Horizon Report > 2013 Museum EditionNMC

The internationally recognized NMC Horizon Report series of global analyses and the regionally-focused NMC Technology Outlook series are part of the NMC Horizon Project, a research effort established in 2002 that identifies and describes emerging technologies likely to have a large impact over the five years following the publication of each edition in formal and informal education around the globe. The NMC Horizon Report: 2013 Museum Edition, examines emerging technologies for their potential impact on and use in education and interpretation within the museum environment.

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Executive Summary 3

Key Trends 7

Significant Challenges 9

Time-to-Adoption Horizon: One Year or Less> BYOD 11> Crowdsourcing 15

Time-to-Adoption Horizon: Two to Three Years > Electronic Publishing 19> Location-Based Services 23

Time-to-Adoption Horizon: Four to Five Years> Natural User Interfaces 27> Preservation and Conservation Technologies 31

The NMC Horizon Project 36

Methodology 38

The NMC Horizon Project: 2013 Museum Edition Advisory Board 40

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Johnson, L., Adams Becker, S., Freeman, A., (2013). The NMC Horizon

Report: 2013 Museum Edition.Austin,Texas:TheNewMediaConsortium.

Cover Photograph

Photo by Visit El Paso:“El Paso Exploreum Museum.” www.flickr.com/

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InsideFront and Back Cover Photograph

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The NMC Horizon Report: 2013 Museum Edition is a publication of the New MediaConsortiumandtheMarcusInstituteforDigitalEducationintheArts.

heinternationallyrecognizedNMCHorizon Report series of global analyses and the regionally-focusedNMC Technology Outlookseries arepartof the NMC Horizon Project, a research effortestablishedin2002thatidentifiesanddescribes

emergingtechnologieslikelytohavealargeimpactoverthefiveyearsfollowingthepublicationofeacheditioninformalandinformaleducationaroundtheglobe.Thisvolume,theNMC Horizon Report: 2013 Museum Edition,examines emerging technologies for their potentialimpactonanduseineducationandinterpretationwithinthemuseumenvironment.Thehopeisthatthereportisusefultomuseumsworldwide,andtheinternationalcompositionoftheadvisoryboardreflectsthecarewithwhichaglobalperspectivewasassembled.Whilethereare many localized factors affecting the adoption anduse of emerging technologies in museums, there arealso issues that transcend regional boundaries, andthisreportwascreatedwiththesechallengesinmind.The NMC Horizon Report: 2013 Museum Edition is thefourth inanannual seriesofmuseum-focused reportsco-producedby the NMC and the Marcus Institute forDigitalEducationintheArts(MIDEA).

Each of the three global editions of the NMC Horizon Report — higher education, primary and secondaryeducation(K-12),andmuseumeducation—highlightssixemergingtechnologiesorpracticesthatarelikelytoenter mainstream use within their focus sectors overthenextfiveyears.Keytrendsandchallengesthatwillaffectcurrentpracticeoverthesameperiodframethesediscussions.

The six technologies featured in the NMC Horizon Report: 2013 Museum Edition are placed along threeadoption horizons that indicate likely timeframesfor their entrance into mainstream use for museumeducation and interpretation. The near-term horizon

assumes the likelihood of entry into the mainstreamformuseumswithinthenext12months;themid-termhorizon, within two to three years; and the far-term,withinfourtofiveyears.ItshouldbenotedattheoutsetthattheNMCHorizon Report isnotapredictivetool. Itis meant, rather, to highlight emerging technologieswith considerable potential for our focus areas ofeducationandinterpretation.Eachofthesixisalreadythetargetofworkatanumberofinnovativemuseumsand organizations around the world, and the projectsandexhibitsweshowcasehererevealthepromiseofawiderimpact.

Near-term HorizonOn the near-term horizon — that is, within the next12 months — are two rapidly unfolding topics: BYOD and crowdsourcing. Both encompass ways for visitorsto engage with museums on a deeper level, whetherpersonalizing their devices with museum content orsharing ideas and observations that could becomepart of an exhibit. BYOD has largely arisen from staffneeds, as museum employees increasingly want toworkwiththeirownlaptops,whichalreadycontaintheproductivity tools they prefer. Crowdsourcing is not anew concept, but when integrated with social mediaand crowdfunding websites it is allowing patrons toplayamoreactiveroleinthedevelopmentofexhibits,catalogs,anddatabases.

> BYOD or“BringYour Own Device” is a practice thathas emerged as a result of the increasing numberof people who take their laptops and other deviceswith them everywhere they go for maximumproductivity. The BYOD movement is an effort byinstitutions to move away from a top-down systemof providing technology to facilitate productivity,and instead simply provide the networks andcontextual frameworks to coordinate the use of

ExecutiveSummary

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personal computing devices. As more people relyon smartphones to navigate in their daily lives,the potential for museums to engage and reachvisitorsviatheirdevicesisvast.Manymuseumsoffermobile apps for wayfinding, sharing, and curatingpurposes, taking the pressure off of institutionsto purchase devices in bulk to lend to patrons.The workflow within cultural institutions has beensimilarly disrupted by BYOD as museum personnelareconductingtheirday-to-dayworkwiththeirownpersonalcomputers.Inatimewhenmostsoftwareisweb-based and technology is ubiquitous, the trendtowardBYODisstrongerthanever,andbestpracticesfor museums are emergent as pioneers set policiesandprecedence.

> Crowdsourcing refers to a set of methods thatleverage the ideas and work of a community ofindividuals around a common goal. Wikipediais perhaps the most recognizable example ofcrowdsourcingas itreliesontheworkofthousandsofvolunteerswhoallsharethetaskofcompilingandediting historical and contemporary research in anopen platform. Many museums use crowdsourcingtopromotecommunityengagementthroughsocialmedia, prompting visitors to submit observationsandmediatoaddaninteractivedimensiontoeventsand exhibits. One of the most promising aspects ofcrowdsourcing has been its ability to reach largenumbersofindividualswhoeachcontributeasmallamount of money to fund a small- or large-scaleproject.In2012,moneyraisedforart-relatedprojectsthroughthecrowdfundingsiteKickstartersurpassedthatoftheNationalEndowmentfortheArtsforthefirst time. Beyond fundraising, cultural institutionsare also crowdsourcing metadata for artworks andartifactsthathaveyettobedescribed,includingtheadditionofalt-texttoservethevisuallyimpaired.

Mid-term HorizonInthesecondadoptionhorizon,twotothreeyearsout,twotechnologiesareexpectedtopassthe20%adoptionpoint that marks entry into mainstream practice inthe Horizon Project framework: these are electronic publishing and location-based services. Electronicpublishing is transforming content workflows at

museumsacrosstheworld,asthereismorepressuretosharecatalogs,apps,andotherpublicationformatsthatcontain rich media and interactive features. Location-based services help visitors navigate the museumspace,oftenbasedonpersonalpreferences.Thistopicis poised for rapid growth with major companies,including Apple and Google, purchasing startups thatspecializeinlocationalintelligenceandindoorGPS.

> Electronic publishing is creating a sea change inhow people consume media, research, news, andnarratives.MajormediacompanieslikeThe New York Times and Newsweek are setting the standard forwhat electronic publishing can accomplish. Rich indigitalmediaassetssuchasvideo,images,andaudio,thesedigitalbuildingblockscanbeeasilydeployedin a variety of media formats aimed at discreteaudiences—anotionthathashugeimplicationsforexpandingthereachofamuseum’scontent.Culturalinstitutionsgenerallystillhavemuchtodotomakethe conversion to electronic publishing workflows,including adopting design processes that leveragedigital media for multiple dissemination channels.The Getty’s Online Scholarly Catalogue Initiativehas brought online publishing to the forefront formuseums by providing them with the tools andframework they need to modernize their mediaproduction.Thenextstepistogeneratesustainablesystems for the management and re-purposingof digital assets, as well as designing content to fitvariousmobileplatforms.

> Location-based services are already so integratedinto people’s daily lives that few think twice beforeallowing mobile apps on their devices to tracktheir location. Enabled by WiFi access points, GPS,enhanced RFID tags, and crowdsourced positioningtechnologies like Waze, location-based services arenow able to resolve location very precisely, evenindoors, and deliver up-to-the-moment informationthatisrelatedtothatparticularspot.Thesocialmediacheck-in app FourSquare, now several years old,has become one of the most successful examplesof how this technology can be adopted seamlesslyinto an individual’s life, rewarding users for taggingand sharing their location. For museums, location-

NMC Horizon Report: 2013 Museum Edition4

based apps and other technologies can knowinglyguide visitors through a space, directing them toexhibits thatmatchtheirpreferences,orsuggestingroutes with accompanying digital displays andfeatures to interact with. Museum professionalsand programmers are discovering that location-basedservices inthemuseumspacecanstreamlinea visitor’s cultural experience in memorable andmeaningfulways.

Far-term HorizonOnthe far-termhorizon,setat four tofiveyearsawayfromentryintothemainstreamofpractice,arenatural user interfaces and preservation and conservation technologies. Exhibits that make use of natural userinterfaces that react to touch, movement, voice, andfacial expression are going to be more intuitive formuseum patrons, providing them ways to interactwith artworks and installations. For years, museumprofessionals have been exploring ways to protectandrepairbothphysicalanddigitalobjectsthatareinperil of becoming obsolete, due to rapidly changingtechnologies. Establishing workflows for developingandarchivingmetadata,inadditiontodocumentingtheartist’soriginalintent,willbekeyfortheadvancementof preservation and conservation. These technologiesareseveralyearsawayfrommainstreamuse,butalreadyitisclearthattheirimpactwillbesignificant.Thehighlevel of interest and investment in both areas areindicatorsthattheyareworthfollowingclosely.

> Natural user interfaces (NUIs) are closing the gapbetween humans and computers as new platformsemerge that incorporate touch, voice, and othergestures. Smartphone and tablet users are mostfamiliarwiththeeaseofanaturaluserinterface,buttechnologies beyond the touchscreen are rapidlyadvancing to make human-computer interactionevenmoreintuitive.Itisnotuncommonforpeopletousevirtualassistantsontheirsmartphonestorequestand receive information, send texts and email, oruselocationdata,ratherthanviatouchscreen.Thesetechnologies are compelling museums to rethinkthe way visitors engage with art and objects, andtherearea fairshareofmuseumsthathavealreadyincorporated tablets and multi-touch displays that

reinvent exhibits and allow visitors to become apart of installations. Microsoft Kinect, a gesture-basedtechnologythatusesmotionsensors,isbeingused more frequently, inviting visitors to interactwithdigital renditionsofdelicateobjects.The latestdevelopment in NUIs is the integration of texture

intootherwisenormaltouchscreensthatallowsusersto sense a wide range of tactile stimuli. Ultimately,naturaluserinterfacesoffermuseumsopportunitiesto leverage emerging technologies to more deeplyengagevisitorsintheartworksandartifacts.

> Preservation and conservation technologies areoftenusedinterchangeablyinconversation,buttheyaredistinct in theirpurposes.Whilepreservationistsprotectartifactsfromobsolescencebysafeguardingtheirintentionandmedium,conservatorsrepairandrestoreobjects thataresubject to thetrialsof time.Digital archives were among the first technologicalsolutionsimplementedbypreservationists,andhavesince generated a new standard of professionalsthat specialize in archival theory with technicalexpertise in developing tools to manage metadata.In addition to digitizing delicate artifacts, thosecharged with maintaining cultural heritage face ahostofconsiderationswhenitcomestotime-based

5ExecutiveSummary

Each of the three global editions of the NMC Horizon Report — higher education, primary and secondary education (K-12), and museum education — highlights six emerging technologies or practices that are likely to enter mainstream use within their focus sectors over the next five years.

media works that were originally executed usinga technology that has become obsolete. The mainchallenge of a modern preservationist is to presentcontentinworkablewaysthatstaytruetotheartist’sintent.Astechnologiestofacilitatethepreservationand conservation of digital and physical objectsbecomemoresophisticated,institutionssuchastheLibrary of Congress are setting the standard in themostinnovativemethodsofupholdingtheintegrityofculturalobjects.

To create the report, an international body of expertsin museums, education, technology, and other fieldswasconvenedasanadvisoryboard.OverthecourseofAugustthroughSeptemberof2013,the2013Horizon.MuseumadvisoryboardcametoaconsensusaboutthetopicsthatappearhereintheNMC Horizon Report:2013 Museum Edition.Theexamplesandreadingsundereachtopicareaaremeanttoprovidepracticalmodelsaswellasaccesstomoredetailedinformation.

Six technologies are described in detail in the mainbody of the report, where a discussion of what eachtechnology is and why it is relevant to museumeducation and interpretation can also be found. Ourresearch indicates that all six of these technologieshave clear applications in museum learning andinterpretation,andthisreportaimstodocumentthatinasimpleandcompellingfashion.

The group engaged in discussions around a set ofresearch questions intended to surface significanttrends and challenges and to identify a wide array ofpotential technologies for the report. This dialog wasenriched by an extensive range of resources, currentresearch, and practices that drew on the expertise ofboth the NMC community and the communities ofthemembersoftheadvisoryboard.Theseinteractionsamong the advisory board are the focus of the NMC Horizon Report: 2013 Museum Editionresearch,andthisreportdetailstheareasinwhichtheseexpertswereinstrong agreement. The precise research methodologyemployedisdetailedintheclosingsectionofthisreport.

