Hello all,

This message is directed primarily towards the Web Masters ( I use the term
loosely) running sites for natural history museums, but all comments are
welcome.

The Exhibit Museum of Natural History at the University of Michigan in Ann
Arbor is presently using a in-house web server, with multiple client
stations, to build more depth and breadth into its physical displays.
Visitors are able to call up related documents and images, pertinent to the
particular display.  My question is, are there other museums on line
interested, in forming a consortium of natural history museums (in our
case) that would tailor part of their existing public web sites to allow
limited Internet access?

A visitor would be able to use our "public" terminal to visit other
participating museums and explore related exhibits - but not gain access to
the Internet at large.  The included links at each site would be determined
by the host site.  All participating museums would have to agree to remove
all at-large links from the part of the site made available to the project.
(If the visited site had no outside links, the visitor would have to
return to "home" to gain access to another site.)

The simplest interface would be a mouse or trackpad, with no keyboard to
enter URLs.  A more sophisticated version might include a modified browser,
with the "go to URL" field and menus to the Internet deactivated.  This
could allow for some typed input and exchanging of information between
associated sites.  I think the technical details can be worked out if the
willingness to provide the content is there.

Comments can be directed to me our the list if you think it is appropriate
to all.

al


Visit the Exhibit Museum on line  < http://www.exhibits.lsa.umich.edu/ >

Al McWaters
Exhibit Designer / Net. Admin.               Internet: [log in to unmask]
Exhibit Museum of Natural History        Phone:    (313) 747-1379
1109 Greddes Ave.                                  Fax:         (313) 747-2767
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1079         http://www-personal.umich.edu/~alanmcw/