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In examining the use of the CN Images of Canada Gallery, an on-line archival collection, this paper explores the practical application of analytical approaches that may be broadly applicable to on-line collections as a whole. Making use of common data sources, the case study creates a rounded picture of how a collection is actually used by visitors. The findings should be broadly usable as a basis of comparison with other collections and their use, as institutions prepare for the next iteration of their on-line offerings. For more information, please see the paper here: http://www.archimuse.com/mw2009/papers/dawson/dawson.html
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Collection effects
examining the actual use ofon-line archival images
Brian DawsonMarc Ladouceur
Marcia Rak
The CN Collection
• Documents the development of CN and of Canada as an emerging nation
• 750,000+ images• Dating back as early as the 1850s• Broad subject range• Web site launched May 10, 2000• Founding member of Images Canada
consortium• 7,305 images currently on line
Three 6400-class steam locomotives posed for a photo1936Subject: 4-8-4 (Locomotive) / 6400 (Locomotive) / Steam locomotivesCN000519
Women assembling aircraft partsSubject: Airplanes -- Design and construction / Women in war / World War, 1939-1945 -- Participation, FemaleCN001863
A fishing village between the cliffs and the seaFrançois, Newfoundland and Labrador, CanadaSubject: Mooring of ships / Cities and towns -- Canada / Landforms / Ships / Dwellings / OceanCN003678
A farmer inspects his crop of oatsLoon Lake/Loon River area, Saskatchewan, CanadaJuly 1951Photographer: Ken H. HandSubject: Oats / FarmersCN001746
Portrait of Blackfoot Chief High EagleCanadaca. 1926Subject: Blackfoot Indians / Indians -- Kings and rulers / Elders (Aboriginal peoples) / Indians of North America -- Alberta / Beadwork / Aboriginal artsCN000596
The Web site
The Web site
Web visits 2000-2008
What is really going on behind these numbers?
Key questions
• Who and why? (motivations)
• How? (use)
• So what? (outcomes / impacts)
Analytical framework
Situated identity and motivation (John Falk)
• Identity as a causative factor in behavior
• Situated identity as a transitory sense of self, appropriate for the current situation
• Different identities are expressed at different times, depending on need and situation
• People enact identities to fit the moment
Identity-based motivation in the museum
• Explorer: curiosity-driven, general interest in discovering more
• Facilitator: focused on someone else’s needs (e.g. children, family)
• Professional/hobbyist: possess strong knowledge; specific motivation
• Experience Seeker: following recommendations; fulfill expectations of others
• Spiritual Pilgrim: visit to reflect or contemplate; seek a spiritual or restorative experience
Falk (2006)
Motivations for online museum visits
• Planning a museum visit
• Casual browsing
• Self-motivated research
• Assigned research (e.g. school or job assignment)
Ellenbogen, Falk & Goldman (2008) / Goldman & Schaller (2004)
Motivation categorieswe are using
• Explorers• Facilitators• Professional• Hobbyists• Experience seekers• Spiritual pilgrims
• Planning a museum visit
• Casual browsing• Self-motivated
research• Assigned research
Other models
• Motivation theory: intrinsic vs. extrinsic
• Serendipity
• Genre / metaphor
• Visual culture
• Museum experiences(cognitive, introspective, object, social)
Sources of data
Sources of data
• Web log analysis (Web Trends)
• Google Analytics
• Google Webmaster Tools
• Photo requests
• Capturing search terms
• Web site survey
Who and Why
Who: visits by country
GA
CSTM Visits
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
1%
1%
1%
1%
1%
1%
2%
3%
15%
22%
46%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80%
United Arab Emirates
Italy
Thailand
China
Spain
Singapore
Germany
Tunisia
Ireland
Switzerland
Algeria
Morocco
Philippines
India
Australia
Belgium
United Kingdom
France
United States
Canada
CN Visits
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
1%
1%
1%
1%
2%
4%
16%
67%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80%
Norway
Ireland
Sweden
Morocco
Philippines
China
Italy
Switzerland
Brazil
Japan
Belgium
Netherlands
Australia
Germany
Spain
India
United Kingdom
France
United States
Canada
Who: visits within CanadaCSTM Visits
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
1%
1%
2%
2%
4%
5%
32%
53%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%
Nunavut
Northwest Territories
Yukon Territory
(not set)
Prince Edward Island
Newfoundland
Saskatchewan
Manitoba
Nova Scotia
New Brunswick
Alberta
British Columbia
Quebec
Ontario
GA
CN Visits
0%
0%
0%
0%
1%
1%
2%
2%
3%
5%
8%
10%
24%
45%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%
Nunavut
Yukon Territory
Northwest Territories
(not set)
Prince Edward Island
Saskatchewan
Newfoundland
New Brunswick
Manitoba
Nova Scotia
Alberta
British Columbia
Quebec
Ontario
Who: identity & motivation
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
Assigned Research
Self-Motivated Research
Casual Browsing
Visit planner
Spiritual Pilgrim
Exp.Seeker
Hobbyist
Professional
Facilitator
Explorer
Photo requests and survey; n=50
How
How: engagement
CN CSTM
Pages / Visit 15.67 2.87
Average Duration 4:18 1:50
GA
How: browsing vs. searching
Survey
How: advanced search
Survey
How: search strategies
Survey
How: search engine keywordscanada science and technology museum 43
museum of science and technology 31
science and technology museum 30
cn images of canada 22
canadian technology 17
musée des sciences et de la technologie du canada 16
mv ambrose shea 14
ojibwa 13
turcot roundhouse 13
history of technology in canada 12
canadian railway history 11
canada science and technology museum gallery 10
canadian technology history 10