Theadvisoryboardof44technologyexpertsspannedsixcountriesthisyear,andtheirnamesarelistedatthe

endofthisreport.Despitetheirdiversityofbackgroundsandexperience,theyshareaconsensusviewthateachoftheprofiledtopicsisgoingtohaveasignificantimpacton museum education and interpretation around theglobe over the next five years.The key trends drivinginterestintheiradoption,andthechallengesmuseumswillneedtoaddressiftheyaretoreachtheirpotential,alsorepresenttheirperspective,andarethefocusofthenextsectionsoftheNMC Horizon Report: 2013 Museum Edition.

Tofacilitatecomparison,thereport’sformatisconsistentfromyeartoyearandeditiontoedition,andopenswithadiscussionofthetrendsandchallengesidentifiedbytheadvisoryboardasmostimportantforthenextfiveyears. The format of the main section of this editionclosely reflects the focus of the NMC Horizon Projectitself, centering on the applications of emergingtechnologies—inthiscaseformuseums.Eachsectionis introduced with an overview that describes whatthe topic is, followed by a discussion of the particularrelevance of the topic to museum education andinterpretation. Several concrete examples of how thetechnologyisbeingusedaregiven.

Finally, each section closes with an annotated listof suggested readings and additional examplesthat expand on the discussion in the report. Theseresources,alongwithawidecollectionofotherhelpfulprojectsandreadings,canallbefoundintheproject’sopen content database that is accessible via the NMCHorizon EdTech Weekly App for iOS (go.nmc.org/ios)and Android (go.nmc.org/android) devices. All thebackground materials for the NMC Horizon Report: 2013 Museum Edition, including the research data,the preliminary selections, the topic preview, and thispublication, can be downloaded for free on iTunes U(go.nmc.org/itunes-u).

NMC Horizon Report: 2013 Museum Edition6

he technologies featured in each edition of theNMC Horizon Report are embedded within acontemporary context that reflects the realitiesof the time, both in the sphere of museumeducation and in the world at large. To assure

this context was well understood, the advisory boardengaged in an extensive review of current articles,interviews,papers,andtimelyresearchto identifyandranktrendsthatwerecurrentlyaffectingthepracticeofmuseum education and interpretation. Once detailed,the list of trends was then ranked according to howsignificanteachwaslikelytobeformuseumsinthenextfive years. The highest ranked trends had significantagreement among the advisory board members,who considered them to be key drivers of museumtechnology adoptions for the period 2013 through2018. They are listed here in the order in which theadvisoryboardrankedthem.

1 Cross-institution collaboration is growing as an important way to share resources. Museums are

increasinglyawareofthewaysinwhichcontent,includingbutnotlimitedtounmediatedcollectionsdata,maybeseenandusedinthebroadernetworkedenvironment.The days of large-scale, multi-year, foundation-fundedcollaborative projects are probably on the wane.Increasingly, multi-institutional collaboration will occurat the data level with institutions being collaborativepartners only in a passive sense, and the real work ofpullingmultipleresourcestogetherbeingaccomplisheddownstream,possiblybythird-partyorganizations.

2 Collection-related rich media are becoming increasingly valuable assets in digital

interpretation. Museums are beginning to see thevalueindevelopingformalstrategiesforcapturinghigh-quality media documentation at every opportunity.Curators and content specialists are working more

closely than ever with educators and technologiststo embrace opportunities provided by using digitalresourcestoenhancemultimodallearningbothonlineand in the galleries. Video, audio, and animations areno longer seen as afterthoughts in interpretationbut increasingly as necessary components of aninterpretive plan. This trend is beneficial to museumprofessionalsandvisitorsalikeasitencouragesadeeperunderstandingofobjects,ideas,andaudiences.

3 Digitization and cataloguing projects continue to require a significant share of museum

resources. Museumsaredistinguishedbythecontentthey keep and interpret. There is an increasingunderstanding among museum professionals thatvisitors expect to be able to readily access accurateand interesting information and high-quality media.This requires museums to plan strategically for thedigitization and cataloging of collections. Theseprojectsfrequentlyrequiresacrificesintermsofscarceresources (money, personnel, and time) in order tomeetlong-termgoals.

4 Expectations for civic and social engagement are profoundly changing museums’ scope,

reach, and relationships. More and more, museumsareintegratingemergingtechnologiesandapproachessuchassocialmedia,opencontent,andcrowdsourcingas a means of engaging their communities bothinternallyandexternallyonadeeper level.Embracingthese innovations means that museums are providingpatronswithmoreimmersiveopportunitiestobecomepartofthecontent.Increasingly,peoplewhoareunabletomakeaphysicaltriptoamuseumareabletoaccessitscollectionsandrespondandcontributemeaningfullyto conversations about what may be happening inthe physical space, redefining what it means to be amuseumpatron.

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5 Increasingly, visitors and staff expect a seamless experience across devices. Whether viewing

objects in gallery spaces, ordering tickets, interactingwiththeonlinestore,orsimplybrowsingthemuseum’swebsite, visitors expect museums to provide a widerange of digital resources and content, and wantthe experience of interacting with that content tobe consistent across their devices. Virtual visitors inparticular expect to be able to perform typical tasks

online quickly and easily irrespective of the devicetheymayhaveathand.This istrueevenforvisitors inthe physical space, where it is common to see peopleinteracting with their smartphones as they decidewhichpartofthegallerytovisitnext.

6 More and more, people expect to be able to work, learn, study, and connect with their social

networks wherever and whenever they want. Weare not tied to desks anymore when we wish to usecomputers. Workers increasingly expect to be able toworkfromhomeorfromtheroad,andmosteveryoneexpects to be able to get information, addresses,directions, reviews, and answers whenever they want.This is a key trend for both museum professionalsand museum visitors. Mobile access to informationis changing the way we plan everything from outingsto errands. A corollary of this trend is the expectationthatpeoplewillbeavailableandonline,anywhereandanytime.

7 The need for data literacy is increasing in all museum-related fields. Ninety percent of the

world’sdatahasbeencreatedinthelasttwoyears,and,throughtheexponentialgrowthofhardware,software,andnetworking,everydayweadd2.5quintillionbytes.Important societal decisions in the near future will be

informedbybigdata,and for individuals,as informedcitizens, to fully engage in these conversations theabilitytoreadandinterpretlargedatasetswillbecomeincreasingly necessary. Additionally, one in fiveAmericansdoesnotusetheInternetbecauseofalackof knowledge, lack of affordable access to computersandtheInternet,orbecausetheydonotunderstanditsinherentvalue.Theseindividualsareatriskofbeingleftbehind the digital divide, and libraries and museumshavetheopportunitytoreachouttothesecommunitiestoensurepeoplegainthedigital literacyskillsneededtosucceedinthe21stcentury.

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Museums are beginning to see the value in developing formal strategies for capturing high-quality media documentation at every opportunity.

nydiscussionoftechnologyadoptionmustalsoconsiderimportantconstraintsandchallenges,and the advisory board drew deeply froma careful analysis of current events, papers,articles, and similar sources, as well as from

personalexperience,indetailingalonglistofchallengesmuseumsfaceinadoptinganynewtechnology.Severalimportant challenges are detailed below, but it wasclear that behind them all was a pervasive sense thatconstraints existing within museums themselves arelikely the most important factors in any decision toadopt—ornottoadopt—agiventechnology.

Even institutions that are eager to adopt newtechnologies may be critically constrained by thelack of necessary human resources and the financialwherewithal to realize their ideas. Still others arelocatedwithinbuildingsthatsimplywerenotdesignedto provide the radio frequency transparency thatwirelesstechnologiesrequire,andthusfindthemselvesshut out of many potential technology options.Whileacknowledging that local barriers to technologyadoptions are varied and meaningful, the advisoryboard focused its discussions on challenges that arecommontomuseumsandthemuseumcommunityasawhole.Thehighestrankedchallengestheyidentifiedarelistedhere,intheorderinwhichtheadvisoryboardrankedthem.

1 Greater understanding is needed of the relationships, differences, and synergies between

technology intended to be used within the museum and public-facing technology such as websites, social media, and mobile apps. Too few in museumadministration see the opportunities that virtualmuseum visitors might be bringing for fundraising,philanthropy, and specialized marketing. Thedichotomy between the physical and virtual museum

visitorisblurringrapidly,andbothaudienceshavehighexpectations with regard to online access to servicesand information. Still, the notion that museums mustprovidecomprehensiveinformationandservicesonlineisagenuinechallenge,especiallyforsmallermuseums.Forlargerinstitutions,however,providingsuchserviceshasrisentoanexpectationfromthevisitingpublic.

2 Museums of all sizes are struggling to adapt to how technology is redefining staff roles and

organizational structures. The pervasiveness oftechnology in almost all aspects of the museum hashad a dramatic effect on the importance of digitaldepartments;theynowneedtoworkbothhorizontally(coordinating and interacting with many otherdepartments) and vertically (needing leadership andstrategic oversight). Furthermore, as the digital realmincreasingly touches all aspects of the museum fromeducation and marketing to research and curating,theseactivitiesstarttoblurandmergeintoeachother.Navigating this shift requires new skills both in thedigitalteamandacrossthewholeorganization.AttheTate, for example, they are starting a comprehensiveorganizational change project centered on themuseum’sdigitalstrategy.

3 A comprehensive digital strategy has become a critically important part of planning for long-

term institutional sustainability. Such a strategyshould include not only traditional elements of atechnology plan (e.g., hardware, software, networks,etc.) but also e-forms of marketing, philanthropy,and revenue generation, as well as critical tasks likedigitization, digital preservation, and long termtechnology infrastructure. This plan should “future-proof”themuseumtoeveryextentpossible,byensuringthat they have accounted for all infrastructure needs.Additionally, it is clear that a museum cannot simply

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SignificantChallenges

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planawebpresenceasitmightabrochureorcatalog—amuseum’sdigitalpresencetodayincludesnotonlya website, but also a social media presence, mobiletools and apps, interaction with online communities,electronic fundraising, online sales, and much more.Allmustbeaddressed,aswilltheskillsetsthatwillberequired.

4 In many cases, museums may not have the necessary technical infrastructure in place to

realize their vision for digital learning. IntheUnitedStates alone there are around 17,000 institutions thatself-identify as museums; many of these institutionshavefewstaffandfewerresources.Whileitispracticallyimpossiblenottorecognizethevalueofdigitallearningin today’s connected world, the reality for museumsis that the vast majority of institutions do not havethe necessary technical infrastructure to successfully

pursue goals for digital learning, and often have littletimetodedicatetoarticulating,muchlessrealizingtheirvision. Museums that do have resources may have tochooseto reallocate funds fromnon-digitaleducationefforts in order to implement the necessary technicalinfrastructure.

5 As our disabled population increases as a percentage of overall population, and as a

percentage of our active, engaged, museum-attending population, accessibility cannot be an afterthought. With more than 50 million Americanswithdisabilities,museumsneedtocontinuetoimprovetheaccessibilityoffacilities,exhibitions,andprograms

for this important population. In order to reach thisaudience,museumsareinvestingmorethoughtintotheway educational programs and didactic materials arepresented.Technologycanaidinincreasingaccessibilityby breaking down barriers. Haptic technology, forexample,enablesblindandpartiallysightedindividualstotouchvirtual3Dobjects.Additionally,museumscanbridgethisdividebycreatingspecialcontentforvisitorswith disabilities who are already bringing advancedtechnologyalongwiththem.

6 Museums are not doing a sufficient job of creating a sustainable environment to manage

and deploy collection information and digital assets. The proliferation of destinations and platforms forcollectioninformationisbecomingincreasinglydifficulttosupportandsustain.Collectiondataanddigitalassetsincludingtext,web,audio,video,andimagefilesexistinmultipleandlargelyunconnectedlocations,presentingoften conflicting information. A comprehensive andsustainabledigitalassetmanagementstrategyismoreimportant than ever to address the need to create,manage,discover,anddeliverdigitalmaterialeffectivelyandproductively.These trends and challenges are a reflection of theimpact of technology in almost every aspect of ourlives,andacrossthemuseumsector.Theyareindicativeof the changing nature of the way we communicate,accessinformation,connectwithpeersandcolleagues,learn,andevensocialize.

Taken together in the context of the NMC HorizonProject research, they provided the advisory board aframethroughwhichtoconsiderthepotentialimpactsof nearly 50 emerging technologies and relatedpracticesthatwereanalyzedanddiscussedforpotentialinclusioninthiseditionoftheNMC Horizon Report.Sixofthosewerechosenaskey;theyaredetailedinthemainbodyofthereport.

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A comprehensive and sustainable digital asset management strategy is more important than ever to address the need to create, manage, discover, and deliver digital material effectively and productively.

space, opening them up to the limitless productivitypossibilities that exist across the Internet and its vastarrayofdownloadableapps.

This notion of BYOD originated with Intel when theylaunchedapersonaldeviceprogramin2010.Today,theinitiative supports around 25,000 of their personnel’ssmartphones, which they report has added nearly anhour more of productivity for employees each day, inaddition to boosting morale. Intel has led the moveaway from institutional decisions and ownership oftechnologytowardsindividualchoice.Whenappliedtomuseumstaff,BYODpoliciesfostergreaterfreedomandflexibilityintheworkenvironmentandofteneliminateunsecureddevices.Anincreasingnumberofpersonnelareoptingtobringtheirownlaptopstothemuseum,whichenablesthemtomoreseamlesslycompletetasks,evenwhentheyareoutsideofthebuilding.

The convenience of BYOD for museum staff has alsoprompted a shift in how the visitor experience isconceived.Whiletraditionallymuseumshaveprovidedpatrons with devices to accompany audio tours, theyarenowencouragingtheuseofpersonalsmartphonesandtabletsinthespace.Thisshiftislargelyduetotheproliferation of mobile apps — perhaps the fastestgrowingdimensionof themobilespace.Appsarekeydrivers of device personalization as users can choosefromanarrayofeducationalandproductivityresourcesthatspeakmosttotheirworkandinterests.

