Conversations with Visitors

"Social media is changing the workings of our museums. Our hierarchical structure has historically disseminated information from our experts to our visitors. The envisioned twenty-first century model, however, is more level. Instead of a one-way presentation, online visitors are often interested in having a conversation with our curators and content providers. And many of us are joining our traditional experts in representing our institutions in these conversations. In response, new media specialists have been looking for ways to engage our public by designing and using applications that encourage dialogue..." Jeff Gates, Lead Producer, New Media Initiatives, Smithsonian American Art Museum Conversations with Visitors: Social Media and Museums brings together for the first time in book form a rich and varied international collection of essays which examine this concept in depth. In its 360 pages, Conversations with Visitors shares the experience of some of the world's leading international thinkers and doers in the field of social media and museums. Together, these essays provide sound, practice-based advice on communicating with, involving, challenging, and analysing museum visitors (and non-visitors) through the use of many different types and styles of social media.