It's About the Future, Not the Past
Flickr Photo: paurianMuseums get a bad rap as purveyors of the past. I'd guess most of us, when we think about museums at all, think about dusty old things. But the very best museums tie all that old stuff to the world we live in today, and the future we're creating.
It's a lot like our roles as non-museum nonprofits: we sift through all the information and data out there to find what matters for our communities -- and make it relevant.
Part of that is the selection process, choosing what we'll showcase. The other part is how we design our display, or communicate what we're showcasing.
Another way of saying this: How people get your message is as important as what you're saying.
In an interview that aired today on Morning Edition, the new Secretary of the Smithsonian, Wayne Clough, shares his vision for how the Smithsonian will have to evolve, and it includes Twitter! He believes that even an institution as venerable as the Smithsonian can't rely on people coming to them: they need to bring the Smithsonian to the people, and that means embracing new technologies.
As he says in the interview, "It's about the future."