ArecentreportfromGartnerpredictedthat102billionappswouldbedownloadedin2013—ornearly15appspereachhumanbeingonEarth.AsofOctober2013,theregularlyupdatedonlineappcounter148Appsrevealsthat there are more than 86,000 active educationalapps in the iTunes store alone, making educationthe second most popular category, behind games.

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he term BYOD, which stands for “Bring Your Own Device,” refers to the practice of people bringing their own laptops, tablets, smartphones, or other mobile devices with them to the learning environment. Intel coined the term in 2009,

when the company observed that an increasing number of its employees were using their own devices and connecting them to the corporate network. Since then, this type of activity has become commonplace in workplaces all over the globe. The BYOD movement in museums is being driven by a major challenge that many institutions face — a lack of funds and infrastructure to support providing a device to every staff member or volunteer, much less patrons. BYOD leverages the devices that people already have. In early studies, the act of an individual using his or her own device has proven to increase productivity and engagement. With their ever-growing capabilities, tablets (which now include an expanding set of choices, such as the iPad, Galaxy, Nexus, and Surface) are well positioned for BYOD environments.

Overview Formuseumsandothereducationinstitutions,BYODislessaboutthedevicesandmoreaboutthepersonalizedcontent that users have loaded onto them. Rarely dotwodevicesshareexactlythesamecontentorsettings,and BYOD enables individuals to leverage the toolsthat make them most efficient and productive.Today,separatingauserfromtheirtoolsandappshasbecomelikeseparatingthemfromsomeoftheirmostpreciousbelongings. Devices have become the gateways topersonal working and learning environments thatare rich with interactive features that facilitate theexploration of new subjects and connect people witheach other wherever they go. In this sense, the workenvironment has transcended the concept of staffbeing tethered to a desk and confined to a physical

BYODTime-to-Adoption Horizon: One Year or Less

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Most museums, especially the large ones, are takingadvantageofthistractionandhavecreatedtheirownappstoenhancetheBYODvisitorexperiencewithaudiotoursandsupplementalmaterials,whilealsoextendingthe learning activities and interactions outside of thephysicalspace.

Relevance for Museum Education and Interpretation The proliferation of mobile devices, coupled with thegrowingnumberofmobileapps,hashadatremendouseffectonmuseums’mobilestrategies,whetherthroughthe creation of mobile websites and apps, providingfree WiFi access, or supplementing guided tours onmuseum owned devices with content for visitors’devices. This movement is notable because it shiftsmuseumresourcesfromthemaintainingandsupplyingoftechnologytothecontentanddeliveryofhighqualitymultimediaexperiences.Whilenotentirelysupplantingthetraditionalmuseum-providedmobiledevice,thisisanareawithagreatdealofactivitywithinmuseums.

While museum visitors expect to seamlessly connectto the Internet whenever and wherever they want, ithas been museum staff who have been the primarymotivators for museums to provide free WiFi access— the key to making BYOD work. Museums areincreasingly working with contract and transient staffwhoneedtoprovidetheirowndevicestoconducttheirwork,andinthecasewheremuseumsdoofferdevices,often the quality of the device an employee owns issuperior to what otherwise might be available. Thereisalsoadesire formanystaffmemberstowork inthegalleryspace,makinganopenlyaccessibleWiFisignalof critical importance. Visitors can also easily connectto the web to access their social networks, conductresearchoutsideofthemuseum,andusemobileappsspecificallydesignedbythemuseumtoenhancetheirexperienceon-site.

Moremuseumsareseeingthevalueofenablingvisitorstoownandcustomizemuseumcontentontheirdevices,asitisanimportantstepforconnectingeducationandinterpretation inside and outside the museum. TheMuseodelPrado’sOfficialGuideexemplifiesthecurrentwaveofmobileappstopersonalizeavisitor’s learningexperiencebefore,during,andafteravisit.Themobile

appofferslearnerswithhighqualityimagesofartworks,customizable thematic tours, searchable indexes, anddirect access to the Museo del Prado’s Facebook andTwitteraccounts.

Theubiquityofsmartphoneswithprofessionalcamerasand social apps has affected how museums areaccommodating visitors who use these devices in themuseumspace.Today,itisnotuncommonformuseumsto feature screens in the gallery spaces that leveragesocialmediafeedstoencouragedialogamongvisitors.The Museum of Contemporary Art in Australia has aformalprogramcalledMCANowthatsharesthestoryof the museum through the eyes of visitors and staff,withastreamofInstagramandTwitterfeedsdisplayedon monitors on each floor.The photographic impulseis also being recognized by museums as several largeinstitutions,includingtheMetropolitanMuseumofArt,Indianapolis Museum of Art, and Getty Museum haverelaxedtheirpoliciestoallowphotographyinsomeoralloftheirexhibitionspaces—adirectresponsetothegrowingBYODmovement.

ThoughanincreasingnumberofmuseumshaverevisedtheirpoliciestoembraceBYOD, it isnotyetpervasive.Many museums are locked into long-term contractswith mobile guide vendors or have limitations —becauseofsecurity,financial,orinfrastructureissues—toprovidefreeWiFiforvisitors.Somemuseumsstillstoreand supply devices because it is less expensive thanbuilding and supporting a robust native app across anumberofplatforms.Creatingeffectivedevice-agnosticdigital interpretives is a challenge that museums arecurrently in the midst of solving. Many museumsare experimenting with revamping their websites tofeatureresponsivedesignorbuildingmobilewebsitesto circumvent platform accessibility issues. Ultimately,asmuseumsincreasinglycatertoBYOD,providingfreeWiFiwillneedtobeconsideredanessentialstep.

AsamplingofBYODfunctionsinmuseumsincludesthefollowing:

> Exhibitions and Collections. “ArtLens” by theClevelandMuseumofArt isan iPadappthatallowsvisitorstofurtherexplorecollectionsinthemuseumorfromhome.Includedintheappisindoorwayfinding

13Time-to-AdoptionHorizon:OneYearorLess

technologythatguidespatronstoartworksthathaveinterpretive content such as video and film alongwithascanningfeaturethatcanrecognizeanimageandoffercontentforit:go.nmc.org/artl.

> Marketing and Communications. Marketingdepartments are leveraging BYOD at special eventsby including backdrops and photobooths thatencouragevisitorstosharetheirmuseumexperiencevia social media. Mexic-Arte Museum often createsspecialareasintheirexhibitionspaceswherepatronscan take photographs of themselves re-enactingpartsofartworks:go.nmc.org/mexic.

> Visitor Services and Accessibility. Museums canmake their collections more accessible to deafpatrons with specialized apps for mobile devices.“SzépMűSL,” an Android and iOS app that wasrecentlycreatedbyBudapest’sMuseumofFineArts,featuressign-languagevideosinseveralinternationalsign languages for around 150 paintings from themuseum’scollections:go.nmc.org/szep.

BYOD in PracticeThe following links provide examples of BYOD use inmuseumorothersettings:

Bring Your Smartphonego.nmc.org/dmaaTheDallasMuseumofArtwebsitetellspatronstobringtheir smartphones in order to access content that hasbeen specially developed for selected works in theircollection.The institutionalsohasa freeWiFinetworkthroughout, and encourages visitors to bring theirlaptopsandothermobiledevicestotakeadvantageoftheInternetcafé.

BYOD at Fashion Institute of Technology (PDF)go.nmc.org/fitnewyorkThe Fashion Institute ofTechnology (FIT) in NewYorkhas implemented a robust, secure wireless networkthat enables BYOD among 10,000+ students, faculty,and staff, and over 100,000 museum visitors annually.Theaimwastoeliminatetheneedforwiredcomputerlabswhilemaintainingqualityofbandwidthinordertocreatemoreproductive,flexibleworkspaces.

BYOD Keeps Hospital Group on Competitive Edgego.nmc.org/nchhealthNCH Health Systems, a hospital group in Florida, hasimplemented a two-part BYOD strategy for its twopropertiesinanefforttopromoteanefficient,paperlesswork environment. Administrators are allowingemployees to use their own devices for optimalconvenienceaswellaspublicizingtheBYODpolicytogainacompetitiveedgewhenrecruitingphysicians.

BYOD Saves VMware $2 Milliongo.nmc.org/vmwareSoftwarecompanyVMware,Inc.wasapioneerinBYOD,embracing the change in the fourth quarter of 2011.Since then, the company has managed to save $2million on mobile phones alone due to their effectivesystem for employee IT costs reimbursement. ThesavingswereallocatedtowardimprovinginfrastructureandR&Dprojects.

Capture the Museumgo.nmc.org/scotA program at the National Museum of Scotland askspatrons to download the “Capture the Museum” apptotheirphonestosignupforaphysicalteamgameinwhichplayersexploregalleriestoclaimterritories.Theappwasdevelopedtoenhancevisitorengagementandtoengagethenewestgenerationofmuseumpatrons.

MCA Insightgo.nmc.org/mcaTheMuseumofContemporaryArtAustraliadevelopedanapptoprovideaninteractiveaccompanimenttothemuseum’s collections, encouraging patrons to explorethe stories behind installations and artworks throughvideo and image. The app also includes a locationawareness system that helps users find their waythroughthespacewitharesponsivemap.

QuizTrailgo.nmc.org/midTateBritain’s“QuizTrail”appguidesvisitorsthroughtheLondongalleryonthemedtrailsrangingfrom“Animals”to“Myths and Legends,” and they can earn prizes anddiscounts based on the number of questions theyanswer correctly for each tour.The app was designed

to engage both children and adults in an immersivechallengethateducatesparticipantsaboutBritishart. For Further Reading ThefollowingarticlesandresourcesarerecommendedforthosewhowishtolearnmoreaboutBYOD:

4 Big BYOD Trends for 2013go.nmc.org/byodinfo(Michael Endler, Information Week, 21 February 2013.)Based on Gartner’s evaluation of the uptake andimplications of BYOD in enterprise, this author hashighlighted four major trends that should concerneveryITleaderacrosssectors,includingsecurityandtheuseofBYODasarecruitmenttool.

BYOD: Six Tips for a Successful Implementationgo.nmc.org/success(Sam Ganga, Data Center Journal, 7 October 2013.)There are many factors organizations must considerwhen developing a successful BYOD policy includingsecurity and technical concerns as well as creating agovernancemodeltoaddressnewissuesastheyarise.This article provides a list of questions and points tocoverincreatingandimplementingaBYODpolicy.

Dear Museums: The Time is Right to Embrace Mobilego.nmc.org/vis(Matthew Petrie, The Guardian, 31 May 2013.) A recentstudyattheNewYorkMoMAfoundthat74%ofvisitorsbrought a mobile device with them. The Victoria andAlbert Museum in London commissioned a study thatrevealed that visitors would rather use their personaldevices than a museum-provided device. Reasonsincluded ease and familiarity, hygiene, and theconvenienceofalreadypossessinganinterpretationtool.

Education Efforts Key to Successful BYOD Programsgo.nmc.org/fierce(David Weldon, Fierce Enterprise Communications, 10October 2013.) Many organizations are either adoptingformalBYODpoliciesorallowinginformalBYODuse,butmoving data across a variety of devices and networksmeansincreasedriskofleaksorattacks.Therefore,itisvitalthat each employee understand exactly how BYOD willworkandhowtheirbehaviorcouldleadtopotentialrisks.

A Self Guided Tour App How-Togo.nmc.org/selfg(The Official Whitepoint Blog, 17 August 2013.) ThisWhitepointframeworkaimstohelpmuseums,galleries,andpublicspacesbuildandimplementtheirownself-guidedtourappswithoutcostlydevelopmentexpenses.Visitorswhobringtheirsmartphonesor tablets tothespacecanusetheapptonavigatethroughexhibitsandcollections.

Unavoidable: 62 Percent of Companies to Allow BYOD by Year’s Endgo.nmc.org/byodreport(TeenaHammond,ZDNet,4February2013.)Accordingtoaglobalsurveyofover1,000ZDNetandTechRepublicmembers,morethan44%oforganizationsalreadyallowBYODandanother18%plantoimplementBYODbytheendof2013.Thefullreportdisclosesthepercentageofemployees who participate in the program, the typeof personal devices used most often for work, detailsregardingapproachestosecurity,andthecostsofthehardwareandserviceplan.

What do Visitors Say about Using Mobile Devices in Museums?go.nmc.org/vaml(AndrewLewis,VictoriaandAlbertMuseum,13March2013.) A series of surveys were conducted among anumberofLondonmuseumstolearnmoreabouthowpatronsusetheirmobiledevicesandwhattheywantinregardstocontentandservicesfrommuseums.Findingsfrom the Victoria and Albert Museum in particulardescribe a smartphone-toting museum visitor who isenthusiastic about free WiFi and desires content thatis tailored to their interests and designed from a userneedsperspective.

What is BYOD and Why is It Important?go.nmc.org/byodtech(Dean Evans, Tech Radar, 23 August 2013.) Theconsumerization of IT is forcing corporations andcompanies both large and small to develop strategiesthatmaximizeefficiencyandreducesecurityrisks.ThekeypointsofeffectiveBYODpolicyandimplementationare outlined in this article for those that want toundertakethenovelapproachtoITmanagement.

