Crowdsourcing

I recently read an artical for class entitled "Collective Intelligence vs the Wisdom of Crowds" by Henry Jenkins about crowdsourcing. Crowdsourcing suggests that a group will always be smarter than the individual, as all individuals will bring different experiences and wisdom that as a collective will always make them smarter than the individual. It was proposed by Henry Jenkins that perhaps video games can be designed to make use of the collective wisdom of groups and used as a way to solve real world problems. The article proposed that the game Sim City could be used for city planning and policy writing and could potentially offer solutions based on the ideas of average game players that would be better than those proposed by professional city planners and policy writers. Though it can be argued that a game cannot ever truly represent the world and, therefore, how would we know that policies that would work in the game would work in real life? Despite this a game that could gather this information would in the least offer market research that could be useful in the design of real world solutions.

Museum Buildings: Historic or Modern?

Is it best for a museum to be located in a modern or a historic building?

Modern buildings specifically built with the purpose of serving as a museum are best equiped to house artifacts. There is not the concerns of humidity, bad wireing, ventelation and other problems that often accompany an older building. Modern buildings are also designed to showcase artifacts so they are often easier to work with when laying out exhibits. I believe the Guggenheim and the Moma are great examples of well designed museums. The Guggenheim offers visitor a wonderful flow to the exhibits with it's archetecture. Visitors are prompted by the layout of the building to follow the art work in a spiral from the bottom all the way to the top. This allows visitors to see the art work in a specific order and there is no interuption in the experience as there is no need to leave one room to enter another. The Moma was wonderful just for its simplicity and space. The artwork is not crowded and there is plenty of room to take a step back and admire the artwork. For a Canadian example Canada's National War Museum recently built in Ottawa is a wonderful example of a museum building designed specifically to accomodate the needs of the museum and it's collection. It's large glass wing with high ceilings is perfect for displaying the large tanks and war equipment that would not be possible to be displayed in a regular building. Purpose built museums are wonderful for the safety of the artifacts and for the freedom that it offers the museum to be able to display the objects required to tell the story of the curators.





With this in mind there is also intrinsic value in visiting a museum that is itself an artifact from the past. An older building also places the artifacts in context especially if the building is tied into the history of the collection. Many small museums are housed in historic buildings. For instance the Dionne Quintuplet Museum in North Bay Ontario is housed in the origional farmhouse where the Dionne Quintuplets were born. The old farmhouse is set up to look the way it did when the Dionnes Lived there in the 1930's with origional furniture and items belonging to the family. The building is just as important to the story as the artifacts housed inside. As a visitor to the museum you are able to imagine the story of the Dionne Quints in a more realistic light as walking in their origional home gives insite into their lives. The Elden House, a local museum in London Ontario, is another example where an origional building was turned into a museum to tell the story of the origional owners of the home. Visitors to the Elden House are able to step into the past as the home is set up to look the way it did in 1850 when the origional owners occupied the home.

Both the purpose built and historic homes turned museum both have their own unique values. If only it were possible to build a modern museum large enough to house the historic buildings, preserving them, and allowing them to tell their story along with the other artifacts.

Events and Museums a Perfect Match

Events can be used in a variety of ways that are beneficial to museums large or small. Museums face many common challenges such as funding, volunteer recruitment, ways to increase visitor attendance and of course our continuing mandate of finding ways to reach and educate the public. Events are one of the tools that public historians can utilize to help us face these challenges.

Events can be used for fundraising, volunteer recruitment/appreciation, as ways to draw visitors, attract media attention and overall spark interest in your museum.

I would like to draw from personal experience the roles that events played in the management of two small museums in Ontario. The first is a General Store Museum located in Commanda Ontario. Commanda is a very small town just outside of North Bay. This museum has survived due to the ingenuity of its curator Roberta Quinn who was able to make the most use of events and turned her General Store Museum into a gathering place for the community and as an attraction to visitors of cottage country. Despite the population and isolation of this community the Commanda General Store Museum was filled every Thursday night during the summer months. Thursday nights at the Museum were Murder Mystery Dinners preformed by the summer students working at the museum mixed with local talent. On weekends during the summer various special events were held including a Strawberry Jam Festival which featured bands from the area and strawberry themed desserts. This event would take place on the lawn of the museum. There was also a historic quilt show, and many fundraising yard sales that would involve people from the community. Events were used to maximize the potential of the museum and were a great way to attract tourists, draw funds to the museum, attract media attention and as a way to enlist the support of the community.

