This document discusses the concept of timeliness in museums, emphasizing its relevance and application in areas such as service delivery and community engagement. It presents various dimensions of timeliness, including responsiveness to current events, performance measures, and the integration of contemporary topics into museum practices. The author highlights the importance of establishing systems and relationships that enable museums to adapt and respond effectively to the changing needs of society.

1. TIMELINESS ELAINE HEUMANN GURIAN November 2003

2. INTRODUCTION This power point is an introduction to the issue of Timeliness in museums. Written for a museum seminar in 2003 at the University of Victoria Continuing Studies. Resulted in a publication *“Timeliness: A Discussion for Museums”, Davis, Joy, Gurian, Elaine Heumann, Koster, Emlyn, Curator , volume 46, number 4, October 2003, pp.353-361 . Timeliness Elaine Heumann Gurian

3. USED IN OTHER FIELDS As a unit of measure in delivery of service Speed Punctuality As responsiveness to current topics Assessment of current need Speed of surfacing data and research Public action and response to data Timeliness Elaine Heumann Gurian

4. LEXICON TIMELINESS RELEVANCE CURRENT SALIENT CONTEMPORARY RESPONSIVENESS FLEXIBILITY USEFULNESS Timeliness Elaine Heumann Gurian

5. TIMELINESS fitness appropriateness accommodation, accordance, adaptation, adequacy, admissibility, agreeableness, applicability, appositeness, aptitude, aptness, assimilation, auspiciousness, compatibility, competence, concurrency, congeniality, congruousness, consistency, consonance, convenience, correspondence, decency, decorum, eligibility, expediency, harmony, keeping, order, patness, pertinence, preparedness, propriety, qualification, readiness, relevancy, rightness, seasonableness, seemliness, suitability, timeliness suitability Timeliness Elaine Heumann Gurian

6. RELEVANCE Application, appositeness, germaneness, purpose, significance, importance, bearing, concern, consequence, drift, effect, emphasis, force, gist, gravity, import, influence, interest, materiality, moment, momentousness, notability, paramountcy, pertinence, point, precedence, preponderance, priority, purport, sense, seriousness, signification, standing, stress, substance, tenor, usefulness, value, weight, Timeliness Elaine Heumann Gurian

7. CURRENT contemporary accepted, accustomed, afoot, circulating, common knowledge, customary, existent, extant, faddy, fashionable, going around, hip, in, in circulation, in use, in vogue, instant, modern, now, ongoing, popular, present-day, prevailing, prevalent, rampant, rife, topical, trendy, up-to-date, widespread affected, avant-garde, current, far out, futuristic, groovy, in, mannered, mod, ostentatious, pop, way out, with it Timeliness Elaine Heumann Gurian

8. RESPONSIVE accommodating, collaborative, collective, collegial, concerted, concurring, coordinated, in league, interdependent, joint, obliging, participating, reciprocal, shared, sociable, supportive, symbiotic, synergetic, team, united, useful Timeliness Elaine Heumann Gurian

9. SALIENT substantial obvious conspicuous main/core part noticeable Timeliness Elaine Heumann Gurian

10. USEFUL serviceable application help aim status/class appropriate Timeliness Elaine Heumann Gurian

11. TIMELINESS AS IN: -- Calendar – Cycle and Unexpected Events Performance Measure Social Service Topic/Content/Information Context Customer Service Knowledge Management (More about) Metaphor Timeliness Elaine Heumann Gurian

12. AS A REFERENCE TO CALENDAR Predictable and can be planned for. i.e.: Holiday special events Birthdays of donors, institutions, etc. Memorializing anniversaries Timeliness Elaine Heumann Gurian

13. AS RAPID RESPONSE TO UNPREDICTABLE AND UNEXPECTED EVENTS CATASTROPHES EMERGENCIES ACCIDENTS WEATHER VIP VISITS, DEATHS, ETC. LOCAL, NATIONAL, INTERNATIONAL Timeliness Elaine Heumann Gurian

14. AS PERFORMANCE MEASURE Used in performance plans, in published accountability, etc. Efficiency Effectiveness Speed of delivery Timeliness Elaine Heumann Gurian

15. AS COMMUNITY & SOCIAL SERVICE Timeliness Elaine Heumann Gurian Offer aid to patrons in light of events. Offer counseling to staff in light of events Offer space for use in celebration, mourning, etc. Offer program space for other uses (i.e. blood drives, voter registration, etc.)

16. AS CHOICE OF CONTENT Current and emergency information Current information as frames for existent exhibitions Systems of rapidly changing exhibitions or parts of exhibitions Timeliness Elaine Heumann Gurian

17. AS FORUM FOR CONTROVERSIAL TOPICS Make places for meeting available Programs that foster balanced debate Seen as neutral site Timeliness Elaine Heumann Gurian

18. AS CONTEXT Allow and encourage place for inspiration and reflection Create spaces for meditation Use created environments Background for performance, programs, debates Timeliness Elaine Heumann Gurian

19. AS COLLECTIONS ACQUISITIONS To acquire material recently produced To document recent events To readjust a collections focus in the light of contemporary concerns Timeliness Elaine Heumann Gurian

20. AS CUSTOMER SERVICE Hours Admission charges For all or for select audiences Timeliness Elaine Heumann Gurian

21. AS KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT Branching programs Access to relevant materials & collections Layering and “More About” Co-creation and social networking to share authority and information. Media and audience see museum as institution of expertise and call upon it for pronouncements Timeliness Elaine Heumann Gurian

22. AS METAPHOR Mirror/window for personal experience Content transformed into analogy Timeliness Elaine Heumann Gurian

23. Museums can: Have established an internal ethos to want to respond. Have pre-arranged systems in place that allow for responsiveness Think that timeliness and reflection can exist side by side. Have relationship with others who can provide information or systems. Timeliness Elaine Heumann Gurian

24. Systems that turn exhibitions around in short period of time Have ongoing scan of current events as part of some job descriptions Have a review process for topics that is based on timely response Be considered a resource by community IN ORDER TO CREATE RAPIDLY CHANGING CONTENT, Museums need: Timeliness Elaine Heumann Gurian

25. CONSIDERATIONS Debate between reflection, synthesis, review and speed and flexibility. Debate between perspective and immediacy Debate between timely and faddishness Establishment of institution as authority and / or forum Timeliness Elaine Heumann Gurian

26. AUTHORITY Who speaks for the museum? Whose voice is in the exhibition? What is the museum stand on debate and controversy? Is the museum organized for shared and multiple perspectives? Is this a “viewpoint” museum? Timeliness Elaine Heumann Gurian