cn ""science and technology"" 10
history of canadian technology 10
musée des sciences et technologies 10
mv bonavista 10
mv william carson 10
canadian museum of science and technology 9
musée des sciences et de la technologie 9
museum science and technology 8
science and tech museum 8
canada images 7
moose mountain mine 7
museum of science and tech 7
railways in canada 7
www.imagescn.technomuses 7
'1927 and canada' 6
canadian museum of science and technology archive cn collection 6
canadian science and technology 6
canadian science and technology museum 6
images of canada 6
m.v. marine nautica 6
scenic views 6
science & technology museum 6
canada science & technology museum 5
champlain and st. lawrence railroad 5
great western railway+ontario+locomotive 5
m.v. ambrose shea 5
m.v. william carson 5
How: searching on-siteMode Language Keyword Category Location Decade ImageNoadvanced EN Dock Industry Nova Scotiaadvanced EN Dock Nova Scotiasimple EN Railwayssimple EN Natural Resourcessimple EN Turbo Train Under Testingsimple EN CN002380advanced EN CN002380advanced EN CN002380advanced EN cn005678simple FR Railwayssimple EN Communication & Computersadvanced EN cn00906advanced EN cn000906simple EN chathamsimple EN marysvillesimple EN hockeysimple EN hockey night in canadasimple EN radio hockeysimple EN radiosimple EN radiosimple EN radiosimple EN radiosimple EN radiosimple EN radiosimple EN S.S Samson Marine Services
Categorizing search termsCategory Definition Examples
Ambiguous Nonsense, garbled, cannot determine
Catalogue No The number assigned by CSTM when cataloguing the image
CN005007
Company Names of companies, often manufacturers or operating companies
Canadian National, Kodak, CBC
Date Dates or periods of time, including events that definitively mark a given period
1930’s, 50’s, 1939, Pioneer days, The Great Depression, World War Two
Media The type of resource being sought photo, drawing, painting, video, jpg, tiff, image, essay
Museum Name Variations on “Canada Science and Technology Museum”
National Science and Technology Museum, Canadian Museum of Science and Technology
Object Tangible things, articles that could be museum collection artifacts (may be a proper name)
locomotive, canoe, streetcars, MV Bluenose
People A person, a people, a nation, a race, demographic categories, profession
women, youth, Ojibwa, Canadian, firefighters, Churchill, Bing Crosby
Place City, province, landmark, fort, park, or proper name of a geographic feature
Calgary, Fort Garry, St. Lawrence River
Question / info A search string that was phrased as a question or expression of specific information sought
list of trains at the science and tech museum, article on the technological development in Canada in the 1850s
Subject Curatorial area, activities, phenomenon, geographic features, materials, events, etc.
industry, agriculture, fishing, lightning, mountain, steel, The Great Depression, World War Two
Web site name Variations on "CN Images of Canada Gallery" CN Gallery, CN Image Gallery, imagescn
Types of searches
Off-site searches On-site searches
Place
Interest in user contributed content
Impacts
Impact: Facilitators
“My husband and I are from the MS Gulf Coast and work with youth in our city. We are hosting a retreat in a few months and have been looking for images to utilize as illustrations in our teaching. I ran across this picture in the gallery and it really caught my attention.”
Farmer sowing seedsPrince Albert, Saskatchewan, Canadaca. 1920CN003942
Impact: Explorers“Found good pictures and history. Discovered that there is a lot on line that I must make time to explore."
View of a Cape Breton fishing fleetGlace Bay, Nova Scotia, Canada1926Subject: Fishers / Fishing boatsCN000602
Impact: Professionals
University of Toronto, buildingToronto, Ontario, CanadaSubject: University of Toronto (Toronto, Ont.) / Toronto (Ont.) / Trees / College buildingsCN005890
“Our intent is to frame them and hang them
inside a Starbucks that I am renovating on
College Street. We are trying to incorporate
more locally relevant art into our stores. I think
these prints would look fantastic.“
Impact: Hobbyists“I am interested in learning more about photo number CN002614 in your CN Collection on your website. I was wondering if you had any information regarding the actual train in the photo... Any information would be greatly appreciated, as I am attempting to build a prototypical CNR passenger train for my model railroad.”
A Canadian National Railways passenger train crosses the Cove Bridge
London, Ontario, CanadaSubject: Canadian National Railways / Steam locomotives / Railroad bridges /
Railroads -- Passenger-cars / Coal / London (Ont.)
CN002614
Impact: Spiritual Pilgrims
“My grandfather was a CNSS Capt of Canadian Cruiser in 1937, the ships Official Number: 150463 This ship was Sunk by German pocket battleship Admiral Scheer 21 Feb 1941 06-36S 47-18E Indian Ocean All of the 36 crew were taken prisoner. One man later escaped from the POW camp to Spain.The date your photo was taken says 1947, but ship was sunk 1941.Any info on this would be appreciated.”
Cargo ship MV Canadian Cruiser unloading molasses
Montréal, Québec, Canada1947
Subject: Cargo ships / Molasses / Canadian National Steamship
Company, LimitedCN001563
What next?
Online collection experiencesObject experiences
Outside the visitor;The “real thing”
e.g. Object aesthetics; Functional needs
Cognitive experiences
Gaining information;Interpretive/intellectual
e.g. Information resource;Learning resource
Introspective experiences
Imagining, reflecting, connecting;
Inward, private feelings
e.g. Personal memories;
Spiritual Pilgrims
Social experiences
Interaction is most satisfying
e.g. Sharing an object;
Stories of an object;
“Social Objects”
Thank You
Brian Dawson
bdawson@technomuses.ca
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