A presentation from Museums and the Web 2009 http://www.archimuse.com/mw2009/ Abstract: The Gemeentemuseum in The Hague is a museum for contemporary art and the applied arts. “Down To Earth” presents a case study of the museum’s recent project, a five-month survey, in which various staff members were interviewed about their knowledge, level of participation, attitude and opinion regarding new social media and community centered projects. Those interviewed included directors; curators; some collections workers, including restorers; some of those involved in documentation, in education, in exhibitions, in ICT; some marketing staff and some in public relations. The data collected was used to identify five different user types: lecturers; educators; presenters; interactors and connectors. On the basis of these types, a viable and differentiated approach to social media could be planned and put into practice. Central to this approach is a focus on the development of sustainable solutions that fit the museum and its staff. The paper shows how a rather traditional, conservative museum can create its own strategies for dealing with new media in this way.

1. Down to Earth
Social Media and Institutional Change
Vincent de Keijzer
Gemeentemuseum, The Hague
Patricia Deiser
Museum voor Communicatie, The Hague
The Netherlands

11. • ideas, proposals, projects, experiments,…

12. Social Mapping &
User Profiles

13. There is nothing more difficult to plan, more doubtful of
success, nor more dangerous to manage than the
creation of a new order of things ....
(Niccolò Machiavelli, The Prince)

14. The Survey
• Relation to new media and community projects
• „Connectedness“: participation, attitudes, opinions
• Cooperativeness
• Ideas, fears, expectations
• „Hot“ issues for discussion
• Introduce platform concept
• Future implementation strategies

15. The Interviews
• One Hour Talks with 18 members of gM staff
• 50% women, 50% men, aged mid 20 to 60
• Departements: Curatorial, Collection, Direction,
Documentation, Education, Exhibitions, ICT, Marketing,
PR, Restauration
• Semi-structured interviews
• Questionnaire, Presentation, Self research

16. • Lecturers „Personally I’m not interested”

17. • Lecturers „Personally I’m not interested”
• Educators „Why not….”

18. • Lecturers „Personally I’m not interested”
• Educators „Why not….”
• Presentors „The bigger my public - the better!”

19. • Lecturers „Personally I’m not interested”
• Educators „Why not….”
• Presentors „The bigger my public - the better!”
• Interactors „It’s all about peoples involvement”
•

20. • Lecturers „Personally I’m not interested”
• Educators „Why not….”
• Presentors „The bigger my public - the better!”
• Interactors „It’s all about peoples involvement”
• Connectors „Let‘s open up, share, discuss!”

21. gM Staff Mapping
Communication Style &
Community Orientation
Two- way focused
Lecturers
Educators
Presentors
Interactors
Connectors
One way focused
New Media Technology
Knowledge & Use
Distant attitude, Positive attitude,
basic involvement advanced involvement

22. • Day to day practise gM
• Develop „gemeen“ from inside to outside
• Adress common barriers – be transparent
• Let staff members inform each other
• Introduce „Communities of Practice“
• Make „gemeen“ part of a total gM web concept

25. Street corner / Mark Boyle, 1969
182,5 x 182,5 x 11, 5 cm
Collection : Gemeentemuseum Den Haag
0330612