NMC Horizon Report: 2013 Museum Edition14

rowdsourcing refers to a set of methods that can be used to motivate a community to contribute ideas, information, or content that would otherwise remain undiscovered. Its rapidly growing appeal stems from its effectiveness in

filling gaps that cannot be bridged by other means. One of the most well-known examples of this is Wikipedia, where volunteers provide information and definitions for subject matter of their expertise. Crowdsourcing capitalizes on the power of explicit collective intelligence, where knowledge is constantly refined through the contributions of thousands of authors. For museum scholars, crowdsourcing is often a way for researchers to draw on public knowledge to provide missing historical or other specific details related to communities or families, complete large-scale tasks, or solve inherently complex issues. For many tasks, institutions are finding that amateur scholars or even people whose lives simply were contemporary to the event, object, images, or other research focus being documented are remarkably effective in providing deep-level detail around a topic or in documenting a large body of materials. Related to crowdsourcing in many ways is crowdfunding, an effort to raise money through a network of people — usually through resources on the Internet. Many organizations, especially start-ups, turn to online tools such as Kickstarter to finance new projects and products. Crowdfunding has been known to support many different activities, from helping communities recover from disasters to free software development.

Overview Crowdsourcing is compelling to museums andindividualsalike;peoplecanengagearoundideasandcontentwithotherstoproduceworkthatnoneofthemalonewouldhavebeenabletoaccomplish.Socialmediacommunities on platforms such as Facebook, Twitter,andmanyothershavemadeiteveneasierformuseums

toshareresourcesandgarnerinputfromlargegroupsof people. However, the notion of crowdsourcing isnot new as organizations have long requested inputfrommembers,fans,andotherkeygroups.Perhapstheoldest known instance of crowdsourcing in action —withoutthesupportoftheweb—iswhentheOxfordEnglish Dictionary opened a call for contributions ofquotationsandexampleusagesofthewords.Over70years,theyreceivedmorethansixmillionssubmissions.

Themillenniumalsoyieldedmanyscientificcompanieswhose very livelihood depends on the results ofcrowdsourcing. Ancestry.com, 23andme, and othershave leveraged the upswing of personal DNA testingto build vast databases of genetic information thathelpparticipantsgainanunderstandingoftheirfamilyhistories. Large-scale citizen science projects, such astheCornellLabofOrnithologyandJourneyNorth,relyonbirdandwildlifeobservationssubmittedbyamateurscientistsacrosstheUnitedStatestoinformtheirdailyresearch and track migration patterns. Museums havebegun conducting similar crowdsourced research forculturalsitesandobjectsforwhichtheyarehopingtogatherinformationfromknowledgeableindividuals.

Not only does crowdsourcing help museums gatherexplicitinformationaboutspecificsubjectsorartifacts,butitalsogeneratesadeeperconnectionbetweenthepatronandtheinstitution,buildingtrustandallegiancein innovative ways. German philosopher WalterBenjamin was famous for surmising that true art is aconception between the artist and the audience, andcrowdsourcing exemplifies this notion by turning theaudienceintoactiveparticipants,astheircontributionsultimatelybecomepartofthefinalpiece.

Crowdfunding is one of the fastest growing areasof crowdsourcing, particularly due to the advent

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CrowdsourcingTime-to-Adoption Horizon: One Year or Less

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of Kickstarter, Crowdfunder, Indiegogo, and similarwebsites, where anyone with Internet access can bea philanthropist and support exciting new ideas andprojects. Museums, artists, and all kinds of users paya fee tocampaign forfinancial support throughtheseplatforms. If they gain enough pledges to meet theirfundraising target, the projects are funded, and thepeoplewhocontributedbecomeapartofthesuccessstory. Inmanycases,thesepeoplealsogetsomethinginreturnfortheirsupport,whetheritisthefinalproductthat is being funded or other benefits.There are evenhierarchieswherethemoreapersoninvests,thebiggerthereturnforthemwhentheprojectisfunded.

Becausethey fostercommunitiesbynature,museumsare well poised to leverage every dimension ofcrowdsourcingtoinvitepatronstobecomepartoftheexperiences they offer. Many have already deployedsuccessful small- and large-scale crowdsourcingprograms,andthepracticeissuretogrow.

Relevance for Museum Education and InterpretationFor thefirst time in2012,moneyraised forart-relatedprojects through the crowdfunding site KickstartersurpassedthatoftheNationalEndowmentfortheArts.Thissignalsamajorshiftinthelandscapeoffundraising,demonstrating the power of crowds to fundamentallychange how people and museums interact with eachother. People’s opinions and actions are increasinglyleveraged by museums, whether it is to inform thecontentofanexhibitionortohelpscholarscollectdata.

In a challenging economic climate, funding museumexhibitions has become more difficult and museumsare finding other methods to supplement exhibitionbudgets. The concept of crowdfunding is not new;small groups of wealthy patrons who see the benefitinfurtheringamuseum’smissionoftencometogetherto financially support exhibitions. What is new is themethod inwhich this typeof fundraising isoccurring,and the typeof individualwho contributes.AnonlineKickstarter campaign for a yoga exhibition at theSmithsonian’s Freer and Sackler Galleries recentlygenerated $170,000 from 600 individuals united bytheir common interest in a popular topic. Kickstarter

anticipatesthistypeoffundraisingtogrowastheyhavecreatedanewmuseumcategoryontheirwebsite.

Similartohowmuseumsareaskingindividualstoinvestwith dollars, they are also looking to crowds to helpinformtheirexhibitions,whether theyareshowcasinguser-generated content or engaging with audiencesin voting for their favorite artworks and artists. TheBrooklyn Museum of Art is well known for the latterstrategy;theyinvitetheirlocalmuseumcommunitytovisitBrooklynareaartiststudiosandvotefortheartiststheywouldliketoseefeaturedingroupexhibitions.

Citizensciencehasconvergedwithcrowdsourcinginaninterestingwaytoaidintheresearchofsciencemuseumsthatdoubleasresearchcenters.Forexample,Calbugisan effort to crowdsource and digitize information onmore than one million insects and spiders containedinnineCalifornianaturalhistorymuseums.Participantsearn badges as they help transcribe data so that theinformationwillbeaccessibletohelpinformresearchersaboutchangesinbiodiversity.

TheCooper-HewittMuseumisusingcrowdsourcingtogeneratedescriptionsfortheirvastcollectionofobjectsthathavelittletonometadataattachedtothem.Theirnewcollectionwebsiteofferstheopportunitytoprovideinformationaboutanobjectthroughabuilt-intaggingfeature. For example, at the bottom of an object’swebpage, there is a note to tag personal photos fromFlickrand Instagramor3Dmodels fromSketchUpandThingiversetoconnecttheircollectiontousers’content.

Crowdsourcing tangibly reveals the power ofcollaborationanddialogasvisitorsincreasinglyexpecttoengagewithmuseumsinamorepersonalway.Whilecrowdsourcing is becoming widely used, museumsstill need to overcome challenges in embracinguser-generated content and feedback. A genuinecrowdsourcingprojectrequiresmuseumstorelaxtheirauthority over the content and welcome ideas thatdeviatefromwhatwasexpectedinordertofosterthetypeofsynergythatfrequentlyleadstoinnovation.

Asamplingofcrowdsourcingapplicationsinmuseumsincludesthefollowing:

NMC Horizon Report: 2013 Museum Edition16

> Exhibitions and Collections.MaptheMuseumisanopendataprojectwherepeoplegoonlinetovirtuallyplaceobjectsfromthecollectionsoftheBrighton&Hove’s Royal Pavilion andMuseums on a local map,demonstratingtherelationshipbetweenthecityandthe museum, while also creating new data that canbecome a part of each object’s permanent catalogrecord:go.nmc.org/mapm.

> Marketing and Communications. Matthew Inman,famously known as the Oatmeal, raised more than$520,000 over his $850,000 goal to build a TeslaMuseum by harnessing the power of social media tosharehis Indiegogocrowdfundingcampaign.The linktohiscampaignreceived12,600Twittershares,47,000Facebooklikes,and9,700Google+1’s:go.nmc.org/tesla.

> Visitor Services and Accessibility. The MuseumVictoria in Australia uses an open source, web-basedprogram called Describe Me that crowdsourcesalt-text in an effort to make the collections onlinemore accessible for people with visual impairments.Volunteersarepresentedwithanimageandthenwriteashortdescriptionofwhattheysee:go.nmc.org/desau.

Crowdsourcing in PracticeThefollowinglinksprovideexamplesofcrowdsourcinginuseinmuseumsettings:

Agricultural Innovation and Heritage Archivego.nmc.org/amentTheSmithsonian’sNationalMuseumofAmericanHistoryisaskingvisitorstocontributetheirpersonalnarrativesabout technologies that have changed the history offarmingandranchingintheUnitedStates,andtorelatehowthesechangeshave impactedtheircommunities.The goal is to compile a crowdsourced digital archivethatwilltellthenarrativeofAmericanagricultureforthemuseum’sAmericanEnterpriseexhibition.

ArtPrizego.nmc.org/artpzArtPrize is an annual open art competition that takesplaceover19daysindowntownGrandRapids,Michigan,where anyone over the age of 18 can submit theirwork tobe judgedby thepublic,withanopportunity

towinthefirstplaceawardof$200,000.Thecontestisindependentlyorganizedbyacommunityofartistsandsponsors.

Historypingo.nmc.org/histpHistorypinisacollaborationbetweennon-profitWeAreWhatWeDoandGooglethataskspeopletoaddtheirmedia—photos, letters,andmemories—toapublicarchive where artifacts are pinned to a location andsearchableonGoogleMaps.Thewebsitealsofeaturescollections that allow users to explore specific timeperiodsandplacesthroughphotos.

Marina Abramovic Institute: The Foundersgo.nmc.org/abramIn July 2013, the Marina Abramovic Institute kickedoff a campaign to crowdfund the $600,000 neededto construct a building to house what renownedperformance artist Abramovic calls “long durationalwork,” or the joining of art, science, technology, andspirituality.The campaign reached its goal, and thosewhocontributedmorethan$1willreceiveanembracefromAbramovicinreturn.

Puffing Gungo.nmc.org/boomThe Museum of Food and Drink reached its goal ofraising$80,000throughKickstarterinordertofundthedevelopment of a puffing gun that turns grains intobreakfastcereal,whichwasondisplayinManhattanonthreeconsecutiveSaturdays. Itwasthefirstexhibitionby founder Dave Arnold, a chef, radio host, andrestaurateur.

Space Shuttle Enterprise: A Pioneergo.nmc.org/intrepidNew York’s Intrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museumcreated a crowdsourced exhibit for the space shuttle,Enterprise.Themuseumhasaskedthepublictouploadphotographs of their space shuttle moments to themuseum’s website or post them to Instagram andTwitterwiththeirowncaptionssothatthemuseumcancreate a physical as well as online exhibition with thecontent.

17Time-to-AdoptionHorizon:OneYearorLess

Ten Most Wantedgo.nmc.org/tenmoDeveloped for the Museum of Design in Plastics inthe UK, Ten Most Wanted is a game-based approachto crowdsourcing the verification of undocumentedfacts about collection objects, requiring sustainedengagement and collaboration among contributors.This model can be applied to other contexts, suchas identifying people and places in paintings orphotographs.

For Further Reading Thefollowingarticlesandresourcesarerecommendedforthosewhowishtolearnmoreaboutcrowdsourcing:

Crowdsourcing Museums: Can Big Donors, Curatorial Decisions, and Individual Artists Be Replaced?go.nmc.org/don(Paula Newton, Glasstire, 31 May 2013.) This articleprovides examples of how museums are turning tocrowdfunding, crowdvoting, and crowdsourcingto help them garner wider support in their efforts.The author suggests that before embarking on acrowdsourcingactivity thatmuseumsshouldconsidertherepercussionsofnotmeetingafundinggoalorhowgeneralpublicopinioncanaffecttheoutcomesofartinarestrictivemanner.

Digital Humanities and Crowdsourcing: An Explorationgo.nmc.org/anex(Laura Carletti, Gabriella Giannachi, Dominic Price,DerekMcAuley,Museums and the Web,2013.)Asculturalinstitutionsareprogressivelyexploringcrowdsourcing,theauthorsofthispaperdrewfromawebsurveyon36differentcrowdsourcingprojectspromotedbygalleries,libraries,archives,museums,andeducationinstitutionstoshedlightonthevarietyofpracticestosupportthedevelopmentofcrowdsourcinginitiatives.

Oh Snap! Experimenting with Open Authority in the Gallerygo.nmc.org/ohsnap(Nina Simon, Museum 2.0, 13 March 2013.) CarnegieMuseum of Art’s experimental photography project,“Oh Snap! Your Take on Our Photographs,” allows in-

person and virtual visitors to share their work in theirown galleries. This post describes the benefits of thisprojectandhowthemuseumisengagedinanongoingdialogwithparticipantsbecauseofit.

On the Trickiness of Crowdsourcing Competitions: Some Lessons from Sydney Designgo.nmc.org/tricky(Mia Ridge, Open Objects, 27 May 2013.) This articledescribes lessons learned from a competition heldduring the Sydney Design festival. The organization’scrowdsourcing effort was perceived by some as anunethicalwaytogetspecworkfromdesigners.

What is Crowdsourcing? And How does it Apply to Outreach?go.nmc.org/out(idea,19February2013.)Thisoverviewofcrowdsourcingbreaks down the topic into multiple facets to explainexactlyhowitcanbenefitorganizationaloutreach.Fromcloud labor to collective knowledge, there are manymethodsofharnessingsupportfromthecommunity.

