Small Diary Museum - Best Practices

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Small Diary Museum

Description

Event:

n.a.

Target group:

Public audience

Purposes:

• Broaden and diversify audiences • Improving modes of use • Make the community an active part of the archive enhancement process

European initiative reference:

n.a.

Info

Italy

Space Needed: Small

Activity:

The Small Diary Museum was created to tell the story of the National Diary Archive in Pieve Santo Stefano and the precious testimonies it preserves.

Contact

biglietteria@piccolomuseodeldiario.it Telephone 0575 797734 Mobile phone 379 1001297

Website

Strengths

Interactive layout also suitable for the blind and deaf
Bilingual exhibition route
Wi-Fi availability throughout the facility
Possibility of expanding the number of online (and thus onsite) presences through the creation of usable online content

Weaknesses

Absence of an online rendition of the digitised archive
High cost of purchasing and maintaining digital technologies

Digital Solutions

Projectors and lights
Sensors
Microcontrollers
Computers for audio and video playback

Methodology

The diary museum has made the exhibition more engaging and interactive through the use of highly interactive video projections on various surfaces of the museum.

Resources needed and start-up costs

Projectors: 450/3,000 euros each
Sensors: 5/30 euros each
Microcontrollers: 5/40 euros each
Speakers: 500/2,000 euros
Interactive video production: from 10,000 euros

Possible low cost solution

The price of equipment varies widely and one can try to reduce costs by slightly reducing its quality or functionalities. Regarding the design of the museum set-up and the development of the video and audio-visual effects, one might consider not hiring professionals, but using free apps to create the graphic effects in the video. Beware, however, of the interactive part of the video and its connection to the sensors: professional help may be needed.

Transferable innovative principles and methods

1. Engaging the user and enhancing the visitor experience

The museum route welcomes the visitor in an engaging and innovative way to discover private memories that, through storytelling, become collective and universal. The museum layout, designed by Studio dotdotdot, is equipped with electronic devices and digital technologies that make the route multi-sensory and interactive.

2. Making the National Diary Archive in Pieve Santo easily accessible also to not-in-charge people

For years, the archive was made accessible without tools to support the visit, making it difficult to understand. The new layout has bridged this gap thanks to the presence of numerous electronic devices that allow a simpler, more immediate, and emotional enjoyment of the archive documents.

3. Making the community an active part of the enhancement process

Thanks to the use of digital technologies, the content of the permanent collection can be easily implemented and modified over time. For this reason, the museum has launched a campaign to collect written sources (diaries/memoirs/letters) for anyone who wants to contribute (see 'Useful Links').

Source of images: https://www.piccolomuseodeldiario.it/