2006 National Digital Forum
Participating with Communities: Digital opportunities, collaborations and celebrations

Forum 2006 Day One | Forum 2006 Day Two

CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS

Day Two - Friday 1 December 2006

9.00 – 10.00am – Session One – Emerging Web/Online Trends and End User Engagement

Chair:             Dr Seddon Bennington, Te Papa
Keynote:        Toby Travis, Victoria and Albert Museum
Topic:             Case study: Use of new emerging technologies and Web 2.0 applications within a large-scale museum

Toby Travis holds a degree in Modern History from Oxford University, an MA in Cultural History from York University, and an MSc in Multimedia Applications.

From 2000, he worked as a web designer and developer for several London-based new media agencies, working on projects for commercial and government clients.

In September 2005, he joined the Victoria and Albert Museum as a web developer. As well as undertaking general development work on the V&A’s Online Museum, he has been responsible for producing two
series of museum podcasts. He is currently Acting Technical Manager of the V&A website.

Presentation: Let’s see what happens if ... Experimenting with emerging technologies on the V&A website

This presentation will explore how a large UK museum is using emerging web technologies to engage with its audience in new ways.

Over the last year the V&A’s Online Museum has been experimenting with using both W eb 2.0 technologies (podcasts, blogs, RSS) and ‘traditional’ interactive applications (image and text uploads, Flash movies) to encourage a more active user experience.

The general approach has been to develop and launch projects relatively quickly, in order to learn through practical experience. More recent projects have drawn heavily on the lessons learned during this exploratory phase.

The response to these initiatives has been varied. While some initiatives have attracted enthusiastic followings, others have failed to take off. Some projects have been successful but have required a disproportionate amount of resources to sustain.

Along with demonstrations of these initiatives, there will be consideration of the practical issues involved. What have our budgets been? How has user-generated content been moderated? What measures have been taken to sustain user activity after the initial period of novelty?

Finally, these projects will be considered within the broader context of how other UK museums are using, or planning to use, emerging technologies on their websites.

10.30 – 12.30 – Session Two - Innovative End User Engagement Case Studies

Chair:            Penny Carnaby, National Library of New Zealand
Speaker:       David Smith, Critical MAS
Topic:             Mobile phones for interpretation in cultural spaces

David Smith has been involved in the ICT industry since 1979 when he was National Network Supervisor for the Department of Social Welfare. In 1985, David left the I T sector to pursue his interest in design, working as an artist, teacher, actor, and eventually Art Therapist for the National Brain Injury Centre.

In 1989, with the emergence of new technologies, he combined his systems background and flair for design with his passion for education, to form multimedia company Fuzzy Logic .

In 2003, David established Critical MAS to begin work on the development of a mobile information platform designed to rationalise the way information is accessed from often remote locations via visual code recognition.

This work led to the development of the Seasonal Activity Manager (SAM) and later the Mobile Interactive Visitor Information Service (MIVIS). Both of these projects were later combined under the brand M8 , recognising the synergies between tourism, seasonal work, and education.

In 2004, Critical MAS began a trial at Pukaha Mount Bruce using visual codes and mobile phones. The aim was to provide ‘one click’ delivery of audio information linked to objects located around the centre. A user study was undertaken by the Tourism Research Institute (TRI) at Auckland University of Technology. This work has now formed the basis of a Major Regional Initiative designed to establish a National Centre of Learning in Conservation at Pukaha

TRI and Critical MAS are currently undertaking a capability study on behalf of the Pukaha Trust focusing on m-learning systems.

Presentation: From ‘our place’ to ‘my space’

Pukaha Mount Bruce (PMB) offered an environment where the Pukaha Trust was keen to explore systems that would enrich the visitor experience, provide a deeper understanding of conservation issues, and allow visitors the option of being self-guided.

PMB is dependent on visitor numbers to fund the centre and captive breeding programme, and at the same time the staff had to meet the requirements of the Learning Outside the Classroom Programme . Older visitors required simplicity; younger visitors sought interactivity.

Critical MAS undertook to create a simple technology-based solution.
With rapid development of hardware, the strategy focused on a software solution.

Mobile devices would continue to  evolve into a total package – phone, camera, personal computer. Some 95 percent of phones now have a camera so the development of software leveraging off the optics made sense when measured against other solutions such as GPS and RFID.