Yes, Kickstarter Raises More Money for Artists Than the NEA. Here’s Why That’s Not Really Surprisinggo.nmc.org/rai(Katherine Boyle, The Washington Post, 7 July 2013.)Kickstarter has funded more than $600 million in artsprojects by providing a platform that simplifies thelong-held traditionof individualprivatedonorsgivingtothearts.Individualdonorsgivingmoneytotheartsisnothingnew—onlythemethodofdonating.

NMC Horizon Report: 2013 Museum Edition18

lready firmly established in the consumer sector, electronic publishing is redefining the boundaries between print and digital, still image and video, passive and interactive. Modern digital workflows support almost any

form in which content might appear, from traditional print to digital, web, video, and even interactive content. Building in the full spectrum of potential publishing avenues — print, web, video, mobiles and tablets, and interactives — from the beginning is not only a way to streamline production overall, but also to increase the reach of the materials produced by leveraging the content over a wide range of media. If the first revolution in electronic publishing was making publishing platforms accessible to anyone, the next phase is the linking of these platforms together to produce new combinations and new types of content. New concepts like the Online Scholarly Catalogue Initiative (OSCI) and Responsive Design will allow that content to be easily archived as well as ported to any device. OverviewElectronic publishing allows museums to design andproduce a piece irrespective of the format in which itmay ultimately appear, and thus fosters the flexibilityto easily port content into many different formats,providing patrons with a variety of reading options.With each format comes a unique experience thatis constantly progressing to include more enhancedfeaturesateveryturn.Nowthatelectronicpublicationshave become commonplace, all major magazines andperiodicals have at least one electronic variant, if notmany. Electronic publishing reflects the convergenceofseveraldifferentformsofdigitalmediaintoasinglestream of production — a notion that is now beingwidelyexperimentedwithacrossthemuseumsector.

Electronic publishing has developed considerably overthe past two years since the topic was featured in theNMC Horizon Report: 2011 Museum Edition. In 2012, PewpublishedastudyrevealingthathalfofAmericansaccesstheirnewsonline,withthatnumberclimbingto60%for

peopleundertheageof25.The New York Times websitegarnersover30millionuniquevisitorspermonth,whileitsprintcirculationhasdecreasedtoonemillioncopiesdaily.Furthermore, major publications such as EncyclopediaBritannica and Newsweek have discontinued their printruns altogether in favor of a digital-only presence. Over30 years ago, media mogul Rupert Murdoch predictedthe death of print publishing, and his premonition ismaterializingintoarealitywitheachpassingyear.

Inthemidstofthisrapidgrowth,theindustryhasfacedthe inherent challenge of changing its strategies andworkflows while the technology itself is still evolving.Publishinghousesareleadingtheway.Since2009,thesecompanieshavebeendeployingevermorestreamlinedprocesses for generating, producing, and marketingcontent.Beforeelectronicpublishing,therewerenotasmanymovingpieces,and thepieces themselvesweremoreeasilyunderstood;publishingmeantprint,words,

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ElectronicPublishingTime-to-Adoption Horizon: Two to Three Years

AResponsive Design is an approach that ensures an optimal viewing experience on any device of an individual’s choosing, whether via desktop, laptop, smartphone, or tablet.

and perhaps pictures. Video and multimedia weredistinct forms, but now such distinctions are hard tomake—and,increasingly,theultimatepublishedpieceincludesallofthat,asisthecasewithmajornewspapers,magazines,andwebsites.

Today,manymuseumcontentandmarketingteamsseethemselves as media companies, producing contentforwhateverdeliveryformatswillachievethegreatestreach. With the advent of emerging new formats,publishers are able to create different versions of apiece—i.e.anextendedversionwithauthorinterviewsorwitha“foldout”ofglossyimages—andtailorthemtodistinctaudiences.Contentiscapturedjustonceforavarietyofpotentialapplications.Additionally,mobileapps have become publications in their own respect,and museums are using them to publish photos andvideos from collections and interviews with artists —withinteractivefeaturesforpeopletoconnectwiththematerialonadeeperlevel.

Anewdimensionofelectronicpublishingthisyearisitsconnectiontonewmethodsandapproachesindesign.Responsive Design, for example, is an approach thatensures an optimal viewing experience on any deviceofanindividual’schoosing,whetherviadesktop,laptop,smartphone, or tablet. In this approach, navigationadapts instantly to display size and aspect; contentautomatically resizes or even replaces itself, fluidlyadaptingwhatisonthescreentothecurrentbrowserandscreendimensions.

Relevance for Museum Education and InterpretationRecentdevelopments,particularlytheimplementationphaseoftheOnlineScholarlyCatalogueInitiative(OSCI),havesparkedtheriseofmoreopenlyaccessiblecontentand the increased adoption of electronic publishingstrategies by museums and their staffs. While thereare many examples of electronic publications in theform of catalogs and mobile apps in larger museums,the development of viable business models is stallingwidespreadadoption.

When the Getty’s Online Scholarly Catalogue Initiativebeganin2008toincreaseaccesstocollectionsthrough

the dissemination of scholarly research on the web,museums were just beginning to understand thepotentialofthisnewmedium.Fiveyears later, theninemuseums involved in the project are now activelyexperimenting with different forms of web-basedpublishing and sharing their findings with the largermuseumcommunity.Thenewresourcesandworkflows,combinedwithaformalplatformintheOSCItoolkit,haveheraldedanewwayofthinkingaboutcatalogproduction,contentmanagement,anddigitalstrategyinmuseums.AstheArtInstituteofChicagohasexperienced,scholarswho may have been reluctant to create electronicpublicationsbeforetheinitiativearenowembracingtheOSCItoolkitasavaluableresearchtool.

Historically, creating museum publications was anexpensive undertaking due primarily to printing andcopyright costs, but with the move to digital, imagepermissionshavebecomemorerelaxedat institutionsincluding the National Gallery of Art, British Museum,and the Rijksmuseum. Access to once hidden partsof a collection have increased and greatly benefitedresearch.

Traditionalpublishingwasalsoatime-consumingandcompartmentalized process, where activities wereprimarily “siloed” within individual departments. Withthe rethinking of workflow, multiple departments arebeginningtoworktogethersothatthedevelopmentofweb,mobile,print,andin-galleryexperiencesprogressin parallel. A dramatic shift is now taking place aspeople are becoming more comfortable with the freeonline publishing world of Instagram and tumblr, andattitudesarechangingasmuseumstaffandboardsoftrusteesbecomemoreinclusiveoftechnologyadoptioninmuseums.

With the increased functionality inherent in electronicpublications, individuals with disabilities can garner agreater appreciation of artifacts than ever before.TheUmlauf Sculpture Garden and Museum has providedtouchtoursforstudentsfromtheTexasSchoolfortheBlind since 1991, and recently was able to augmenttheir touch tours with large-print materials on iPads.Using iBooks Author, the museum released an iBookthat highlights seven sculptures in the collection by

NMC Horizon Report: 2013 Museum Edition20

creating verbal descriptions for selected artwork andwayfinding information for navigating the Garden forblindandlow-visionvisitors.Additionally,becausethisformofpublicationisaccessedonatablet,visitorswithmoderate central vision are able to read with greaterease and speed because of the ability to adjust thebrightnessofthewrittenmaterial.

In addition to electronic publishing’s embrace ofthe growing number of digital formats and media,the process makes it very easy to produce variationsof a story whether scholarly in nature or for widerappreciation. The evolution of this topic involvesthinking about electronic publishing not as a set ofproductsbutasameansofdeliveringresourcesinnewanddifferentways.Becauseoftheflexibilityelectronicpublishingprovides,agrowingnumberofmuseumsareadopting models where they create once and publisheverywhere.

A sampling of applications of electronic publishing inmuseumsincludesthefollowing:

> Conservation. Electronicmuseumcollectioncatalogscanincludemoreconservationdocumentationthanpreviously possible in print versions. SFMOMA’sRauschenberg Research Project provides worldwideaccess to scholarly research and documentationincluding the back sides of paintings, conservationreports,andinformationalvideosrelatingtoartworksby Robert Rauschenberg in SFMOMA’s permanentcollection:go.nmc.org/rau.

> Exhibitions and Collections. Museum of Fine Arts,Bostonbringstheirinstrumentcollectiontolifewithane-bookfortheiPad.Userscanseeandhear100musicalinstruments of the museum’s collection of 1,100,playedbymusiciansinvideoclipsandaudiosamples.TheinstrumentsfeaturedvaryfromtheancientGreektrumpet and the South Indian lute to the modernAmericanlapsteelguitar:go.nmc.org/musical.

> Marketing and Communications. The OaklandMuseum of California (OMCA) offers a free digitalmagazineappthatisregularlyupdatedwithpreviewsof exhibitions and videos of artists and community

activists. In addition to museum-specific media, theOMCAappfeaturesinteractivemapsoflocalsitesandparks, and behind-the-scenes images of collectionsfrompartnermuseums:go.nmc.org/omca.

Electronic Publishing in PracticeThe following links provide examples of electronicpublishinginuseinmuseums:

Catalyst Magazinego.nmc.org/denmusThe Denver Museum of Nature & Science offers itsbi-monthly online publication, Catalyst, to museumpatrons for free. The electronic magazine includesinformationonevents,programs,andexhibitions thatareshareableviaFacebook,Twitter,andPinterestwithoptimizedlinksforeasywebsurfing.

College Art Association go.nmc.org/caaThe Andrew W. Mellon Foundation is sponsoringthe College Art Association to develop, publish, anddisseminate a code of best practices for fair use inthe creation and curation of artworks and scholarlypublishinginthevisualarts.Thiswillhelpartistsandarthistoriansinsecuringrightsforreproducingworksofartelectronicallyorinhardcopy.

DallasSITESgo.nmc.org/dmgThe Dallas Museum of Art’s digital publicationDallasSITES: A Developing Art Scene, Postwar to Presenttracesthedevelopmentofthecontemporaryartscenein seven neighborhoods of the city through images,chapter essays, and scholarly pieces. This publicationexplores the history of over 150 commercial galleriesand non-profit organizations in North Texas from themid-1950s.

Index Magazinego.nmc.org/harvartEarlier this year, the Harvard Art Museums launchedthe digital counterpart to Index Magazine, a resourcewith articles and interviews about their collections.Included on the website are opportunities to interactwithmuseumpersonnelthrougheventssuchas“Aska

21Time-to-AdoptionHorizon:TwotoThreeYears

CuratorDay,”whereinseveralcuratorsanswerquestionsfromthepublicviaTwitter.

MetPublicationsgo.nmc.org/metroThe Metropolitan Museum of Art has launched itscollection of MetPublications, which offers access tobooks,bulletins,andjournalsfromthepastfivedecadesinadditionto375freeartbooksandcatalogs.Currentbooksonthemarketcanbepreviewedthroughthesite,while out-of-print books are made available throughprint-on-demand.

Played in Britaingo.nmc.org/publThe Victoria and Albert Museum’s “Played in Britain:Modern Theatre in 100 Plays” iPad app guides theviewer through six decades of British theater historywith production photographs, original script extracts,andaudioclips.

For Further Reading Thefollowingarticlesandresourcesarerecommendedfor those who wish to learn more about electronicpublishing.

Building an Interpretive Technology Strategy from Zero (Video)go.nmc.org/ittt(Koven Smith, New Media Consortium, 1 October2013.) A museum technologist explains how to usethe free syndication tool If This Then That to addsmart capabilities to a digital publication that make itinteractivebutself-sufficient.

Create Once, Publish Everywhere — Reusing Museum Collection Contentgo.nmc.org/cope(Paul Rowe, Collections and their Connections, 7 June2013.) A developer for a museum software companydescribesthecontentmanagementstrategyknownas“Create Once, Publish Everywhere,” which is currentlybeing implemented by National Public Radio. Roweappliesthisstrategytothemuseumworldinanefforttohelpinstitutionsreusecollectioninformationonline.

The Future is Now: Getty Voices Looks Back on OSCI and Towards the Future of Museum Digital Publishinggo.nmc.org/neely(Liz Neely, Museum Digital Publishing Bliki, 14August 2013.) In this article, the Director of DigitalInformationandAccessat theArt InstituteofChicagohighlights the importance of digital publishingbased on the perspective of the Getty Foundation’sAnne Helmreich. One of her main points is that theremust be a community of digital scholarly publisherswho contribute to collective knowledge by sharingexperiencesatconferencesandworkingwithdeveloperpartners,sothatelectronicpublishingcanprogress.

The Power of Well-Considered Publishing: Graphite from the IMAgo.nmc.org/graph(Greg Albers, Digital Publishing, 4 April 2013.) ThreecompellingfeaturesoftheIndianapolisMuseumofArt’sGRAPHITE catalog include navigation links at the topofthebook,installationshotsfromtheactualphysicalshowtoserveasarecordofthein-houseshow,andtheeaseofwatchingvideowithinthepublication.

The Rise of the Multimedia Authoring Platformgo.nmc.org/multi(Rich Shivener, Publisher’s Weekly, 1 February 2013.)Multimediaauthoringtoolsandpublishersaremakingit easier than ever for companies and organizationsto produce digital publications that include audio,video, image, animations, and 3D models.The authorexamines the new generation of publishers includingiBooks Author, Vook, and Inkling, and evaluates theirapproachtothisemergentmarket.

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ocation-based services (LBS) provide content that is dynamically customized according to the user’s location. These services are commonly delivered to mobile devices; cellular tower coordinates are often refined with GPS data

to ensure a high level of accuracy in locating mobile devices. New technologies will extend that capability into buildings and interior spaces with remarkable accuracy. Current common applications for location-based services include advertising, news, social networking, and similar services. In the commercial realm, location-based services have become an almost transparent way to generate actions triggered by a user’s interest data and matched to his or her location. The next and most compelling development for location-based services is the prospect of indoor geolocation, which could provide visitors with very specific information tailored to their exact location within a building, allowing fine-tuned information or services to be accessed that are very specific to where they are, not only relative to the planet’s surface, but in 3D space, so that even different floors of a building can be identified.