The next museum I would like to discuss is the Niagara on the Lake Historical Society and Museum. The curator of this museum Clark Bernett also understood the importance of events. This museum holds events year long. Past events are a festival of wreaths fundraiser, historic lecture series, wine and cheese nights, they take part in doors open and as a stop on walking tours of Niagara on the Lake among others.

Museums which hold regular events seem to come alive and gather a great following in the community as a place that is not only a museum but as a social venue and one that makes everyone feel welcome and invested in its successes and development.

If you would like to plan an event for your local museum here are some things to consider:

• What is the purpose of the event? What would you like to accomplish?
• What sort of event would you like to hold?
• If there is to be wine served make sure you secure a special occasions’ permit. An application form can be picked up at any LCBO
• Draw up a budget that includes all expenses and use this to determine ticket cost and the minimum number of tickets that need to be sold in order to cover all expenses
• Determine what is called a “drop dead date”, this is the date that is set by the event planner, it refers to the date by which a certain number of tickets need to be sold in order to proceed with the event. If not enough tickets are sold by this time it many be necessary to cancel the event.
• Make sure to create a timeline for the event which outlines what is to take place and when so the event can run smoothly and everyone involved with the execution of the event is aware of what is to take place.
• Because you are holding the event in a museum don’t forget about the artifacts. If food or beverages are to be served make sure that any artifacts that are not under glass are removed for the event. Objects may also need to be moved to create space for guests.
• An event is a great way to attract media attention. About a month before an event is about to take place make sure to draw up a brief public service announcement and send it off to local media. Because museums are often non profits it is possible to get free advertising in the what’s happening section of newspapers. It may also be possible to invite media to attend an event and arrange to be interviewed. This is a great way to draw attention to your museum without paying any money for advertising.
• The amount of coordination needed to be done especially for larger events can get overwhelming so make sure you start planning for your event a few months in advance especially if it is a new event.
• Consider partnerships with other museums, hotels, bed and breakfasts and tourism sites in the area. Sometimes an event package that includes tickets to your event and an overnight stay for example can help you sell tickets through cross advertising and promotion.
• If events are to become a regular occurrence at your museum you may wish to invest in linins, dishes, a microform and stand and any other object that you would need to use often instead of renting
• Business cards printed out on the computer make great, affordable and professional looking event tickets
• Send mass emails to board members and museum members to let them know about the event it is a great way to get free advertising of your target market
• Use your imagination to create unique events and clever titles such as death by chocolate murder mystery dinner or historic fusion progressive dinner
• Once the event is finished reflect on what went well what could have gone better so the event can be improved in the future. Pay attention to any comments made by guests so you can get insight into what they liked and didn’t like and watch for smiles and if people seem to generally be having a good time or if they keep looking at their watch.
• Assign someone to greet everyone at the door when they arrive and thank everyone for coming when they leave
• At the end of the event this is a great time to inform everyone about upcoming events, upcoming exhibits and future projects at the museum as you now have access to your target market all in one room so make sure to make use of this opportunity.

Notes MA thesis The London Ontario Asylum for the Insane 1870-1902 by Cheryl Lynn Krasnick 1981

