Hi Michael:

Having once been Director of an institution similarly saddled with the X. X. Xxxxxxx Library and Research Center, I can feel your pain.

I think that what it comes down to is what do you hope your guests do within the incredible resource that you have. For me it is about defining and then identifying a place where your guests can undertake an exciting journey of investigation, discovery, and understanding that can have deep personal meaning and potentially change their lives. On the occasions when I have visited the Milwaukee County Historical Society (yep I lived in the great state of Wisconsin), I found, like with many other institutions, that the Library and Archives are clearly not part of the guest experience. Of course my own institution at the time suffered terribly from this with guests having to actually drive to a separate facility to access our Research Center.

Perhaps a way to look at this challenge is to develop a portion of your guest experience that introduces and explains the role of the Research Library and the wondrous discoveries that await a guest who wishes to explore it. I am currently working with an institution that is quite similar to yours and, among other things, helping to develop their newly redefined research center (yet to be named). In our planning we have created an opportunity for the archives and library to become part of the guest experience, first as an exhibition element and then as a research center.

I would suggest that you make the Library a "weenie" - a visual magnet that rewards guests for making the journey to see it. Don't just consider changing the name or slapping up a label, but instead communicate with visual literacy - make good use of all of the non-verbal means of communication to identify this place and what happens here. Consider color, shape, form, sound, and texture as you invite your guests in.

Avoid Overload - Resist the temptation to tell them all there is to know about the Research Center. Try not to force the guest to swallow more than they can digest, try to stimulate and provide guidance to those who want more.

Most of all, Know Your Audience - Don't assume they know what you know. Provide the story and the tools so that they can discover something they didn't know about themselves or their past. It is important for the guest to be successful, if only in a small way. Once they have achieved and celebrated that success you will have them knocking at your door to return.

Good luck and I can't wait to hear how your adventure works out!

Larry Fisher
Planning and Design for Museums and Cultural Institutions
Bristol, RI
(401)253-5335
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On 2/2/2012 3:29 PM, Michael Reuter wrote:
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Greetings all,

 

Our institution is brainstorming about how to transform our archives/research library area to make it more inviting and attractive to visitors other than the traditional researchers and students. Other than new programming, we are investigating name changes to this area of operations of the Historical Society. Currently the name stands as the Harry H. Anderson Research Library.

 

Is there anyone out there that has experienced a transition with an archive like this and how did it occur, or do you know of similar research facilities that transformed their experiences and offerings through creative re-naming processes?

 

Thanks for any feedback!

 

Mike

 

Michael Reuter

Curator of Objects/Registrar

Milwaukee County Historical Society

910 N. Old World 3rd St.

Milwaukee, WI 53203

414-273-8288

Find us at www.milwaukeehistory.net, facebook,

And twitter @mkectyhistsoc

 

 


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