Overview Location-based services digitally pinpoint the precisephysicalpositionofanobjectorindividualthroughWiFiandcellularnetworks;whatmakesthistopicespeciallycompelling is what the technology does with thatinformation, including mapping efficient routes fortravelandmakingrecommendationsonmuseumsandexhibits to visit through mobile applications. Becausesmartphones and tablets automatically include GPSand an array of sensors, LBS enables a frictionlesscommunication stream between people and theirlocations—astreamthatcaninformahostofmobileservicesandapplications.

Whilethecategoryisnotentirelynew,whathasmadeitatopicofgrowinginterestisitsseamlessintegrationwith the tools people already commonly use,particularly social networks. Over the past few years,museums have become avid and particularly creativeusersofsocialmedia,makingthemnaturallypoisedtoleveragelocation-basedtechnologies.

Today,whenausersignsupforanewsocialnetwork,such as Instagram or Facebook, they immediatelyreceive a prompt asking whether the platform haspermissiontoaccesstheircurrentlocation.Infact,somesocial networks’ entire premise is based on locationinformation. FourSquare, while not new, may be themostwell-knownexample.Overthepastseveralyearsit has become one of the most enduring applicationsinthesocialmediaspace,rewardingusersforcheckingin to places via their mobile devices. Businesses —including museums — have taken a cue from thesevirtualexchangesandbegungivingdiscountsorspecialofferstopeoplewhotag,checkin,oracknowledgetheestablishment across a plethora of social networks.Location-basedservicestraverseandconnectthedigitalandphysicalrealmsmoreseamlesslythaneverbefore.

Whencoupledwithbigdataandanalyticsonpeople’shabitsandmovements—whetherinoroutdoors—thissameconceptcanbetakenastepfurtherpastnotionsof size and space and onto methods for tailoring thecontentthatisdelivered,basedonpeople’sinterests.Thefutureoflocation-basedservicesisultimatelylessaboutdevicesbeingabletodiscernwhereanindividualisandmore about pushing out helpful information to thembeforetheyevenaskforit.Thatistosay,asmartphoneknowsifitsownerhasbeentoseveralhistorymuseumsandcanusethatdatatoproviderecommendationsforfurtherexploration.

Location-BasedServicesTime-to-Adoption Horizon: Two to Three Years

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Apple’s recent purchase of two location intelligencestartupsthatspecializeinindoorGPSandcrowdsourceddata,LocationaryandWiFiSLAM,signalsanewdirectionfor location-based services, with major applicationsfor large museums. Location-based services arenow positioned to help people better understandtheir environments and even contribute their ownmeasurements in an effort to map the entire world,insideandout.

Relevance for Museum Education and Interpretation Location-based services promise to provide museumvisitors with easy access to customized educationalexperiences. Recently, museums have begun to

respondtopatronsbringingtheirownmobiledevicesby providing free access to WiFi throughout theirpublic spaces.While providing wayfinding and digitalinterpretive materials on mobile devices throughWiFitriangulationisatthecoreofthelatestlocation-basedservices advancements, there is further potential topersonalize the individual’s experience while movingwithinoraroundamuseum.

Althoughanumberofexperimentsarebeingconductedwith various internal positioning systems such asBluetooth beacons, locative LED, and active RFID, thedevelopmentofWiFitriangulationtoprovidelocation-based services directly to a user’s handheld deviceis a key strategy. At the Art Institute of Chicago (AIC),the major initiatives of offering reliable connectivityand indoor positioning have ushered in a new wayto experience the nearly 150-year-old institution.Over the course of several years, the AIC retrofittedits galleries to provideWiFi in almost all of the publicspaces for educational benefit. By carefully planning

theplacementofWiFiaccesspoints, themuseumwasalso able to gauge a visitor’s location reliably within a30-footradiusandguidethemtoaselectednumberofartworkswithassociateddigitalassets.

The social dimension of location-based services ispoisedtoseesubstantialgrowthinthenexttwotothreeyearswithinthemuseumsector.Theinterplaybetweensocialmediaandphysicalspacethroughearliermobileapps like Foursquare and Yelp, and most recentlythrough Locationary andWaze, has initiated a type ofengagement where individuals build communitiesaroundphysical locations.AtthedeCordovaSculpturePark and Museum, for example, artist Halsey Burgundleveragedthesite-specificnatureofthesculptureparkin her audio installation Scapes. Through Roundware,a location sensitive audio platform, museum visitorsnavigatedthroughtheparkandencounteredsoundsintheformofdifferentmusicalinstrumentsandmelodieson their mobile devices. Additionally, visitors wereencouraged to engage with the artwork by recordingtheirobservationsandlisteningtorecordingsthatothervisitorscontributed.

Because museums generally have major presences inbothonlineandphysicalspaces, the increasingabilityto accurately pinpoint the location of an individualprovides museums with the opportunity to makethesetwospacesinteractmoremeaningfullythaneverbefore.UndertheconceptofGeo-fencing,amuseum’swebsite would know where a visitor was and wouldlocalizeinformationandpushittothem.Forexample,amuseum’swebsitewouldpushinformationtoamobiledevice about the visiting hours and admission fee if auserwaswithinthevicinityoftheinstitution’sentrance,or collections information if he or she was standingdirectlyinfrontofanartifact.

Whilemanylocation-basedservicesprojectsarecurrentlyunderway,thistopicfallsonthemid-termhorizonmainlybecauseofthecostsrelatedtoretrofittinggallerieswiththeappropriatetechnologiesandaccuracylimitationsofcurrentindoorpositioningsystems.

Asamplingofapplicationsoflocation-basedservicesinmuseumsincludesthefollowing:

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Location-based services promise to provide museum visitors with easy access to customized educational experiences.

> Exhibitions and Collections.TheTimkenMuseumofArtlaunchedaprototypeofamobileappthatservesinformationaboutartworksbasedonvisitors’locationwithinthegalleries.APlaceStickerdeviceisassignedtoeachartwork,sendinglow-powerradiosignalstovisitors’smartphonesandtabletstodeterminetheirlocationanddelivercontent:go.nmc.org/timken.

> Marketing and Communications.With FoursquarenowintegratedintotheInstagramapp,museumscanuse this tool to gather location-based informationfrom geo-tagged photos that visitors share on theplatform.Byanalyzingpatrons’behaviors,museumscangain insight intothemostpopular featuresofaparticularexhibitionorevent:go.nmc.org/nitro.

> Visitor Services and Accessibility. The Royal BCMuseum in Canada worked with the companyWiFarer to create an app that enables each visitorto personalize their museum exploration based ona map that pinpoints visitors and guides them topreferred artworks and collections. The location-based content adds more in-depth interaction toeachexhibit:go.nmc.org/rbc.

Location-Based Services in PracticeThefollowinglinksprovideexamplesoflocation-basedservicesinuseinmuseumsandothersettings:

ByteLight go.nmc.org/byteLEDlightbulbsfromtheMassachusetts-basedcompanyByteLightsendlocation-specificinformationtovisitorsin the Museum of Science, Boston by interacting withtheirdevices’camera,usingsignalsthatareinvisibletothehumaneye.

Fernbank Museum Appgo.nmc.org/ferAtlanta’s Fernbank Museum of Natural History’s apptracks visitors’ locations once they enter the museumto deliver a combination of audio, video, touchscreeninteractives, animation, sketchbook activities,and question-and-answer challenges, while alsoencouraging sharing of the experience through socialmediaplatforms.

Indoor GPS at AICgo.nmc.org/indoTheArtInstituteofChicagousesanindoorGPSsystempowered by Meridian to take visitors on customizedtours organized by occasion, theme, collection, andtime.Eachtourshowcasessixtotenworksofart,withdescriptionsandturn-by-turndirections.

Kew Gardens Appgo.nmc.org/kewThe Royal Botanic Garden, Kew, has developed anAndroidappthatusesGPSandWiFitechnologytooffervisitors new ways for wayfinding and interpretation.Theappguidesvisitorsover300acresofoutdoorspaceand through three glass houses, along with offeringinteractivemediaaboutsurroundingplantsandtrees.

Pocket Rangergo.nmc.org/chalParksbyNature Network LLC’s “Pocket Ranger” appsinvite users to embark on geochallenges, visiting asmanyoftheCaliforniastateparksandstaterecreationareas as possible over the next year using their GPS-enabled apps to map out each trip. Participants earnpoints by visiting state parks and recreation areas,witheasy-to-reachparksyieldingfivepointsandmoredistantlocalesgarneringthem20points.

Wikimedia’s Nearbygo.nmc.org/nearbyTheWikimediaFoundation introducedanew“Nearby”page to operate in conjunction with its mobile site,surfacingarticlesbasedonauser’slocation.ItisalsoaneasywayforWikimediaeditorstouploadphotocontentforentriesthatareinneedofimagesorimprovearticlesontopicsincloseproximity.

For Further Reading Thefollowingarticlesandresourcesarerecommendedforthosewhowishtolearnmoreaboutlocation-basedservices:

Baseball’s Beacon Trials Hint at Apple’s Location Revolutiongo.nmc.org/ibe(RogerCheng,CNet,28September2013.)Anewfeature

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of iOS 7, iBeacon, improves the capability of location-basedservicesfortheiPhone.MLB.comrecentlytestedits capabilities at Citi Field where visitors received awelcome message and discounts as they entered thepremises.

History as an App(arition)go.nmc.org/hist(RhodriMarsden,ioL travel,15August2013.)TheCityofYorkHologramTour isanappbackedbytheYorkCityCouncil that displays holograms of actors in costumeexplaining specific York locations when the visitorarrivesateachpoint.Theauthorofthisarticledescribesthe experience of using the app, and how it could beamplifiedinthefuturewhenusersareabletoaccessitwithGoogleGlassorotherwearabledevices.

Location Based Guidance Services in a Museum Environment: Deployment Issues and a Proposed Architectural Approachgo.nmc.org/guid(NikolaosKonstantinouetal.,Academia.edu,accessed1October 2013.)This paper examines the requirementsfor deploying location-based guidance services inmuseums that can react to contextual triggers. Thisservice is built as an open, modular platform withreusable components and interfaces for supportingdifferent types of devices, including Java- andBluetooth-enabledsmartphones.

Mapping and Location-Based Geo Servicesgo.nmc.org/geo(Yu-Tzu Chiu, IEEE Spectrum, 20 November 2012.)Engineers from STMicroelectronics and CSR modifieda Google Nexus One smartphone to integrate anindoornavigationmoduleforvisitorstotheMuseumofContemporaryArtinTaipei.Asavisitorapproachesanobject,itscorrespondingiconpopsupontheirdevice’sscreensotheycanclickonitformoreinformation.

This Startup’s Cheap Sensors Could Create an OS for Everyday Lifego.nmc.org/star(Kyle Vanhemert, WIRED, 7 August 2013.) Estimoteis an attempt to build an operating system for thephysical world out of a network of cheap, low-energy

transmitters. The creators envision seamless locationawarenessthatwillallowinteractionsandexperiencesthatare tightly integratedwithrealplaces, fromparkstoparkinglots.

Why Wifi Networks are the Future of Location-Based Mobilego.nmc.org/meri(Nick Farina, nfarina.com, May 2013.) The companyMeridian helped the American Museum of NaturalHistory build its “AMNH Explorer” app, which uses adevice’s WiFi signal to calculate the visitor’s positionwithin the museum. The author believes that WiFi isthekeytotheadvancementoflocation-basedservices,specificallyindoorGPS.

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t is already common to interact with devices entirely by using natural movements and gestures. The iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch, Xbox Kinect, Nintendo Wii, the new class of “smart TVs,” and a host of other devices built with natural

user interfaces (NUIs) accept input in the form of taps, swipes, and other ways of touching; hand and arm motions; body movement; and increasingly, natural language. These are the first in a growing array of devices that recognize and interpret natural physical gestures as a means of control. New technologies already extend these capabilities, and even read the emotional state of the user via voice and micro-expressions of the face. Already in prototype are new forms of screen technologies that will convey highly detailed sensations of texture, and provide natural tactile feedback. What makes natural user interfaces especially interesting this year is the burgeoning high fidelity of systems that understand gestures, facial expressions, and their nuances, as well as the convergence of gesture-sensing technology with voice recognition and new forms of tactile feedback like electrovibration, which allows users to interact in an almost natural fashion, with gesture, expression, and voice communicating their intentions to devices.

OverviewAlthough natural user interfaces were largelypopularized with the launch of the iPhone and itstouchscreen in 2007, the technology itself was notnewatthetime.Discussionsaroundthedevelopmentof interfaces beyond command line interface (CLI)andgraphicaluser interface(GUI)startedinthe1970sand 80s when Steve Mann, widely regarded as thefather of wearable computing, began experimentingwith human-machine interactions. From his work, theidea of natural user interfaces was born, along withthe potential for scientists and designers to adapt

this innovation tonewtechnologies.Perhapsmoresothanotherlearningenvironments,museumspacesarenaturally conducive to incorporating large-scale NUIsintoexhibitsandcollections.

Humans interacting with computers in a natural userinterface are not always conscious of the frameworkbecause their gestures seamlessly influence theirexperience, mimicking the real world far more thanan interface based on metaphors like commands andgraphics.Theappealofthisinnovationisthatamuseumpatron can experience information presented in avariety of modes without the distance that traditionalinterfaces impose; inotherwords,nothinggets in thewaybetweentheuserandtheinformation.Visitorshavetheopportunitytotrulyinteractwiththeartworks.

