At 10:10 PM 8/12/97 -0400, you wrote:
>I agree with Michel, but I would add that a truly great hands-on exhibit is
>minds-on and communicates on its own. By participating, visitors get it.
>Text isn't necessary. That's my ideal. I'm still trying to get there.

It would have to be very straight-forward for everyone to get it. People
always come away with different interpretations.  It seems to me that you
would need to at least give visitors some kind of verification of what they
got out of it as being correct or not.
>
>Of course, if you want to get something across that you can't communicate
>with an interactive, I guess you have to write about it. But then the
>question is, why don't you write a book instead? I don't go to museums just
>to read and look at photos.

You should always ask, or at least the exhibit developer should ask, if an
exhibit is the best way to communicate an idea. However, a written label
should always supplement and support an interactive (I agree with Lisa
McKinney on this one; very well said Lisa, and Hi! to everyone in exhibits
for me.)

>BTW, I'm a writer by training, and I'm writing a lot of labels for our new
>permanent exhibition. I feel like I've got no choice, because some factions
>within the museum always complain if something isn't "covered." But I know
>it isn't really covered for most of our visitors, because any one label will
>only be read by a small percentage of people.

People will read your labels; if well written and presented (designed), and
relevant, more visitors will read your labels than you think.  For some
excellent references on well designed labels see Beverly Serrel's new book.

I'll quit now before my 2 cents becomes 3.
Anthony E. Kerwin
Curator of Exhibits
                        Pacific Northwest Museum of Natural History
                        1500 E. Main St.
                        Ashland, OR 97520
                        Phone: 541-488-1084     FAX: 541-482-1115