Museum+Literacy

=__Introduction__= "Museum literacy summarizes a philosophy of museum accessibility with profound implications for museum policies and practices" -Dr. Carol Stapp
 * Museum Literacy-- What is it?**

"Essentially, it is the contention that the full initiation of the public--visitors and non-visitors--into the pleasures and challenges of the museum constitutes our charge as museum professionals. After all, what have we to offer but to share our own competence?" -Dr. Carol Stapp

Basically, museum literacy refers to the comfort and confidence with which individuals approach museums, parks, and other informal learning institutions. As educators, it is important to inspire these sentiments in all visitors so that they may have a positive experience and desire to continue exploring museums. It is possible to discern many ways to begin engaging those who have little to no museum experience; however, we must first encourage them to feel comfortable enough to come through the door. Embracing this concept of museum literacy will help museum educators better perform their jobs as stewards of knowledge as well as serve the public. Not only will this shine a light on an underserved museum audience, but it hopefully will create a better awareness of addressing specific audience needs.

In talking with Dr. Carol Stapp since she wrote the words quoted above, she has decided somewhat to redefine her concept of 'museum literacy.' Based on comments made to the articles in //Patterns in Practice//, she told us: "...I consider the encounter between the museum and the audience to be equally between the expert and the novice. To clarify, the museum can be a novice when it comes to 'audience literacy,' just as the audience can be a novice when it comes to 'museum literacy,' and vice versa. So, I suppose I should reframe the whole concept of museum literacy as 'mutual literacy'."

It should be understood that the concept is still being molded. There have been several terms thrown around such as "Museum Novices," "Social Inclusion," and "Museum-Abled." None of these can be officially applied as a title to type of visitors we hope to serve. For now museum literacy will have to suffice. = = =__Audience Profile: Museum Novices__= Research conducted for the 2010 census is revealing that there is no such thing as an “average American” because our nation of 300 million is just so diverse. What does this have to do with museums? It indicates that we have a huge range of audience members with a variety of backgrounds, many of which have little to no experience with the museum setting. Essentially, they are museum novices. The same can be said of museum professionals who have limited experience working with different audiences. While it is challenging to put the “novice” label on certain groups of potential audiences, the researchers have decided to use this avenue to focus on three groups who seem to require special programming to cross the threshold into the museum setting. 1. This categorization includes relatively recent immigrants to the United States and those low to middle class individuals that are unfamiliar with museums. These visitors place high value on their time and money, and find it hard to justify spending these commodities on museum experiences. They also are less familiar with the cultural ideals that many museums prescribe, such as the stories of famous white men or stories with limited perspective. Without programs and exhibits that invite multiple perspectives to participate, these visitors feel unwelcome and therefore view museums with little importance. This group wants the museum experience to foster family time and opportunities to learn and share their own cultural background with the community. They also would benefit from discounted or free days and extended hours that accommodate working adults and their families.
 * 1) **Those barred by Socio-Economic Status**
 * 2) **Geographically Disadvantaged**
 * 3) **Young Adults**

2. Visitors that live in locations with few museums in close proximity are naturally less exposed to the museum setting. Many factors inhibit this group from traveling the distance. Going to see another community’s museum that is unrelated to their lives creates little incentive, and even if the museum is large and all-encompassing, the situation leaves this visitor overwhelmed and unsure of how to proceed with their visit. Traveling exhibitions or local museum development can create interest and offer exposure to something this group is limited to because of where they live.

3. Young Adults are often unfamiliar with museums because of limited exposure as children or because of an inability to see the relevancy to their lives. Museums must recognize that this population requires a different sort of programming that incorporates social gatherings and a learning encounter that connects them to the subject matter at hand. Only then will this group feel engaged by a special program and become compelled to return for a second look.

