Open Forum

Apologies if others have asked about this before; the search terms I could think of to find this info proved to be way too broad!

We are looking to gather responses to a dialogic question posed on an exhibit panel through a text messaging service and/or a Twitter hashtag. (For many reasons, having a whiteboard in that part of the exhibition isn't a good idea.) We would likely then post selected responses by the exhibit panel.

What have been others' experiences? What are ups and downs of different text messaging services, in particular?

Thanks in advance!

------------------------------
David McKenzie
Associate Director for Interpretive Resources
Ford's Theatre Society
Washington DC
------------------------------

David,

In the past, museums like the Bullock Museum and the Minnesota Historical Society have used sticky notes to serve the same purpose. Answering questions like, "how did this exhibition make you feel?" or "what was the most memorable thing about the exhibit?" (The key is definitely to have open ended prompts).

I think utilizing Twitter is a fantastic idea! A Twitter hashtag is certainly easier and consumes less staff time than sifting through texts from a messaging service. Added bonus: you can engage with the community by replying to their tweets and build your social media following. (Their followers will see them post about the museum, they will want to go-- it also drives traffic to the exhibition).

Mackenzie Finklea
Website | LinkedIn


------------------------------
Mackenzie Finklea
Executive Assistant
The Bryan Museum
Galveston TX
------------------------------