Julie and Katie,

At a University museum that I previously worked at they had a wonderful,
inexpensive advertising campaign in order to increase numbers that I would
like to suggest to you (I'm sorry I don't have attendance numbers to share
with you as it has been years since I worked there).

At times when they felt attendance was low they would send flyers out to all
the academic departments and specific professors/TA etc.  advertising what
the museum could offer to the students of those classes.  This being a
natural history museum most of the response came from the biology and
anthropology departments.  However, they got creative with it.  They
suggested that the art instructors come to the museum and use the exhibits
for still life studies.  Business classes were sent over to analyze our gift
shop set-up.  Interior design majors and architect majors studied the
structure and design of exhibits.  Textile majors were sent over during
their units on historical fabric.

I would say by the time all was said and done nearly every freshman level
class found some way to use the museum to its benefit and it was a great way
to get the museum introduced to incoming students that may not have thought
to go to the museum otherwise.  I hope this might help you some.

Heather Marie Wells


>From: Julie Holcomb <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: Museum discussion list <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: annual attendance in small museums
>Date: Fri, 12 Mar 2004 06:05:48 -0600
>
>I would like to hear from new, small museums.  Our museum has a staff of
>1.5 and a budget less than $75k.  We opened in mid-October on the campus
>of mid-size community college.  Our college president expects our
>attendance should be 8500 this first year (actually, not even full year
>since our fiscal year ends in August).  Our college population on this
>campus is 2500, our city population is 25,000 and our county is around
>50,000.  We're in a small, rural, east Texas county about an hour south of
>the Dallas Metroplex and an hour northeast of Waco.  I would be interested
>to hear from other museums like mine and Katie's as we are fending off
>mid-year budget adjustments.  (If your department is not making its
>projected income, your budget is adjusted accordingly.)
>
>Also, how do you in small museums respond to those expectations?  How do
>you increase attendance?  I come from an archives background rather than a
>museum background so I'm still learning how to pull this off.
>Julie Holcomb
>College and Special Collections Archivist
>Pearce Collections Museum at Navarro College
>
> > Do any of you from small museums (staff of 2.5, budget under $150k,
>attendance under 20k) feel that your board has unrealistic expectations
>for
> > your attendance/admissions numbers?  Our city population is about 36k
>and
> > our county is around 92k.  Our attendance is under 10k.
> >
> >
> >
> > Thanks,
> >
> > Katie
> >
> >
> >
> >
>----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>-----------
> >
> > Katie Anderson
> >
> > Museum Director
> >
> > Rome Area History Museum
> >
> > 305 Broad Street
> >
> > Rome, GA 30161
> >
> > 706-235-8051
> >
> > cell 678-908-7751
> >
> > fax 706-235-6631
> >
> >  <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
>[log in to unmask]
> >
> >  <http://www.RomeHistoryMuseum.com> www.RomeHistoryMuseum.com
> >
> >
> >
> >
>----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>-----------
> >
> > Our timely new exhibit "Before the Hanging Chad: Early Voter
>Registration"
> > explores the changes in voting restrictions since the birth of our
>Nation
> > and ending with the Voting Rights Act of 1965.  Highlights include the
>struggles of non-property owners, women, and African-Americans to gain
>voting rights.  Test your knowledge of civics by taking a 1965 literacy
>test
> > used to control voter registration.  Runs through July 2004.
> >
> >
> >
> > Join us again this year on Memorial Day, May 31, for observances,
>speaches,
> > a parade, and observances at Myrtle Hill Cemetery.
> >
> > ***********************************************************************
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
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