=Summary of Relevant Research=

John H. Falk, as director of the Institute for Learning Innovation, identified in 1998 several factors that influence whether an individual is likely to go to a museum. These are: While there are museum goers and non-museum goers in all demographic groups, some are more widely represented among museum visitors than others. Researchers have found that museum visitors are more likely to be:
 * Demographics
 * better educated, more affluent, and employed at a higher paying job, in comparison to the average American
 * an adult of 25 to 44 years of age, or a child between the ages of 5 and 12
 * a member of a family group (generally parent(s) and young children)
 * white/Caucasian

Museum visitors are more likely to:
 * Psychographic Variables
 * value learning
 * enjoy exploring and discovery
 * value doing something worthwhile with their time
 * seek learning in a variety of forms (higher education, books, educational television, etc.)

People who were taken to museums as children are much more likely to visit museums as adults.
 * Personal and Cultural History

People are more likely to visit a museum if it is recommended to them, especially by word of mouth.
 * Environmental Factors

//So What? What does this mean for museum professionals?//
Museums are, more than ever, making efforts to reach out to audiences of a variety of cultures, ages, and socioeconomic statuses. Falk predicts that as museums continue to cater to a more diverse public, the demographic variables of museum goers will become more diverse as well. However, "the core psychographics and the personal values and beliefs of the museum-going public...will remain relatively constant." In other words, more and more people will seek out discovery and lifelong learning, working toward what Falk calls a "learning society."

Falk offers an optimistic outlook: "Museums should find themselves optimally positioned since these values and interests represent those of the dawning information age and the resulting 'learning society.' " Nevertheless, we caution museum educators not to take a passive role in making their institutions more welcoming for the museum novice. Museums must work to become "visitor literate," oriented toward the needs of a diverse array of visitors. Falk advises, "Too many museums have relied upon an overly simplistic, demographic approach to defining museum audiences. They have consistently defined the problem as how to attract more  visitors. This approach simply does not work."

Falk describes Prochaska's five stages of behavioral change and applies these stages to museum going.
 * Precontemplation: Museum going is not on the horizon for the precontemplator. People in the precontemplation stage are not considering going to a museum.
 * Contemplation: People in this stage are not museum goers but are considering becoming museum goers. They may be thinking, "I should go to some museums in the new year."
 * Preparation: People in this stage are actively working to become museum goers. They are not thinking just of going to a museum sometime in the future. They are actively researching museums and making plans.
 * Action: People in this stage have made the change and become museum goers.
 * Maintenance: People in this stage are actively keeping up the habit of going to museums.

According to Falk, people in the contemplation stage are open to new information, and museums should focus their efforts on bringing these individuals through their doors. Falk also reminds us that it's not enough just to get people through the doors. "Museums must ensure that all visitors, particularly first-time and infrequent visitors, feel welcome, comfortable and successful."

In the spirit of visitor literacy, Falk says, "Just as museum-going is a lifelong opportunity, maintaining an audience requires a lifelong effort."

Robert Coles, a research psychiatrist, describes the importance of lifelong learning in fostering an interest in museums and their offerings. He worked with "culturally disadvantaged" individuals in Boston who showed him just how disenfranchised and uncomfortable they were with the education system and in turn, the museums of the city. Feeling as if the museum and its collections were not meant for them, the individuals never considered museum-going as a leisurely activity to do with friends or family. If anything, it was frowned upon to spend precious time and money on museum visits or art purchased for personal enjoyment. Coles affirms that unless museums offer exhibits and programming that resonate with individuals from a low economic background rather than always catering to the affluent community, those individuals will never set foot inside the institution or feel comfortable there. Society has dictated that museums are only meant for those with time and money to spare, regardless of museums' efforts to change that fact. With time, the barriers and stigmas will be torn down to reveal a place that is welcoming for all.

**Research summarized from:**

 * 1) Coles, Robert, "The Art Museum and the Pressures of Society," //On Understanding Art Museums,// (The American Assembly: Columbia University) 1975.
 * 2) Falk, John H. "A Framework for Diversifying Museum Audiences: Putting Heart and Head in the Right Place." //Museum News,// 77 (5), 1998, pp. 36-39, 61.
 * 3) Falk, John H. "Visitors: Who Does, Who Doesn't, and Why." //Museum News,// 77 (2), 1998, pp. 38-43.