Visual codes would provide consumers with direct access to remote data buried in the web space. Identification of the user against a time and place would enable delivery of tailored information to and from the consumer.

‘ The right information, at the right time, in the right place, and in the right language’

Speaker:       Richard Hulse, Radio New Zealand

Topic:             Radio New Zealand Podcasting

Richard Hulse started with Radio New Zealand in 1981 and has seen radio move from being a tape and record-based AM radio broadcaster, through to using computer- based radio production and audio streaming on the internet.

He has worked in diverse areas in radio, from sports broadcasts and music recording though to project
management, web design, and software development.

At present, he manages the Radio New Zealand website and is also involved in a project to provide a digital programme library to replace older storage formats such as DAT and CD.

Presentation: The development of podcasting at Radio New Zealand

In this presentation, Richard will outline how Radio New Zealand developed their content strategy and how this eventually led to the release of content via podcasts.

Question and Answer

Speaker:      Hiroyuki Arita-Kikutani, The National Science Museum, Tokyo
Topic:             The use of portable gaming devices as guides within museums

Hiroyuko Arita-Kikutani is a Science Educator at the National Science Museum. In 1998, he completed an M A, Department of Arts and Sciences, at the University of Tokyo, Japan. He is interested in informal learning in museums.

Presentation:Mobile guide systems in museums through the use of portable game devices

In August 2006, the National Science Museum in Tokyo provided a mobile guide through the use of PlayStation Portable (PSP) on a trial basis.

Portable game devices are becoming more advanced, and we think that these devices can be applied to mobile guide systems in museums.

PSP has a wide screen and i nternet browser. We provide original digital contents in HTML format, and users can browse these contents by using PSP while walking around the gallery.

We will introduce findings from this trial and discuss the effective use of portable game devices in museums.

Speaker:       Kiyoka Fushimi Hiroshima Kokusai Gakuin University, Japan
Topic:             User interaction within museums using mobile devices

Kiyoka Fushimi is Associate Professor at Hiroshima Kokusai Gakuin University in the Department of Information Design.

She originally graduated with an MA (Design) from Aichi Art University. She spent 10 years working with s pace d esign and a rchitecture companies.

Another 10 years was spent teaching a rt and d esign at v arious Japanese universities. Currently, s he is undertaking a PhD in Human-Computer Interaction and Design at Nagoya University.

She has participated in various projects researching the use of different digital media in art museums in Japan. Her interests focus on i nterface d esign, i nformation a rchitecture, and u ser e xperience d esign.

Presentation: The u ser e xperience and designing digital support for use in museums and galleries

M any contemporary art works are too difficult for the general public to understand. People often need support when viewing these works.

In previous research, I reported on the present conditions of support for viewing artworks.

 It was found that the problem of support using personal digital assistants, such as PDAs or cellular phones, is that these types of support are still in the developmental stages and are currently not designed with the end-user’s experience in mind. From this research, I suggested that the end-user’s experience with the systems should lead the design process.

In addition, for an art viewing to be a substantial aesthetic experience, it is especially important to combine the design of these supports in virtual space with the design of the actual viewing space.

This research reports on the design of a system that allows viewers to share their comments about pieces of art using mobile phones and PDAs. It also discusses the concept of ‘u ser e xperience’ and how this can be used in the design process of such devices.

Question and Answer

1.30 – 3.00pm – Session Three – Emerging Web/Online Trends

Chair:             Dianne Macaskill, Archives New Zealand
Speaker:       Sebastian Chan, Powerhouse Museum, Sydney
Topic:             OPAC

Sebastian Chan is the Manager of the Web Services Unit at the Powerhouse Museum. Coming from a background in social policy, journalism, and media criticism as well as information technology, he has been building and producing websites and interactive media since the mid 1990s.

At the Powerhouse, he has been responsible for driving a strong user focus in design, usability, and content, as well as expanding the scope and reach of the museum's suite of online projects.

His other interests include electronic music and digital art, and he has directed and curated large-scale national and international events and festivals, as well as producing related media from radio to print.

He runs the Fresh + New blog covering issues and new ideas around digital media and museums, at http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/dmsblog/

Presentation: Opening the gates: new opportunities in online collections

In June 2006 the Powerhouse Museum launched its new collection browser (http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/collection/database). This made roughly 70 percent of the m useum's collection available online in one go.

