Open Forum

I'm currently working on a show where I am interview local artists about their personal history in the arts community on this small island in British Columbia. I would like the visitors to be able to listen to the interviews during a small exhibition in the public library. The budget for this exhibition is all coming out of my own pocket, so I'm trying to keep things as cheap as possible. 

Any solutions for how visitors could listen to the oral history interview? My ideas so far have been:

-MP3 player with headphone- There is no security, so someone could easily take the player. I'm also uncertain of how to display the player. Is there a type of mount that others have used?

-Transcription- This would be a lot of work to transcribe all 10 interviews and I do not have any extra human-power.

-Playing on speakers- Unfortunately, people will be also reading panels, so the sound from the interviews might be distracting.

Any other suggestions would be welcomed, especially if anyone knows about a secure mount for a MP3 player.

------------------------------
Regan Shrumm
Curator in Residence at the Salt Spring Arts Council
------------------------------

What about something like this(see below)? I don't know how long the audio files are but this could play about 7 minutes of audio or about a minute and half for each button.  You can connect a headphone jack and remove the speaker.  Maybe someone in your local college or high school can do a free project to 3D print a case for you.

You can use an Arduino but this would be more involved.  If you know how to build using Arduino.  

5-button Push Musical Sound Module

Amazon		remove preview
5-button Push Musical Sound Module You will get 1 Sound Module with 5 individual buttons & and ONLY one USB Programmer(regardless of quantity) SOFTWARE ONLY WORKS FOR PC, NOT FOR MAC Link to instructional video, and to download our FREE software will be sent with your order 5 buttons can play different or same music Ideal for ... View this on Amazon >

------------------------------
Raymond Stivala
Manager of Web/Multimedia Development
The Newark Museum
Newark NJ
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 01-12-2018 07:14 PM
From: Regan Shrumm
Subject: Ideas for Visitors Listening to Oral History

I'm currently working on a show where I am interview local artists about their personal history in the arts community on this small island in British Columbia. I would like the visitors to be able to listen to the interviews during a small exhibition in the public library. The budget for this exhibition is all coming out of my own pocket, so I'm trying to keep things as cheap as possible.

Any solutions for how visitors could listen to the oral history interview? My ideas so far have been:

-MP3 player with headphone- There is no security, so someone could easily take the player. I'm also uncertain of how to display the player. Is there a type of mount that others have used?

-Transcription- This would be a lot of work to transcribe all 10 interviews and I do not have any extra human-power.

-Playing on speakers- Unfortunately, people will be also reading panels, so the sound from the interviews might be distracting.

Any other suggestions would be welcomed, especially if anyone knows about a secure mount for a MP3 player.

------------------------------
Regan Shrumm
Curator in Residence at the Salt Spring Arts Council
------------------------------

Original Message------

What about something like this(see below)? I don't know how long the audio files are but this could play about 7 minutes of audio or about a minute and half for each button.  You can connect a headphone jack and remove the speaker.  Maybe someone in your local college or high school can do a free project to 3D print a case for you.

You can use an Arduino but this would be more involved.  If you know how to build using Arduino.  

5-button Push Musical Sound Module

Amazon		remove preview
5-button Push Musical Sound Module You will get 1 Sound Module with 5 individual buttons & and ONLY one USB Programmer(regardless of quantity) SOFTWARE ONLY WORKS FOR PC, NOT FOR MAC Link to instructional video, and to download our FREE software will be sent with your order 5 buttons can play different or same music Ideal for ... View this on Amazon >

------------------------------
Raymond Stivala
Manager of Web/Multimedia Development
The Newark Museum
Newark NJ
------------------------------

At  both Ellis Island and the Arab-American Museum in Detroit, I enjoyed accessing oral history recordings through a classic telephone headset. I am not sure how the underlying mechanisms work, but they're simple and intuitive and it's possible to integrate them in design, if you care to. Perhaps those would be good places to contact. 

I have also experimented with wall-mounted focused speakers, but they clutter the room with noise and I don't think it's a strategy I'd repeat again.