= __Strategies and Resources:__ =

=**1. Those Barred by Socio-Economic Status**=

=**Effective Strategies**=
 * 1) Incorporate a variety of perspectives to be more inclusive of the visitor's own background and allow for meaning making. “…meaning making lies at the heart of the “museum enterprise” and especially serves those who attend programs for reasons of empowerment, experience and ethics. Including multiple voices and views in programs is important to the meaning-making process.” Museums must be “social institutions… in service to their communities” (Sachatello-Sawyer).
 * 2) Engage visitors’ sense of ownership and pride. Include Latino artists and translate labels to Spanish to be more inclusive and create opportunities for a richer understanding of concepts formerly seen as unavailable (Holman Conwill).
 * 3)  Immigrants may not see themselves reflected in the museum’s story, so therefore believe that the institution is not for them. Incorporate immigrant experiences into programming discussions- for example, while describing the challenges of immigration to the tenements of New York City in the 1800s, ask immigrants what challenges they face when they move to a new place today, such as language and cultural differences (Russell-Ciardi).
 * 4) Be known as "the museum that keeps in touch with its visitors." Provide opportunities for low socio-economic status community members to contribute to the exhibit development process through evaluation and focus groups that encourage an investment of time and energy into the museum. With that investment comes the visitor's trust and a sense of accountability on the part of the museum (McLean).

=**Case Studies/ Practical Application**=  =**Potential Partners**=
 * At the **San Diego Museum of Contemporary Art**, staff changed their definition of “community” in order to better serve who was actually a part of the community. The museum decided to include not just San Diego residents, but also Tijuana, Mexico residents who are only 20 miles away. By being more inclusive, the museum was able to broaden their audience base and then build a sense of trust with that marginalized group to encourage increased visitation (Holman Conwill).
 * Immigrants are active partners at the **Lower East Side Tenement Museum in New York City** through the “Shared Journeys” program. The program connects recent US Immigrants enrolled in ESOL classes to the immigrants of the past, comparing their struggles and issues with starting a new life in the United States. Participants come for a series of 6 workshops that focus on a different relevant topic, including coming to the US, making a living, housing conditions, immigrants and social welfare, health issues in our communities and telling stories. Through these conversations, a very real dialogue is developed. The program becomes a FORUM for sharing experiences, a place to EMPOWER immigrants to confront challenges, and a way of using their stories to ENACT CHANGE. The museum works with the ESOL instructors on what vocabulary to use and what curricula to cover, resulting in a collaboration that has successfully been able to reach 6-700 participants/year (Russell-Ciardi).
 * The **Ashmolean** **Museum** **in Oxford, England**, is working to fight “museum fatigue,” a feeling that many museum novices experience that creates discomfort, anxiety, and exhaustion among visitors. The museum has reorganized its collection along culturally significant themes and now uses the tools of comparison and cross-cultural connections to make the objects accessible and relatable in a new way. The museum hopes this new method of display will engage visitors and reduce feelings of fatigue (The Ashmolean Museum).
 * Community Discount Days are offered throughout the year at the **Shedd Aquarium in Chicago** in order to engage visitors normally dissuaded by the high admission fee (Shedd Aquarium).
 * The **HABITOT Children's Museum in Berkeley, California** makes an effort to incorporate a variety of classes and other forms of learning that engage museum novices in a new setting. Parenting classes, musical performances and discounted multicultural days get visitors in the door, then the museum staff work to build relationships of trust in the form of regular participants and dedicated volunteers (Habitot).
 * ESOL programs
 * Community action groups- individuals in these groups can be consulted about exhibit development and design, becoming spokespersons for the museum
 * After school programs- Here museums will find a marketable group of kids that could be using their time exploring an interactive museum website instead of playing video games. Suggestions include the National Park Service Webranger Badge program or the White House Historical Association website.
 * Neighboring museums- collectively offer a discount day, or sell combined reduced entry tickets that do not expire- families can take their time visiting the different museums included in the discount ticket and enjoy each one.