Built with the intention of creating a more usable and dynamic collection experience for users, the site employs many of the techniques of so-called ‘ Web 2.0’ . It allows users to 'tag' objects to improve their discoverability by others, and makes  recommendations based on previous user behaviour to improve the chances of users making serendipitous discoveries in their use of the site.

This presentation will explore the first four months of operation and delve into some of the discoveries and lessons, and its impact on the m useum. It will also briefly demonstrate some of the new projects that use the collection browser as their core.

Speaker:      Susan Chun, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York Supported by Fulbright New Zealand

Topic:            Folksonomies and steve.museum

Susan Chun is General Manager for Collections Information Planning in the Office of the Director at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

She is responsible for shaping and implementing institutional strategy and for developing and managing projects involving intellectual property policy, asset management and archiving, digital imaging and licensing, publishing, and standards.

Before working in the Director’s Office, Susan was a member of the m useum’s Editorial Department, where she was involved in all aspects of the m useum’s scholarly and exhibition publishing programme, with particular focus on new publishing models and partnerships.

She has been previously employed at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Alfred A Knopf, and the Asia Society. She is one of the founders of the steve.museum project that is investigating the value of social tagging to improve access to museum collections, and directs a two-year grant-funded project to develop open source tools for collecting user-contributed descriptions of artworks and to conduct research on the collected terms.

Presentation:            By The People: s ocial t agging of a rt m useum c ollections

Building on a recent surge of interest in the phenomenon of social tagging, the ‘ steve’ project seeks new ways to help users of museum w eb sites catalogue and interact with museum collections, improving access for themselves and others. As a research project, the steve team is conducting a methodical study of user behaviours and of user-contributed terms.

During the next several years, the group will create a variety of user interfaces that vary the conditions and features seen by users in order to determine which of the environments most effectively elicit terms that bridge the gap between the professional vocabulary and the public vernacular. To support the research work, the steve team is working together to build freely downloadable open source tools specifically adapted to the social tagging of museum collections.

Susan will discuss the project philosophy and history, its ‘ open data’ philosophy, the early results of the research, and some of the questions about tagging – and particularly about tagging of museum collections – that the group hopes to explore in the years to come.

Speaker:       Joann Ransom, Horowhenua Library Trust, Levin
Topic:             Kete Horowhenua: a community- built digital library
                        of Horowhenua resources

Joann is a librarian lucky enough to combine a family lifestyle at the beach, with stimulating professional work for Horowhenua Library Trust, in Levin.

Over her 20-year career as a librarian, she has developed a commitment to developing and empowering communities.  

Her interest in bridging the digital divide which separates our society into the ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’ has driven her recent IT studies and the practical application of that knowledge in open source projects.

She was part of the team that developed Koha , the world’s first open source library management programme, which won the 3M Award for Innovation in Librariesin 2000 and the TUANZ Interactive Award, Community/Not for Profit category in 2000. She is also responsible for creating and maintaining an online catalogue of digitised historical images held within Horowhenua by a variety of organisations. In 2004, this project was joint winner of the Computerworld Excellence Award for Use of IT in a Not-for-Profit Organisation.    

She is currently project managing the development of Kete Horowhenua.

Presentation: Dusting off the shoe boxes: Kete Horowhenua

Kete Horowhenua is how our community is building a virtual library of our records for our people.

This open source project will result in software that will encourage individuals to contribute personal collections and stories to a digital library, from the comfort of their homes.

The Horowhenua community has a large volume of material lurking in people’s wardrobes, under their beds, and tossed in the garage. While some may end up in public collections, most will remain family or personal treasures. But our people are happy to share their treasures and they are happy to share their stories too.  

This project is about access not ownership: it’s about getting the contents of the shoe boxes out of the wardrobe and into the public domain, sitting alongside the collections held by local and national organisations.

That is Kete Horowhenua: Horowhenua Basket of Knowledge.

Question and Answer

3.30 – 5.00pm – Session Four – Digitisation/Collection Initiatives

Chair:             Allison Dobbie, Auckland City Libraries

Speaker:       Tony Boston, National Library of Australia

Topic:             PictureAustralia Flickr pilot

Tony Boston is the Assistant Director-General, Resource Sharing, at the National Library of Australia.

