----------------------------------------------------------------------- INFORMATION - THE HIDDEN RESOURCE ----------------------------------------------------------------------- The Seventh International Conference of the MDA. Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. - 6 - 10 November 1995 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Theme ----- This conference starts from the premise that museums have four kinds of information: * collections * buildings * staff * information >From this perspective, information becomes a key resource to be considered from a strategic, not just a technical perspective. At the same time, information technology is gradually transforming our whole understanding of access. Over the next decade technology will dissolve many of the barriers to access for museums. Many are eagerly seizing these new opportunities, seeing their role as information providers in the broadest sense, and involving everyone, from the Board down, in decisions about information. This conference will bring together experts, users and providers of inform- ation to share their knowledge and experience to the mutual benefits of all. Audience -------- The conference will be of particular interest to all users of museum inform- ation including: * Senior managers * Curators * Documentation Specialists * Education Staff * System Designers * Exhibition Designers * Researchers Structure --------- Following two days of theme related workshops the conference will be spread over three days. Content ------- Day One: Constructive appraisal of collections management information systems in a selection of museums by a range of users: * The Museum Director * The Curator * The Documentation Specialist * The Education Officer * The Public * The Researcher * The Designer * The Auditor * The Tourism/Marketing Officer Day Two: Looks at a variety of issues in the use of information and technology. There will be three strands: 1) Technical Communicating with and using information i) On-line databases ii) Global research via electronic highways iii) Collaborative databases Issues of Interface iv) Standards v) Presenting oral history vi) Gallery design and interfaces Cognitive aspects of information vii) The metaphor of the interface viii) Estimating pre-knowledge ix) Words and more words 2) Management Information and tourism i) The influence of visitor surveys ii) Visitor profiling and fund raising manage- ment iii) Remote kiosks iv) International museum marketing Information and the management of buildings v) Information for disaster planning vi) Maintaining storage locations Cost vii) The $/ value of information 3) Futuristic Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and electronic surrogates i) What is an electronic surrogate? ii) Uses and potential Information for interactives iii) Using contextual information in interaction iv) Producing multimedia systems v) Education and the interactive experience vi) Remote access to museums The information needs of a historic house vii) Restoration information viii) Conservation information ix) Content management x) Historical information xi) Contextual information xii) Day to day management xiii) Grounds maintenance Day 3: Looks at some of the underlying themes from: * The strategic perspective * Resource allocation * The long term development of skills CALL FOR PAPERS We are looking for people to carry out critical appraisals for day one, or who wish to present papers during day two or three of the Conference, If you are interested, please send a provisional title and a 100 word abstract, together with your contact details, to the address below. The deadline for proposals is 24 October 1994. Successful speakers will be expected to provide the full paper (including illustrations) by 1st May 1995. *************************************************************************** Tony Gill e-mail: [log in to unmask] Technical Outreach Manager Museum Documentation Association Lincoln House, 347 Cherry Hinton Road, Tel: +44 223 242848 Cambridge CB1 4DH, UK Fax: +44 223 213575 ***************************************************************************