=**References, Resources, and Links**=
 * 1) Adams, Stephen, “Ashmolean Redesigned to Combat Museum Fatique,” Telegraph.co.uk, October 28, 2009,[]
 * 2) Ashmolean Museum, "Ashmolean Transformed," [].
 * 3) Habitot Children's Museum, "Family and Community Partnership Programs,"
 * 4) [].
 * 5) Holman Conwill, Kinshasha, and Alexandra Marmion Roosa, “Cultivating Community Connections,” //Museum News, May/June 2003,// 41-47.
 * 6) McLean, Kathleen, “Planning for People in Museum Exhibitions,” (Association of Science-Technology Centers: Washington, DC, 2005.
 * 7) National Park Service, "Webranger Program//,"// [].
 * 8) Russell-Ciardi, Maggie, “Immigrant Voices: A New Language for Museums,” //Museum News, May/June 2006,// 73-79.
 * 9) Sachatello-Sawyer, Bonni e, et al, “Adult Museum Programs: Designing Meaningful Experiences,” Alta Mira Press: CA, 2002.
 * 10) Shedd Aquarium, "Community Discount Days," []
 * 11) White House Historical Association, "Classroom Page," [].

=**2. Geographically Disadvantaged**= With individuals who live far from the amazing collections available around the country, the educators must find ways to bring the exhibitions to the people. =Effective Strategies= =Case Studies/ Practical Application= These examples correspond to the numbers in the previous section =Potential Partners= >  " The mission of Smithsonian Affiliations is to diffuse the rich knowledge of the Smithsonian Institution in meaningful ways to a broad audience, in accordance with the highest aesthetic, intellectual and professional standards. Toward this end, Smithsonian Affiliations fosters and augments relationships with museums, cultural and educational organizations across the country. By facilitating the sharing of the Institution's collections, exhibitions, scholarship and programming, Smithsonian Affiliations aspires to create experiences and opportunities to broaden perspectives on science, history, world cultures and the arts in the public we are committed to serve. Smithsonian Affiliations offers broader opportunities than those found in standard museum loan programs."
 * 1) Provide outreach programs specially designed for students or groups who live a certain number of miles away (for which a museum visit in one day might be too difficult).
 * 2) Create virtual exhibitions that can be accessed online via the museum's website. If these are user friendly and have additional resources for teachers, they can be used as instruction materials in schools.
 * 3) Initiate virtual field trips and tours for students from all over the world. These programs allow students to experience a museum-like visit over a video conference with museum educators and interact with the in-house collections. These programs can be supplemented with real objects in kits provided by the institution and mailed to the school.
 * 4) Assemble a loan program utilizing the collections of an institution. Create dioramas, exhibit cases, and real objects that can be loaned out to teachers, informal educators and families.
 * 1) [|__Outreach Programs at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History__] The museum offers a variety of programs ranging from different age levels to different learning needs/styles.
 * 2) [|__Virtual Exhibitions at Colonial Williamsburg__] ; [|__Online Exhibitions at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum__] Both of these online exhibitions provide extensive information about objects and stories that coincide with materials presented in the physical museum.
 * 3) [|__Virtual Field Trips from the Michigan State University Museum__] " The Virtual Outreach Program at the Michigan State University Museum offers exciting virtual field trips for your students. These programs allow teachers to provide fun and meaningful learning experiences without the expense, permission forms, and geographic limitations of ordinary field trips."
 * 4) [|__Harris Education Load Center through The Field Museum__] This program offers a variety of materials that are available for loan to people in the Chicago area.
 * Smithsonian Affiliates [] They build partnerships with museums and institutions around the country to showcase the Smithsonian's collections around the country.

=3. Young Adults= Most museum goers fall in one of two age-related categories: children and their parents (Falk 1998). For the purposes of this section, we are focusing on the people who are in between these two categories: adult professionals and students, approximately 18 to 30 years old, who do not have children of their own. Many museum goers are part of family groups; here we seek to reach out to adults who are not visiting museums with their own parents often and who do not yet have children. Instead, they must be motivated to visit independently, with friends, or with a date.

