At 9:24 AM -0400 8/20/98, Roger Wulff wrote:
>Dear Robert and Listers:
>
>I agree that the establishment of a web site is a very cost effective
>method for a small museum to reach it's public.  In fact, a web site is
>a very effective method for a new or "start-up" museum to communicate
>its proposed concept and programs - and even to solicit funds
>"On-Line."  A web site is a great "leveler of the playing field" for any
>museum.
>
>The one piece of advice I would give - to a large or small museum - is
>not to invest in your own server system.  There are many firms and
>organizations out there who will provide all of the services you require
>at very little initial outlay of funds.  Your server does not have to be
>in the same city, state, or indeed, the same country.
>
>Take a look at our web site, and if you are interested in costs,
>services, etc., E Mail me and I will be happy to provide them.
>
>Kind Regards
>
>Roger Wulff
>
Roger,

I couldn't agree with you more on the first paragraph. A Web site is an
excellent way to reach local visitors, people who may be planning a visit,
and others who are interested in the topic of the museum, i.e., natural
history, fine art, local history, etc. A well designed Web site can reach
many people and meet the needs of a diverse audience.

As for the second paragraph though, I would have to disagree somewhat. Yes,
a smaller museum might be better served by contracting to a company to
provide Web server. However, the cost of a dedicated line to the Internet
becomes cheaper than a bank of modem lines for people to connect to the
Internet. Although the cost varies, a 56KBS dedicated circuit costs about
$88/month. A T1 line runs about $500/month (with all the administrative
costs tacked on by the agency that maintains the circuits). Of course, if
you calculate 10 business lines for dialup access, then a T1 becomes very
cost effective. The dedicated lines can handle all e-mail and online
research that a museum may engage in beyond serving information on the Web.
There are other options such as ISDN or DSL that can provide fractional T1
service for some organizations for less than $200/month, depending upon
what part of the country you are in. If you have an internal computer
network going already, then maintaining Web services in house is a
relatively small additional cost. Leasing rather than purchasing can shift
the cost to operations rather than capital outlay.

Personnel costs are the biggest consideration. Web sites need to be
maintained and updated on a regular basis. Maintaining servers is the
biggest expense, although servers are much easier to set up and maintain
than they were even three years ago. Still, it takes someone who
understands the principles of networking to make things work.

There are questions that need to be asked and answered. The answers will
vary from institution to institution. A Macintosh makes one of the best Web
servers at a fraction of the cost of a large Unix-based system. Generally
speaking, a larger institution with some internal computer networking may
benefit from hosting their own Web server, and smaller.

Once again, whether you contract for Web services or do it inhouse, the
real issue is maintaining the site, just like you maintain and change your
exhibits.

john

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John Chadwick, Ed.D. Network Administrator and Web Administrator
New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science
1801 Mountain Road NW
Albuquerque, NM 87104
[log in to unmask],     http://museums.state.nm.us/nmmnh/
phone: (505) 841-2843 FAX (505) 841-2866 Cellular (505) 264-4460
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