This week, I returned from the Small Museum Association conference energized and full of ideas about using technology in museums, collections management, and improving the visitor experience at historic sites. The picture above came from one of the best sessions I attended, which used improvisational techniques to demonstrate some of the more interesting scenarios attendees had been subjected to at museums. The session was led by Mary Alexander from the Maryland Historical Trust and Rod Cofield from Historic London Town and Gardens. Their organizations, along with the Maryland Association of History Museums, are offering a workshop series over the next three years that explores the theme of “the visitor-centered museum.” The next workshop, called Connecting Visitors to Collections, is on May 21, and sounds fantastic. More information about the workshops, including video from the last one, can be found on the “Creating the Visitor-Centered Museum” website.
