March 2018 Updates

Hello everyone and happy Spring! We've had another busy month here at ANSM.

CollectiveAccess

There are now 289,333 artifacts documented with 163,215 associated images, which means that 119 new records and 2,512 new images have been added to CollectiveAccess this month - Congratulations to the Northeast region for adding the most images - great work!

Here's what the numbers look like at the regional level:

Southwest - 127088 artifacts, 61992 images
Central - 99603 artifacts, 44943 images
Northeast - 33133 artifacts, 41410 images
Cape Breton - 29509 artifacts, 14870 images

Fleming College Partnership Update - the students have finished their data cleaning and enrichment projects. It was wonderful to work with them on this project! They are now working on their final reports. This partnership is always such an awarding experience for both the students and our team at ANSM. The participating sites will receive their final reports soon - watch your email!

NovaMuse 

Did you know that 38% of visitors find out about NovaMuse through social media? And an additional 22% find out while visiting your museums. It's important that museums embrace both online and in-house promotion so that visitors are made aware of this valuable resource. Worried about time and resources? With the help of technology, there are now free programs that allow users to schedule posts ahead of time. Why not start planning posts for the summer now? Look for artifacts that celebrate local history and connections. Share these stories in the body of your posts and do not forget to include the link to the artifact on NovaMuse! 

Last summer, I visited a site that encouraged their employees to incorporate information that they found on NovaMuse in their tours. This not only enhances a visitor's learning experience, it also provides an opportunity for staff to share the website with guests. Don't have a computer and/or public wi-fi onsite? No problem! Simply share the web address and invite them to explore the site after their departure. This is a great way to generate an ongoing interest in your collection. It is also a way to keep summer staff busy in between tasks. Learn more by reviewing the report titled, Improving how Nova Scotia’s museums are represented online through the collections website NovaMuse - click here.

myNovaMuse - Contributor Galleries

We have had a few new additions! For those of you who haven't joined in on the fun yet, this is a great way to build your online presence. (Check your email for exciting news!) Show off the hard work you have been doing behind the scenes. Recently added a temporary exhibit? Why not group together the chosen artifacts and share with your online audience? Is there a holiday coming up? Why not create a custom gallery to share with visitors? 

Do you want to make your own galleries and not sure where to start? click here to watch our YouTube tutorial.

Photo Kit - did you know that ANSM's member institutions can borrow the photography kit? This includes two backdrops (white and grey), lighting, tripod, and manual (camera not included). It is available for a three week period. Spots are filling up! Please contact me as soon as possible to reserve a spot. Pick-up and drop off at the ANSM office (Halifax).

Tip of the Month: When photographing headwear, such as hats it is important to use a head form to give it shape. This also shows us how the headwear would have been worn (see photo above). This provides a better indication of its size and details than if it were lying flat. Do you have a scarf in your collection? Why not use a bust form. Think of ways to give the item dimension.

Museum Evaluation Program prep is in full swing! Click here to view the Evaluation Timeline for 2018 and to learn more.

Museum Studies Program

Collections Management & Curatorship scheduled to take place Thursday, April 5-April 6 at the Joggins Fossil Institute is now full! Please contact Jennifer at admin@ansm.ns.ca if you'd like to be added to the waitlist.

Mark your calendars! Other upcoming courses in the Museum Studies Program include:

Interpretation I: Public Programming - May 24-25, 2018 at Cape Breton Miners Museum, facilitated by Virginia Stephen.

Museums 101 - October 2018, Central, Exact location TBD, facilitated by Karin Kierstead

Click here to learn more!

Save the Date! This year the ANSM Annual General Meeting and Conference will be taking place September 26-28, 2018 in Annapolis Royal - more information to follow.