These types of NUIs can have profound effects onlearners within the museum realm. For example,childrenusingmulti-touchwallsanddisplaysadapttothe mechanism quite naturally, which has increasedsupport for using smartphones, tablets, and MicrosoftKinectforlearning.Naturaluserinterfacesalsocatertoblindanddeafpatrons,alongwithpeoplewithautism,dyslexia, or other disabilities, making it easier for theuser to communicate and learn through touch, voice,andothergestures.

While touchscreens and video and motion sensorproducts,includingNintendoWiiandMicrosoftKinect,have now been around for years, they have beencriticalbenchmarksinthepathtofosteringcompletelynaturalinteractions.Electrovibrationisthenextstepinmakingtheconnectionsasauthenticaspossible.Firstdiscoveredin1954,thistechnologyreferstotheprocesswhenafingerisdraggedacrossaconductive,insulatedsurface, creating an electrostatic force that results ina palpable sensation of touch and texture. Applied

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to mobile devices, the phenomenon of electricallyinduced tactile sensation is expected to herald thenextevolutionoftouchscreentechnology,offeringthepotentialtofeelthemuseumworksbeingviewed.

FinnishcompanySensegisattheforefrontofapplyingthis haptic technology to smartphone and tablets,andDisneyResearchisalsoexploringelectrovibration.Senseg’s electrovibration technology can be appliedto any touch interface to create what they call “feelscreens,”whereuserscanfeeltexturesonthescreen.Thefuture of “feel screen”-enhanced devices offers manypossibilities for deeper interaction with educationalcontent,andwithitanaccessibilitythatcaterstouserswith physical and mental disabilities — making it aparticularlyexcitingtechnologyformuseums.

Speech-to-speech translation is also adding moretractionaroundthetopicofnaturaluserinterfaces.Itisalreadycommontoseepeopleinteractingwithvoice-activatedvirtualassistantsontheirmobiledevices.Thenext steps include new technologies like automatictranslationengines—Microsoftengineershavealreadydemoed software that can synthesize an individual’svoice in another language, from English to Mandarin.Progressinthesemachinelearningtechnologiespointstoaworldwherepeoplecanconnecttocontent—andeachother—moreeffectively.

Relevance for Museum Education and InterpretationNatural user interfaces render technology transparentand are transforming the way museums can presenttheir collections and exhibitions, as well as the wayvisitors interact with museums and their content.Thedesiretotouchandmanipulatecollections is inherentinmuseumaudiences,andalthoughpreservationandconservation issues may limit interactions with theauthenticwork,NUIscancompensatebyallowingthevisitor the experience of tactile contact or the abilityto rotate an object in space. As new user interfacesbecome increasingly mainstream, museums havethe opportunity to use these sorts of developmentsto create entirely new forms of interpretation andpresentation.

Measuring 40 feet wide, the Collection Wall atthe Cleveland Museum of Art is the largest multi-touchscreen in the United States, and it stands at theleadingedgeofthinkingabouthowvisitorscaninteractwithamuseum’scollectioninafundamentallydifferentway.Multi-touchtechnologyenablespatronstomove,select, and sort multimedia assets for open-endedexploration in a very intuitive manner. The CollectionWalldemonstrates thisatascaleneverbeforeseen inamuseumspace.

Inadditiontomulti-touchtechnology,motion-sensinginput devices are radically transforming how museumguests engage with collections. At the New MexicoMuseum of Art, marionettes once considered toofragiletoevenbeexhibitedaregivenanewlife.Aftercreatingdigitalsurrogatesofselectedmarionettesfromthe museum’s collection, students from New MexicoHighlandsUniversityareusingKinecttoenablevisitorstousenaturalhandgesturestoseehowtheseobjectsfunction,forthefirsttimeindecades.

Yet another dimension of NUIs is beginning to playout in thegallery itself,asartistspushtheboundariesofthisnewsetoftoolstocreatelarge-scaleimmersiveenvironments. Inthesummerof2013,theMuseumofModernArtpresentedtheRainRoom,anartinstallationwhere visitors could stop simulated rain drops fromfallingonthembymovingaboutaroomoutfittedwithsensors that recognized the presence of objects andmovement.

Emergingsensingtechnologies,liketheelectrovibrationproject headed by Disney Research, could open upa whole new world of interpretation with the abilityto understand the rich spatial dimensionality of anobjectthroughdigitalmeanswithouthavingtoworryabout damaging a fragile object. By generating thesimulationsofedges,protrusions,andbumpsthroughfrictional forces between finger and screen, museumvisitorswillbeabletoexperiencetheheavilyimpastoedsurfaceofaVanGoghworkinanentirelynewway.

Discovery-based learning opportunities for museumsare steadily increasing since this technology firstappeared in the NMC Horizon Report: 2012 Museum

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Edition, where it was also in the far-term horizon.Despite many experiments, NUIs are still four to fiveyears away because few museums have the in-houseskillstodevelopthiskindoftechnologyforeducationalpurposes. Nonetheless, the future for natural userinterfaces is promising as special exhibitions begin tobuild museums’ inventories of devices, along with theexpertisetouseNUIsinmoreimaginativeways.

Asamplingofapplicationsofnaturaluserinterfacesinmuseumsandothersettingsincludesthefollowing:

> Exhibitions and Collections.The“SpotlightonTheAntinoeVeil”exhibitionattheLouvreusesMicrosoftKinect’s gesture-based sensor technology thatenables visitors to interact with an ancient artifact.The Greek tapestry, which is delicate and difficultto decipher, can now be manipulated by museumpatronsinitsdigitalform:go.nmc.org/louvre.

> Marketing and Communications. The Children’sMedical Center in Dallas has an Interactive DonorWallwhereeachsupporter’snameisrepresentedinabubblethatuserscanmanipulatewiththeirgestures:go.nmc.org/dono.

> Visitor Services and Accessibility.The ManchesterMuseum developed a way to let blind and partiallysightedvisitorstouchdigitalmodelsoftheirexhibits,using a haptic device called a Probos.Visitors sit infrontofadevicewithascreenandastylusconnectedvia a mechanical arm and the screen displays a 3Dmodel of an object such as a pot, bone, or statue:go.nmc.org/fee.

Natural User Interfaces in PracticeThe following links provide examples of natural userinterfacesinuseinmuseumsandothersettings:

3D Bird Animation and Gesture Recognitiongo.nmc.org/natiUnifiedFieldbuiltthe“Dance,DanceEvolution”gameforNational Geographic’s“Birds of Paradise” exhibit usinga Kinect sensor to allow players to enact movementsthatcontrolavirtual3Dbirdasitperformsrealmatingdancerituals.

The Baumann Marionettes Go 3Dgo.nmc.org/mariHighlandsUniversityprogrammingstudentsareusingKinect to create 3D representations of around 75 ofGustave Baumann’s marionettes that are owned bythe New Mexico Museum of Art. Users will be able tovirtually manipulate the marionettes through handgestures, and the 3D marionette models will also beavailableinthemuseum’sonlinedatabase.

Nocturnal Animal Sensesgo.nmc.org/natuThe “Nocturnal Animal Senses” exhibit at the NaturalScience Museum Complex in Romania demonstratestovisitorshowanimalsthriveatnight.Theinstallationis composed of various screens of all sizes that,when touched, reveal information about an animal’senvironment,huntinghabits,andhowtheynavigateindarkness.

Shop Lifego.nmc.org/shoplifeIn New York City, the Tenement Museum’s “ShopLife” installation is a 25-foot interactive tabletop thatprovidesvisitorswiththeopportunitytoexplorethreeimmigrant business scenarios from the 1860s to the1970s. Stories are shared through images, video, andaudio.

Sports Hallgo.nmc.org/pero“SportsHall,”anexhibitatPerotMuseum,invitesvisitorstothrowafastball,kickasoccerball,orturncartwheelswhile a high-speed camera captures it so visitors canreview their own movements to learn about motion,howbodypositioningaffectsspeed,andotherfactorsofsportsscience.

THINKgo.nmc.org/thinkexWith the aid of a media field of seven-foot interactivetouchscreens, the “THINK” exhibit at SchenectadyMuseumpresentsvisitorswithahands-onwaytoviewthehistoryoftechnologicalinnovations.ThetechnologybehindtheexhibitispoweredbyIBM.

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Universe of Soundgo.nmc.org/univThe “Universe of Sound” installation at the LondonScience Museum incorporates video rooms,instruments,andpodswith3Dmotionsensorstocreateanimmersiveexperienceinwhichvisitorslearnwhatittakestobeamusicianaswellashowtobeaconductorinaphilharmonicorchestra.

Wearing Many Hats (Video)go.nmc.org/hatsAt The Peabody Essex Museum in Massachusetts,an interactive station called “Wearing Many Hats”encouragesvisitorstoexploregenerationsofhatdesign.Using touchscreens to capture photos of themselves,visitors scroll through various hats until they find onethey like. They can then email or print the photo ofthemselveswearingthevirtualhat.

For Further Reading Thefollowingarticlesandresourcesarerecommendedfor those who wish to learn more about natural userinterfaces.

5 Lessons In UI Design, from a Breakthrough Museumgo.nmc.org/bre(CliffKuang,Fast Company,6March2013.)TheClevelandMuseumofArtunveiledaseriesofrevampedgalleriestoconnectvisitorswithartinawaythatemphasizesthecontent without letting the technology overshadowit.Forexample,avirtualeaselsitsinfrontofaJacksonPollock painting, loaded with tools that approximatePollock’s own, so visitors can create their own drippaintingandcompareittotherealthing.

How Helsinki-Based Startup Senseg Creates Touchscreens You Can Feelgo.nmc.org/helsin(Stephen Kelly, WIRED, 11 April 13.) Finnish companySenseghasproducedathindurablematerialthatusesan ultra-low electrical current to create an attractiveforce that allows the user to feel textures, edges,and vibrations. They plan to“haptify” the whole userinterfaceforsmartphonesandtabletprototypes.

Leap Motion: 1 Million App Downloads in 3 Weeksgo.nmc.org/leapmo(John Koetsier, VentureBeat, 12 August 2013.) LeapMotion created a keyboard-free computer controllerthat is 200 times more accurate than the MicrosoftKinect,andallowsuserstocontroltheircomputerswithmidair gestures. Three weeks after their launch, LeapMotionsawoveronemilliondownloadsofitsappsand25,000downloadsoftheirsoftwaredevelopmentkit.

Lighting Solutions React to Become More Personalgo.nmc.org/light(PSFK, 22 September 2013.) Richmond Park in Londoninstalled a LumiMotion lighting system that is able todetectwhenapersonapproachesa lightatnightandincreases brightness accordingly. After the personpasses,thelightsdecreaseinintensitytosaveenergy.

Medical Museum Seeks Bucks for Touch Screen Walls, Other High-Tech Goodiesgo.nmc.org/doyle(Lizzie Schiffman, DNAinfo Chicago, 8 April 2013.)A computer scientist and museum professional isworking on a prototype for a“museum without walls”at the National Museum of Health and Medicine thatwill informtheconstructionofasatellite institution inChicago.Forthenewspace,heenvisionsfloor-to-ceilinginteractivescreensthatcanbecustomizedaccordingtotheinstallationorevent.

New Disney Technology Can Add Texture to Completely Smooth Touchscreengo.nmc.org/distech(PBS,7October2013.)DisneyresearchersinPittsburghhaveappliedelectrovibrationtosmoothtouchscreens,resulting in a textured sensation that mimics ridges,depths, and other three dimensional experiences.Thenew technology also leverages research on how thebrainisfooledintoperceivingbumpsbythestretchingoftheskinonthefingertip.

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s long as there have been museums, their mission has been to preserve and conserve our collective cultural heritage. Preservation refers to the protection of important objects, artifacts, and documents; conservation is

the science of maintaining objects in as close to their original form as possible. For both actions, there is a need to ensure that the processes are reversible so that future generations can undo the work or make revisions. As technology evolves, archivists and conservators have encountered a steady stream of new challenges in both of these tasks. Digital objects can be as delicate as ancient objects, requiring special care, and changing technologies put these digital items at great risk. Cultural works that are time-based add a level of complexity in the quest for preservation, due to the added consideration of the artist’s intent, context, or movement. Understanding and preserving how media is intended to be experienced while maintaining the integrity of its cultural identity encompasses a number of considerations such as conservation ethics, legal agreements, availability of mechanical and/or digital materials, and historical scholarship. While large museums have long employed specialists in artifact preservation, today new professionals are needed who understand digital and time-based media, and can address preservation and conservation challenges not only from physical, but artistic, cultural, engineering, electronic, and other multi-disciplinary perspectives.

OverviewAlthoughthetermspreservationandconservationareoften used interchangeably, they are distinct in theirpurposes; preservation is meant to protect and/orretardthenaturaldisintegrativepropertiesofartifacts,and the act of conservation is intended to stabilizeandrestoreartifacts insofarasthat ispossible.When

practicedconcurrently,theyfuture-proofbothphysicalanddigitalmedia,whilekeepingtheoriginalmeaningbehindtheobjectsintact.Preservationandconservationtechnologiesappearhereonthefar-termhorizon,butthey are not new topics for educational and cultural

institutions. The position of these intertwined topicsis an acknowledgement of the challenges involved inprotecting and restoring an exponentially increasingnumberofartifacts—whetheranalog,digitallynative,ortime-basedinformat.