• Dr. Henry Landor first superintendent of London’s Lunatic Asylum in 1869
• Attempted to offer good care to his patients although there were many problems: faulty heating, building deteriorated shortly after construction, windows wouldn’t open, smelled bad.
• Patients kept a good garden as part of their treatment “occupational therapy”
• At a time before modern medication Landlor prescribed alcohol as a treatment to his patients
• Idea to the humanity of Dr Landor he wrote The Only Way to Stop the Slave Trade
• In the 17th and 18th centuries “mad doctors” operated asylums in Britain they often abused patients and gave asylums bad names
• North America did not have the “mad doctors” stigma although they were cautious to appear professional to avoid this label
• In the 1850’s superintendence still involved control over every aspect of asylum management and treatment. Landlor had a difficult time adjusting to the governments increased control over asylums and he almost resigned due to this power struggle
• Dr Richard Maurice Burke was the second superintendent
• He was the first to use a bell telephone for commercial use to call police when a patient escaped
• Burke abolished alcohol as a sanative but used opium derivatives
• Kept patients clean, fed and busy. He encouraged recreation.
• Workers would be discharged if they abused patients
• Wages were lower for women at the asylum as was typical at the time period. Women were not seen as primary wage earners and were not seen as being in the workplace for a long period of time
• Wages were high for men due to the shortage of male workers in London. The asylum wanted young men not older workers
• There were many staff problems of indecency, theft, drunkenness
• It was believed that poverty, malnutrition, hardships, immigration caused mental instability
• Refrain from too much sex, alcohol, religion moderation was seen as the key to mental health
• Only 4% were paying patients
• Patients were grouped according to sex and severity of mental illness as it was seen that mental illness could infect less severe patients
• On admission patients were categorized according to mania, melancholia, or dementia
• During the potato famine Irish Catholics were over represented in the asylum
• Landlor prescribed moral treatment care was made to be therapeutic and not coercive
• A woman with mania was prescribed good food, wine and exercise
• In an experiment done at the hospital Landlor found that by decreasing the amount of alcohol used he found an increase in death rates. 24 instead of 13 dead and 11 cases of scurvy (if patients were getting scurvy something was lacking in their diet and perhaps if patients were given wine, wine would have been providing patients with the lacking nutrients thus preventing them from getting scurvy)
• Burke used opium not alcohol. Although it was found to be addictive, less appetite, caused nausea. He prescribed cannabis for sleep
• Both superintendents used moral treatments Burke prescribed regular hours, exercise, good food, kindness and firmness. Music, dancing, walks, cricket.
• Burke believed that working diverted the mind from insanity.
• Asylums at this time used restraints straight jackets, mittens, muffs, wristlets and the more severe crib bed.
• Burke abolished restraints in 1883 which was a progressive move
• If a patient ran away but was doing well they didn’t recapture the patient. If the patient as captured they were not punished just placed in the main building
• The goal of asylums was to cure patients so releasing them was seen as a goal
  Masturbation was seen as the cause of insanity. The theory was that during sex blood rushed to the head causing damage to nerves in the brain. Masturbation was worse at a young age.
• The asylum did have some success as a curative hospital despite overcrowding and low budget
• Landlors approach was seen as pragmatic
• Burkes was seen as experimental
• Both used moral treatment with little restraint

Google the Modern Library of Alexandria

Google the Modern Library of Alexandria

For the past 7 years Google has been in the process of creating a universal library. One of their projects is called the Google book search and will make full text books available online which are not copyright protected. Their other project is called The Google Library Project which is in the process of digitalizing as many books as possible by working with great libraries around the world including the New York Public Library where currently one million books are being scanned.

Anthony Grafton in his article entitled Digitalization and its Discontents compares the Google Book project with the Library of Alexandria. The Library of Alexandria was founded at around 320 BC by Ptolomy I. It was meant to be a complete collection of Greek works. It was rumoured that when ships docked in Alexandria they were searched for scrolls and any that were found were taken to the library which would keep the originals and return copies to the owners of the scrolls, very similar to the process of acquisition prescribed to by Google. It was said that the Alexandrian library once contained over a half million scrolls. One of the head librarians, Eratosthenes, used the information in these scrolls and books to estimate the circumfrance of the Earth, and was correct within a hundred miles. In order to manage all this data the scrolls were organized alphabetically for the first time. The Library was destroyed somehow by fire around 25 BC at a great tragedy to humankind for the loss of original manuscripts.

Google’s universal library does bring up issues of copyright although at the same time they are also preserving books, some of which are out of print and they are making these books available online for free, for anyone to access on their home computers. If Google is able to make these online books searchable for key terms I believe this will be the most revolutionary thing to happen to the universal library since alphabetization at Alexandria. Just as Eratosthenes used the resources of his library to accomplish higher aims so will Google allow people to do the same.

If you would like to learn more about the Google Library Project I suggest you watch the documentary entitled Google 2015.