Deb makes several good points.

In terms of accessing additional information via a smartphone or tablet, I’d suggest a different approach that will have greater engagement than a QR code and will be cheaper and easier to update than an app: Use your existing website.  

Your uwf.edu website is responsive (i.e., it automatically reformats the content so that it’s easy to view on different sized devices, including smartphones).  And you’ve got a great, very short URL.  Just create something like “uwf.edu/tour” and put the information, including text, audio, video, and images, there.  Include the URL in the nav on you website, in your materials, and in signage at your sites.

A few related notes for others:

- Apps: A site-specific mobile app is a great idea if you are a very large institution that people will visit over several days (e.g., Disney World or the Smithsonian Museums), where there’s a pretty clear sense from visitors that it’s going to be worth their time to download the app  If, however, you are like most of the rest of us, including house museums and most historic sites, museums, and living history facilities, making the content available via a responsive website will have much higher engagement.  People don’t have to download the app, you don’t have to create and update content for the app (in addition to your existing site), and it will work on all devices.

- Website: If your website isn’t responsive, that should be your fist investment.

- URL: If you’re not blessed with a short URL, use a URL shortener and post the resulting URL.

- Restricting access: One comment I hear from time to time is that people won’t visit my site or museum if I put lots of pictures of it online.  This is an unhelpful myth.  The only individuals who should be concerned about doing this are ones who hope that they can fool people into coming to something that turns out to not live up to the expectations set for it.  (And I’m sure that’s no one on this list.)  For everyone else, extensive information online—text, video, images—all help raise awareness and attract people.  

If you still feel uncomfortable with the idea of putting extensive information online, ask yourself this question, When was the last time you saw something online that convinced you not to visit?  Do you think you’d have actually thought differently if you attended?

- QR codes: Despite asking the question for years, including on lists such as this, I’ve never received a response (from someone other than a vendor) to the question, “If you use QR codes, what are the results you’re seeing in terms of visits.  And please include some baseline so we can understand these numbers relative to the size of your institution.”  Zero response.  Crickets.  That should tell you something about the results.



Lee Wright  |  Founder - HistoryCamp.org  |  History Camp is coming to the heartland: History Camp Iowa at the State Historical Museum of Iowa on November 14 




> On Nov 9, 2015, at 11:48 AM, Deb Fuller <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> 
> Hi Wanda,
> 
> New technology is always fun and exciting but you have to ask yourself the question - how can technology help us tell our story, especially in ways that we can do this ourselves?
> 
> First off, technology comes with a cost to implement and upgrade. If you are trying to recreate the look a feel of a WWII house, projectors and UV lights are going to be intrusive and distract from the WWII era furnishings. There are ways to hide projectors and lights but that will take money and modification to the house. Is that in your budget? Do you also have the money not only for the equipment but for maintenance and upkeep? Specialty lightbulbs can be really expensive. 
> 
> Instead, I'd look at your exhibit and see how you can first enhance it using "low-tech" ways. Instead of projecting newspaper clippings, how about having a book of them or replica newspapers or letters for people to read? Those are relatively cheap and easily available. You could have a place where people could write notes to local servicepeople who are deployed, which could be collected and sent to them as a way to tie the exhibit in with today. What about a bin of "trash" and have kids sort through what can be used for scrap or reused and what really would have been considered trash. Or you could have a replica book of stamps, a list of things the family needs and ask visitors to see what they can buy with their stamps. Or set out what a typical family might have for a week's worth of food and ask people to see how many recipes they can create with it. 
> 
> There are also phone apps you can develop where people can access extra content on their own cellphones. These can be as easy as creating QR codes to additional resources either on your own website or linked to another website or you can create a downloadable app or dial-in app for people to use. These are cheaper than 
> 
> If you want extra ambiance, you could have a radio with an mp3 player in it where visitors could listen to clips of radio programs and news reports. Those are fairly easy to do and set up. 
> 
> That would be my suggestions.
> 
> Best,
> 
> Deb Fuller
> 
> On Mon, Nov 9, 2015 at 10:49 AM, Wanda Edwards <[log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>> wrote:
> Happy Monday,
> 
> 
> 
> We have a small one room cottage that we want to use to experiment with new exhibit technology.  It’s currently used to interpretive the WWII home front and is very static.  Our interpretive consultants suggested using equipment to project images, newspaper headlines, and letters on the walls.  They also suggested using material that is invisible in light but is revealed using UV light.  Has anyone used these techniques in house museums?  Or do you have other suggestions?  Can you recommend a company you worked with?  Please answer me off list. Thank you in advance for your help.
> 
> __________________
> Wanda Edwards
> Chief Curator
> UWF Historic Trust
> P.O. Box 12866
> Pensacola, FL 32591
> 
> [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
> (850) 595-5840 ext.105 <tel:%28850%29%20595-5840%20ext.105>
> fax (850)595-5841 <tel:%28850%29595-5841>
> 
> www.historicpensacola.org <http://www.historicpensacola.org/> 
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