This d ivision provides support for the Australian library sector and the broader cultural heritage community through collaborative discovery services such as Libraries Australia and PictureAustralia. Tony has had a technology focus since he joined the l ibrary in 1999.

He played a major role in the development of innovative services such as PictureAustralia and
MusicAustralia as well as services to provide online access to the l ibrary's digital collections.

From 2003 to 2005, Tony managed the implementation of the search database and several other components of the Kinetica Redevelopment Project. This resulted in the Libraries Australia service, which will allow the National Library of Australia to continue to innovate in terms of new features and in service delivery.

Presentation:  PictureAustralia and Flickr: taking the l ibrary into the user space to allow online contribution of contemporary content

The National Library of Australia’s direction statement of 2006– 08 states that ‘ to ensure our relevance in a rapidly changing world, we will participate in new online communities and enhance our visibility by:

• Exploring new models for collecting digital material, such as deposit of resources by the Australian public; and
• Enhance opportunities for existing and new users to share ideas, including the development of innovative online “ spaces” .’

The PictureAustralia Flirckr pilot project has been a collaboration between the National Library and Yahoo!, owner of the Flickr photo- sharing service. The aim of the project was to increase the number of contemporary images of Australian people, places, and events in the National Library’s PictureAustralia service.

This was achieved by engaging with the Flickr online community and encouraging individuals to upload photos of Australia to flickr.com. Metadata describing these images, including titles, descriptions, and Flickr tags, are harvested into the PictureAustralia service on a weekly basis.

This innovative project opens up contribution to this service to individuals and complements the existing 1.2 million, largely historical, images in PictureAustralia from Australian and overseas cultural agencies.

Speaker:        Bruce Ralston, Auckland  War Memorial Museum
Topic:             Community Partnership Fund

Bruce Ralston is Manager of Library and Information Services at Auckland Museum Tamaki Paenga Hira where he is responsible for one of the country’s oldest libraries and its extensive historical collections of books, manuscripts, maps, and so on .

He has 25 years’ experience as a librarian in heritage- oriented institutions, including the Alexander Turnbull Library and Auckland City Libraries Tāmaki Pātaka Kōrero, where his focus has been on improving the points of access.

Presentation:  Electronic r emembrance: towards collaborative data basing of New Zealand's war dead at Auckland War Memorial Museum

The Cenotaph database of New Zealand war dead began 10 years ago as a gallery feature. It started as a roll of honour but has developed into a biographical resource including images and links to other sources.

The Digital Strategy’s Community Partnership Fund has enabled Auckland Museum, in partnership with NZETC and the interest of several other agencies, to develop the largest resource about servicemen and women.

Our project will vastly increase access to details about individuals who served in World War I and provides a platform to link with related online resources.

Speaker:       Tom Norcliffe, Archives New Zealand
Topic:             Making digital resources from archival records for use in education

Tom Norcliffe completed an MA in Political Science in 2000, which examined the genesis of a uniquely 'New Zealand' national identity among British settlers in Aotearoa in the nineteenth century. 

Shortly after, he moved to Sydney where he worked for Reuters and a subsidiary company, Factiva, in business development and product training roles.

He helped to reverse the brain drain in 2003 by moving back to Christchurch, and has since been working
at the Christchurch Regional Office of Archives New Zealand Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga.

He is interested in the role archives play in fostering national identities and, at the other end of the spectrum, the challenge posed to archivists by electronic records as well as the opportunities the internet presents in making archives more broadly accessible. He also has an unhealthy interest in golf.

Presentation:            Taking it to the c lassroom – t he Digital Schools Project

Digital Schools was the name given to a programme run by the Christchurch Office of Archives New Zealand to present and make available primary source material for use in the classroom, specifically for Level 3 history students at Year 13.

With support from Head Office, the programme was designed as a pilot project to explore ways to deliver our content to secondary students in more innovative and useful ways. Drivers for the project included the desire to see more students use primary records in their work, an awareness that site visits to the Archives were increasingly difficult for schools to arrange, and the fact that the u nit s tandard that classes had been using was losing its currency.

The plan was that anything we developed would be flexible and scalable enough to take nationally. Critically for the project, simply putting stuff ‘ out there’ was not enough and nor was it the goal of the exercise. The success or otherwise of the project would be determined by the adoption of material in local schools, and by the accumulation of useful knowledge regarding how it was being put to use.

Question and Answer

Summary

ˆ Top