey
WHO ELSE MAINTAINS?
County Administrator

City employee-no cost to us

Created by contract maintained by staff

Staff provides volunteer with info

It was set up years ago by a volunteer and never updated.

Exec Director son-in-law


11. Web Survey
IF YOU HAVE YOUR OWN DOMAIN
NAME, WHO IS IN CHARGE OF IT'S
UPKEEP?
What is a domain
name?
Other
n=52
Consultant
Employee
0 10 20

12. Web Survey
DOMAIN NAME: OTHER
City/County

GoDaddy hosts our website and the domain name was

given when starting the website
Volunteer consultant

A local IT company


13. Web Survey
LEVEL OF TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE FOR
THE PERSON WHO MAINTAINS WEB SITE
35
30
25
20
15
n=61
10
5
0

14. Web Survey
THANK YOU…