Storytelling Inspiration with Collections Online

There are multiple benefits to crafting stories with collections online. Regardless of whether an exhibit is crafted to be a hybrid or online-only, there is greater flexibility in storytelling when collections online are incorporated.

Additionally, online-only exhibits are fairly cost efficient because most infrastructure and data that can be used in exhibit story construction is already in place. Costs and time can also be saved by eliminating physical exhibit sets and cases, and skipping building and installing panels.

This is not to say that in-person exhibits should be deprioritized. Not at all. An in-person exhibit will always have a unique ability to connect with people and immerse them in a story. What I am advocating for is that we consider the development of online exhibits for both hybrid and online-only exhibit opportunities.

Collections Online Inspiration for a Hybrid Exhibit

When considering a hybrid exhibition, it’s important to be intentional about when and where online elements are added. The most typical collection online items used to supplement physical exhibits are:

• A QR code or link to read more about the item from the Collections Management System (CMS).
• A QR code or link to view online galleries of related materials delivered by the CMS.
• Audio-visual supplements that demonstrate how a particular item was created or used.
• Additional information (as text or audio-visual) that offers different perspectives related to the item or topic of the exhibit.

Each of these items isn’t strictly necessary in order for the physical exhibit to tell its story, but they do offer benefits in the form of:

• Increased visitor engagement with materials in the exhibit and the broader collections;
• Delivering additional information based on what the visitor wants to learn; and
• Offering different perspectives for visitors to reflect on.

Collections Online Inspiration for an Online-Only Exhibit

In the recent past online-only exhibits were less common and usually employed in circumstances where the exhibit was the product of a specific research project, or where the objects of focus could not be displayed for condition reasons.

Only recently has the field shifted to viewing online-only exhibits as something to consider and prioritize—mostly due to the impact of the early years of the global pandemic where museums were completely unavailable to the public.

Now that we are out of emergency mode, we can begin to craft a strategic approach to when, why, and how we create online-only exhibits.

When Should We Create Digital-First Exhibits?

This question is important to consider, especially from a staff capacity perspective. It may not make sense to start from scratch with a whole new exhibit story concept. Instead, look to past work and research, and previous exhibit ideas that were developed but never came to be. As you move forward, there are opportunities to weave in new exhibit story ideas as a regular part of your work.

Why Should We Consider Online-Only Exhibits?

As online-only exhibits will take staff time, it’s important to identify the “Why?” of the exhibit story you wish to pursue. Often aligning an exhibit with upcoming anniversaries, current topics, and related work can offer clear tie-ins for the value an online exhibit can add.

How Can We Create Online Museum Exhibits?

In subsequent posts we’ll delve deeper into storytelling delivery platforms. However, if you are just beginning to experiment with online-only exhibits and storytelling, you can first access functionality provided through your museum collections management software (CMS).

Coming Up: More Inspiration for Online Exhibits

As we continue through this series, we’ll take a closer look at point of inspiration for online exhibits: Past, Present, and Future Exhibits; Impossible (Physical) Exhibitions; and Previous Demand. Each post will offer examples and strategy for an approach so you can begin your own exploration of storytelling inspiration.