December recap - December was a quiet month for us due to the break. Last month we took some time to reflect on Touchstones. We enjoyed collaborating with those in the museum and performing arts community to create and showcase the stories of museum artifacts from across Nova Scotia. A fantastic virtual exhibit was created on NovaMuse with the help of the general public and high school students across the province. An enlightening performance followed that not only showcased Nova Scotia's role in confederation but also highlighted the importance of identity, place, culture, and industry in the province. Again, we would like to thank everyone who supported our Canada 150 project. If you haven't already done so, please follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter to see images and video footage from the performances.
CollectiveAccess
There is now 289,709 artifacts documented with 153,956 associated images, which means that 238 new records and 2211 images have been added to CollectiveAccess this month - great work!
Here's what the numbers look like at the regional level:
Southwest - 126877 artifacts, 61582 images
Central - 100236 artifacts, 42790 images
Northeast - 33120 artifacts, 34856 images
Cape Breton - 29476 artifacts, 14728 images
Congratulations to the Northeast region for adding 1840 new images during the month of December!
Have you reserved the photo kit for early this year? Please be in touch to schedule pick-up.
With the new year upon us, it's the perfect time to share a few tips and resources.
Tip 1: Create a Communication Board
Do you have a bulletin board at your museum where you share news with your staff and volunteers behind the scenes? This can be a great way to share important information with your team. Have an upcoming event? Add the poster!
Be creative! This space can also be used to share feedback and ideas. Add a whiteboard or index cards to a bulletin board. Example: Have ideas for future exhibits? Let us know! And don't forget to add important ANSM resources that are available on our website.
Tip 2: Plan for Collections Management
Start by creating a plan for collections management tasks this year. We recommend breaking down tasks by season and prioritizing. Have you seen our handy seasonal work calendar? Print a copy and add it to your communication board. It is something that your team can work through together to start this year off on the right foot. Bring it to your next staff meeting, share it with your board of directors, etc. Ensure everyone is working towards the same goals. Remember, you can customize this document to suit your museum's needs.
Would you like a copy for your museum? Click here.
Tip 3: Manage your NovaMuse Presence
With the new and improved NovaMuse at your fingertips, we highly recommend implementing a plan for managing your NovaMuse presence.
Why use NovaMuse internally?
○ Look at other records for inspiration
○ Exhibition Development
○ Finding artifacts to borrow from other museums
○ Networking
○ Marketing and fundraising
○ Artifact identification and comparison
Would you like a copy? Click here. Share this with your team and create a plan together. Why not add it to your communication board?
Tip 4: Plan for Future IT Purchases
We would also like to draw attention to equipment. We have received many questions about cameras, scanners, and computers last year. I recommend reading through the Recommendations for Museums Looking at Future IT Purchases document available on our website. This document was prepared by John Benson, owner of Eaglez Consulting Services, with 20+ years of IT&C-related experience. John has worked in many facets of the IT&C industry and has also had the benefit of working as part of or in tandem with the Nova Scotian museum community (and non-profits in general) during that time.
This document covers helpful advice on the following areas:
• Portable Handheld Scanners
• Digital Camcorders
• Desktop Computers
• Notebook Computers
• Netbooks, Convertible Notebooks & Tablets
• Data Backup Options
• TechSoup Canada
This is another great resource to share with your team to make informed decisions together. Click here to download & add to your communication board.
In Other News
Attention Advisory Service sites: Have you heard? The myNovaMuse galleries feature is ready on NovaMuse! Please check your email for your username and password. Want to learn how to create your first gallery? - click here.
We encourage you to leave comments & explore other galleries as well.
Help us spread the word! Do you have friends that would like to participate? They can register as a general user and create their very own galleries!
We wish you all the best in the new year!