=Effective Strategies= To engage young adults, the following strategies are recommended:
 * 1) Use social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter to reach tech-savvy young adults. Museumplanner.org ([]) notes that almost every museum has a presence on Facebook. Be sure to keep online material up to date with upcoming events and accurate visitor information.
 * 2) Host social events at which young professionals and students can meet others with similar interests. Partner with sites like meetup.com to bring people together who share a fascination with the arts, astronomy, or whatever the subject matter of your museum may be.
 * 3) Hold social events with music and refreshments. Remember that while alcohol may entice many young people looking to unwind and socialize, others prefer dry events that are just as fun and cutting-edge, and the 18-21 crowd is not able to drink yet.
 * 4) [] This website has free podcasts that one can download and use at different museums some of which offer a discount if you can show them the downloaded material on your mp3 player.
 * 5) [] This blog offers thoughtful discussion and ideas relating to how museums can find their place in the social networking world, thus becoming more accessible to tech-savvy 20-somethings. Among the points explored are the importance of authentic experience, narratives with which young people can empathize, and the idea of havnig not just a website but a web presence.

=Case Studies/ Practical Application=

A number of museums have reached out to young professionals through social events in which visitors can eat, enjoy live music, and mingle with other members of their generation. Among these museums are the Phillips Collection in Washington, DC and the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. Additionally, the International Council of Museums offers further ideas for building relationships between museums and young adults.


 * At the **Phillips Collection ** in Washington, DC, [|Phillips After 5]caters to young professionals looking for something fun to do after the workday on Thursday evenings. Though the Phillips has late hours every Thursday, the first Thursday of every month is devoted to special Phillips After 5 programming, including a cash bar, live music, gallery talks, and art-related movies. This event gives young people a chance to unwind after the workday while also learning about the museum's art and mingling with people who have similar interests in the arts.
 * The **Museum of Modern Art ** in New York, New York hosts a series of events called [|Pop Rally]. The museum collaborates with artists and musicians to reach out to young adults (21+) with live music, site-specific performing arts, after-hours viewing of the art, and more. A cash bar is available. Themes of the once-a-month Wednesday evening events have included skateboard videos, the Summer Solstice, and site-specific dance performances that relate to the art in the galleries. The events are moderately priced, and sometimes the first 600 ticket buyers also receive a free ticket for a return visit to MoMA.
 * The **International Council of Museums** (ICOM)'s 2006 [|International Museum Day] focused on the theme, "Museums and Young People." Here are some strategies they suggested to build museum going in young adult audiences:
 * Allow young up-and-coming artists to exhibit and discuss their own work at the museum
 * As many museums have successfully done, host evening social events for young people.
 * Offer a professional mentoring program in which young professionals are paired with older adults in the community who are farther along in their careers.
 * Offer young people a chance to have a voice in the museum, for example, by helping to curate an exhibit.

=Potential Partners=
 * Reach Advisors offer tips and research on museum audiences ([])
 * [|Meetup.com] brings together people--often young professionals--who share similar interests

=References, Resources, and Links=
 * 1) Falk, John H. "Visitors: Who Does, Who Doesn't, and Why." //Museum News,// 77 (2), 1998, pp. 38-43.
 * 2) International Council of Museums: []
 * 3) [|Meetup.com]: networking site for local groups' meetings and events
 * 4) Museum of Modern Art Pop Rally: []
 * 5) Nicholas, Susan K. (ed.) //[|Patterns in Practice: Selections from the Journal of Museum Education].// Left Coast Press: Walnut Creek, 1992.
 * 6) Phillips After 5: []
 * 7) Podtrip: []
 * 8) Reach Advisors: []
 * 9) Social Media and Cultural Communications blog: [|__http://nlablog.wordpress.com/__]

__Overall References, Resources, and Links for Museum Literacy/Museum Novices__

 * 1) //__. Patterns in Practice: Selections from the Journal of Museum Education.// Left Coast Press: Walnut Creek, 1992. [|__‘Interactivity and Social Inclusion’ by Jocelyn Dodd__]
 * 2) CROSS, John. - "Crossing the moat : art museums and life-wide learning". - In : //Museums Australia Magazine//, Civic Square, ACT, Vol. 13, No. 1, Aug. 2004, p. 15-17.
 * 3) DURRANI, Shiraz. - //Social and racial exclusion handbook for libraries, archives, museums and galleries// . - Social Exclusion Action Planning Network, 2001.
 * 4) This ICOM website is a bibliography of sources on Social Inclusion: [|__http://icom.museum/biblio_bridging.html__]