------------------------------
Michelle Moon
Director of Interpretation and Program Evaluation
The Newark Museum
Newark NJ
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 01-12-2018 07:14 PM
From: Regan Shrumm
Subject: Ideas for Visitors Listening to Oral History

I'm currently working on a show where I am interview local artists about their personal history in the arts community on this small island in British Columbia. I would like the visitors to be able to listen to the interviews during a small exhibition in the public library. The budget for this exhibition is all coming out of my own pocket, so I'm trying to keep things as cheap as possible.

Any solutions for how visitors could listen to the oral history interview? My ideas so far have been:

-MP3 player with headphone- There is no security, so someone could easily take the player. I'm also uncertain of how to display the player. Is there a type of mount that others have used?

-Transcription- This would be a lot of work to transcribe all 10 interviews and I do not have any extra human-power.

-Playing on speakers- Unfortunately, people will be also reading panels, so the sound from the interviews might be distracting.

Any other suggestions would be welcomed, especially if anyone knows about a secure mount for a MP3 player.

------------------------------
Regan Shrumm
Curator in Residence at the Salt Spring Arts Council
------------------------------

​You can always upload the interviews to YouTube, and then create a QR code from the YouTube link.  Anyone with a QR Reader app on their phone can then listen to the interviews.  You can "google" the entire process, which is time-consuming on the first iteration, but much quicker thereafter.

Up side:  this is all free and allows persons to hear the interviews even when they are not at your location (might bring in additional visitors).

Down side:  for those without a "smart" phone, this is not a viable option.

Good luck!  Let us know what you decide and how it works out for you.


------------------------------
Cynthia Riley
Curator
U.S. Army Chemical Corps Museum
Fort Leonard Wood MO
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 01-12-2018 07:14 PM
From: Regan Shrumm
Subject: Ideas for Visitors Listening to Oral History

I'm currently working on a show where I am interview local artists about their personal history in the arts community on this small island in British Columbia. I would like the visitors to be able to listen to the interviews during a small exhibition in the public library. The budget for this exhibition is all coming out of my own pocket, so I'm trying to keep things as cheap as possible.

Any solutions for how visitors could listen to the oral history interview? My ideas so far have been:

-MP3 player with headphone- There is no security, so someone could easily take the player. I'm also uncertain of how to display the player. Is there a type of mount that others have used?

-Transcription- This would be a lot of work to transcribe all 10 interviews and I do not have any extra human-power.

-Playing on speakers- Unfortunately, people will be also reading panels, so the sound from the interviews might be distracting.

Any other suggestions would be welcomed, especially if anyone knows about a secure mount for a MP3 player.

------------------------------
Regan Shrumm
Curator in Residence at the Salt Spring Arts Council
------------------------------

It can be part of a mobile tour guide app that visitors can download from Apple/Android or borrow a tablet. We have been doing these at a very low price. Let me know if you have an interest. www.ActionTourGuide.com

------------------------------
Snehal Shah
Action Data Systems, LLC
Barrington RI
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 01-12-2018 07:14 PM
From: Regan Shrumm
Subject: Ideas for Visitors Listening to Oral History

I'm currently working on a show where I am interview local artists about their personal history in the arts community on this small island in British Columbia. I would like the visitors to be able to listen to the interviews during a small exhibition in the public library. The budget for this exhibition is all coming out of my own pocket, so I'm trying to keep things as cheap as possible.

Any solutions for how visitors could listen to the oral history interview? My ideas so far have been:

-MP3 player with headphone- There is no security, so someone could easily take the player. I'm also uncertain of how to display the player. Is there a type of mount that others have used?

-Transcription- This would be a lot of work to transcribe all 10 interviews and I do not have any extra human-power.

-Playing on speakers- Unfortunately, people will be also reading panels, so the sound from the interviews might be distracting.

Any other suggestions would be welcomed, especially if anyone knows about a secure mount for a MP3 player.

------------------------------
Regan Shrumm
Curator in Residence at the Salt Spring Arts Council
------------------------------