Hello all,

(I digest Museum-L so please excuse any repetition from today's postings.)

This Object/Information/Label thread is very interesting. It's easy to get caught up in an either/or argument about this when I don't think it is about choosing between objects and labels. A more useful approach is to consider how the two can best work together to answer visitors' questions about objects. For those newer to the field, Beverly Serrell's book "Exhibit Labels: An Interpretive Approach" (1996) is a great book for understanding not only how to write effective and useful labels but also how to incorporate visitor feedback into the process of writing labels.

The article says "Museums can't simply become teaching tools; they have to preserve their roots as places to wonder at and about stuff." I agree, but I would argue that we are better able to preserve our roots as "places to wonder at and about stuff" when we provide context for the objects that we display. A well-written label can provide that context, as can a docent, a video, a guided tour, an interactive, an audio tour or any of the other media we have at our disposal. The object is often the star of the show, no denying that, but a supporting cast of effectively used media (and labels) can make the star shine even more.

Steve


Steven Yalowitz, Ph.D.
Audience Research Specialist
Monterey Bay Aquarium
886 Cannery Row
Monterey, CA 93940
phone: 831-647-6844
fax: 831-644-7583
email: [log in to unmask]

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