Over the past several decades, a number of keyorganizations have developed models and standardsthatcontinuetoshapethepracticesofpreservation.In1994,theResearchLibrariesGroupandtheCommissionon Preservation and Access formed the Task Forceon Archiving of Digital Information, which ultimatelydeveloped a national system of digital archives forlong-termstorage,andwerethefirsttopresentdigitalrepositories as part of the solution. To standardizethe practice of preservation, they created the OpenArchival Information System, a landmark method forauthenticating digital documents and objects, whichtheOnlineComputerLibraryCenterbuiltuponafterthemillennium.Thisframeworkencompassesthetechnicalaspects of the workflow, from the ingesting of digital

PreservationandConservationTechnologiesTime-to-Adoption Horizon: Four to Five Years

AAside from maintaining the physical state of this media, a major concern is ensuring that the process of the conservation does not eclipse the meaning behind it.

objects to data management and access, along withrecommending five types of metadata to accompanyeach object: reference information, provenance,context,fixity,andrepresentation.

In the museum realm, digital preservation calls for anewtypeofstaffmemberwithskillsthatspanhardwaretechnologies,filestructuresandformats,storagemedia,electronicprocessorsandchips,andmore,blendingthetraining of an electrical engineer with the skills of aninventor and a computer scientist. Decoding contentandrecoveringmaterialfromdevicesorstoragemediathat may not have been used for decades requires

equipment and knowledge that few museums have,outsidethosespecializingincomputertechnology.

While preservation has largely been an ongoingpursuit for archivists, scientists, and libraries, theact of conservation is perhaps most needed in themuseum sector, where millions of physical artworksdemand constant attention from staff to remainstable and displayable. Furthermore, art installationsthat incorporate audio, video, moving elements, orrequire human interactions have added another layerof complexity, blending the physical with the digital.Asidefrommaintainingthephysicalstateofthismedia,a major concern is ensuring that the process of theconservation does not eclipse the meaning behindit.Thisraisestheneedforcuratorstoconsultwiththeartists,orreviewtherecordsofdeceasedartiststomakesurethattheoriginalintentisinterpretedascloselyaspossible.

Museums across the world also have large collectionsofelectronicmediaobjects,each representinguniquechallenges from a preservation and conservation

standpoint, including antiquated operating systems,hardware, and computer programs. Both optical andmagnetic storage fade over time, corrupting once-readable data merely through the passage of time.Furthermore, thesechallengesstilldonotaddress theissuesoffileformatsandrun-timeuseofthefiles,oncetheycanbeaccessedviatheappropriatehardware.Whilefuture technologies cannot be fully foreseen, the factthatconversationsaboutpreservationandconservationare increasinglytakingplace isan indicationthattheyarepoisedtobecomebetterunderstoodandexecutedoverthenextfourtofiveyears.

Relevance for Museum Education and InterpretationMuseums are entering an era where the number ofdigital artifacts is quickly surpassing that of physicalobjects within a museum. Objects created withoutdated technologies are at risk of being estrangedfromthecreator’soriginalintent.Althoughpreservationandconservationareofcriticalimportancetothehealthand educational importance of museum collections,understandingthespecificstrategiesandtechnologiesneeded to remedy these issues in museums and theamountofstafftrainedtoaddressthemisanevolvingchallenge.

Universitylibraryprogramsarepioneeringthenewfieldofdigitalcuration,andhelpingtotrainagenerationoffuturemuseumstafftoaddresspreservingandrestoringthemostproblematictime-basedanddigitalmaterials.Inadditiontodevelopinganunderstandingofarchivaltheory and metadata standards, students are workingdirectly with contemporary artists to determine thebest ways to preserve the integrity of artworks forgenerationstocome.

Theconservationoftime-basedmediaposesaparticularchallenge for art museums because these objectsoftenconsistofspecialmechanicalcomponentsorusetechnologies or formats that are obsolete, combinedwithaspecific intention.Forexample,deceasedvideoinstallationartistandsculptorNamJunePaikwasbestknown for creating artworks using cathode ray tubemonitors and analog television signals.The continuedmaintenanceandpresentationofPaik’sartworkshave

NMC Horizon Report: 2013 Museum Edition32

Museums are entering an era where the number of digital artifacts is quickly surpassing that of physical objects within a museum.

required museum conservators and preparators tomake decisions on how to present them, which oftenrequiresdeviating fromhis intent—directlyaffectingtheinterpretationofhisobjects.

While museums have been slow to take up formalstrategies and policies for securing and repairing theirdigital and time-based collections from deterioration,archives and libraries are hard at work on possibletechnological solutions. Currently the Library ofCongress is conducting research on historic soundrecordingsthathavebeendamagedoraredeteriorating.ThisinvestigationinspiredrecentMacArthurFellowandaudiopreservationistCarlHabertocreateasystemusinghighgigapixelimagesandspecializedimageprocessingto calculate the sound that an analog record wouldmake. In2012theculturalsignificanceofhisworkwashighlightedashistechniqueenabledindividualstohearAlexanderGrahamBell’svoicefortheveryfirsttime.

The introduction of preservation and conservationtechnologies in the NMC Horizon Report is significantbecause it shows that museums are becoming morebroadly aware that they are facing major problems intheimminentfutureiftheintricaciesofthetopicarenotmore widely understood and acted upon in the field.Therearefewknowninitiativestoserveasbestpracticemodels for conservation and preservation efforts;however,thistopic’splacementinthefar-termhorizonreflectsanincreasedfocusfrommuseums.

A sampling of applications for preservation andconservation technologies in museums includes thefollowing:

> Exhibitions and Collections. TheDallasMuseumofArtisopeningitsnewPaintingsConservationStudioaspartofthemuseum’sinitiativetoestablishamorecomprehensivein-houseconservationprogram.ThePaintings Conservation Studio features state-of-the-art technology — including a digital x-ray system—andwillserveasacenterforstudyandtreatmentofworksofartaswellasresearchintocutting-edgeconservationmethodologies.Visitorswillbeable tosee into the studio through a glass wall to observethedailyactivity:go.nmc.org/pai.

> Marketing and Communications. Museum blogsareincreasinglyfeaturingcontentfromconservationdepartmentsasawaytoprovidebehind-the-scenesaccesstorarelyseenactivities.TheBritishMuseum’sblogfeaturesscientific imagesandaYouTubevideoabouttheworkbeingdonetoconserveanddisplaytheBeauStreetHoard,acollectionofRomancoins:go.nmc.org/beau.

> Visitor Services and Accessibility. A mediaarchivingprojectcalledXFRSTNattheNewMuseumofContemporaryArt isdigitizinganddisseminatingdigitally-native materials whose formats havebecomeobsoleteinapublicallyoperatingexhibitiononarchive.org,anInternetlibraryofferingpermanentaccess for a variety of audiences, including peoplewithdisabilities:go.nmc.org/newm.

Preservation and Conservation Technologies in PracticeThe following links provide examples of preservationand conservation technologies in use that have directimplicationsformuseums:

Australia’s Oldest Culture Enters the Digital Agego.nmc.org/samuseumRemote Aboriginal communities will have access todocumented family histories, photos, and artifactsdating back to 1830 as the South Australian Museumdigitizes the largestcollectionof itskind in theworld.Some items in the collection will be made availableinternationally,whileothersectionswillberestrictedtoensuretheirculturalsensitivity.

CHIN’s Digital Preservation Toolkitgo.nmc.org/chiThe Canadian Heritage Information Network (CHIN)recentlyconductedasurveyamongtheirmemberstoidentifydigitalpreservationissuesfacingmuseums,andwillsoonreleaseitsDigitalPreservationToolkit,asuiteofdocuments thatofferconcretesteps to identify thepotential risk and impact of lost material and how togetstartedinthedevelopmentofpreservationpolicies,plans,andprocedures.

33Time-to-AdoptionHorizon:FourtoFiveYears

High-Resolution Digital Slides of Einstein’s Braingo.nmc.org/apeAperio ePathology has digitized over 550 slides ofEinstein’s brain that were originally donated to theNationalMuseumofHealthandMedicineinMaryland.Thiswillenableresearchers,scientists,andenthusiastsaroundtheworldtoviewtheoriginalslidespreparedbyDr.ThomasHarvey,thepathologistwhoconductedtheautopsyofAlbertEinsteinin1955.

Media Conservation Lab at the Guggenheimgo.nmc.org/gugThe Guggenheim launched a Media Conservation Labtoassessandmonitortheimageandsoundcontentoftime-basedmediaworksthatincludevideo,film,slide,audio or computer-based technologies and thereforehavedurationasadimension.

Robot Helps Restore Worksgo.nmc.org/restArobotinMadrid’sReinaSofiaMuseumscansartworksbysnappingphotosthatrevealcracks,scratches,creases,underlying preparatory sketches, and all subsequenttouch-upsthatwouldbeotherwiseundetectabletothehumaneye.Therobotcanbecontrolledbyacomputerfromaremotelocationandworkaroundtheclock.

Time-Based Media Conservation at Tatego.nmc.org/tatTate’s time-based media department is responsiblefor a number of conservation activities includingdocumentingartistintentionviainterviews,alongwithplanningandpreparingforfutureobsolescenceofthetechnologiesincorporatedineachwork.

Walters Art Museum Manuscript Collection at Stanfordgo.nmc.org/waltWalters Art Museum and Stanford University Librariesare working together to preserve more than 100,000high-resolutionimagesofuniquemedievalmanuscriptsinaformatthatallowsscholarstousedigitalhandlingtoolstoanalyzethemanuscripts.

Wolfsonian Museum Goes Digitalgo.nmc.org/wolIn order to make online catalog searches productive,theWolfsonianMuseuminFloridahasundertakentheprocess of photographing the museum’s more than120,000 objects and entering in accompanying data,including the name of the artist or manufacturer, theyear and place of origin, and the original media fromwhichitwascreated.

For Further Reading Thefollowingarticlesandresourcesarerecommendedfor those who wish to learn more about preservationandconservationtechnologies:

Best of Both Worlds (PDF)go.nmc.org/smin(G.Wayne Clough, Smithsonian Institution, 2013.)TheSmithsonian Institution’s free 77-page e-book coverstheirprocessofdigitizingover14millionobjectsfromtheir massive collections. The author illuminates howmuseumsarechallengedtoevolvewiththedigitalagedespitethehighcostofdigitizingcollections.

Conservation and Digital Imaging - Part 1go.nmc.org/osulab(Amy McCroy, University Libraries, 18 June 2013.)Conservators at The Digital Imaging Unit of the OSULibraries provide an inside look at what processesare involved in the repair, stabilization, and eventualdigitization of books, manuscripts, and artifacts ofculturalheritage.EverypiecethatisdigitizedisstoredinOSU’sKnowledgeBankwhereitcanbeaccessedonline.

Science Benefits Art Preservationgo.nmc.org/ben(Greg Flakus, Voice of America, 30 September 2013.)A painting found in someone’s attic in Europe wasestablished to be a newly discovered work byVincentVan Gogh after paint samples were taken from otherVan Gogh artworks, and imaging tests were used tocomparethreadsinthecanvases.

NMC Horizon Report: 2013 Museum Edition34

35Time-to-AdoptionHorizon:FourtoFiveYears

Towards a Digital Preservation Policy for Museumsgo.nmc.org/digsig(MadelineSheldon,The Signal,13June2013.)Amuseumresearcher describes the current climate of digitalpreservation as a field in its nascent stage for culturalinstitutions,withlibrariesandarchivesattheforefrontof digital preservation planning. She points to time-based media preservation initiatives by Rhizome, theGuggenheim, andTate that are shaping the strategiesothermuseumscan refer towhenplanningtheirownpreservationpolicies.

When Artworks Crash: Restorers Face Digital Testgo.nmc.org/digart(MelenaRyzik,The New York Times,9June2013.)WhentheWhitneyMuseumofAmericanArtacquiredoneofthe first Internet-made artworks, a piece called “TheWorld’sFirstCollaborativeSentence,”conservatorswerefaced with the conceptual debate of how to maintainthework’sintegrityalthoughitsmedium—codefromthe 1990s — was obsolete. Cultural institutions willhave to develop specialists in this area as new, digitalartworkscontinuetoemerge.

When Homework is Real Work: Digital Curation Students Help Preserve Media Artgo.nmc.org/cur(JonIppolito,Still Water Blog,18August2013.)StudentsintheUniversityofMaine’sDigitalCurationprogramarelearning how to use free online tools such asVariableMediaQuestionnairetorecordopinionsofartistsabouthow to conserve creative works when their currentmediums become obsolete.This tool is already in useby the Guggenheim and Whitney, as well as archivesincludingtheLangloisFoundationandRhizome.org.

University library programs are pioneering the new field of digital curation, and helping to train a generation of future museum staff to address preserving and restoring the most problematic time-based and digital materials.

his report is part of a longitudinal researchstudy of emerging technologies that beganin March 2002. Since that time, under thebanneroftheHorizonProject, theNMCanditsresearch partners have held an ongoing series

of conversations and dialogs with its advisory boards— a group that now numbers over 850 technologyprofessionals, campus technologists, faculty leadersfromcollegesanduniversities,museumprofessionals,teachers and other school professionals, and

representatives of leading corporations from all overtheworld.Formorethanadecade,theseconversationshavebeenminedtoprovidetheinsightsonemergingtechnology that are published annually in the NMC Horizon Reportseries.

The NMC Horizon Project is currently in its eleventhyear,dedicatedtochartingthelandscapeofemergingtechnologiesforteaching,learning,andcreativeinquiryin education globally. In 2008, the NMC added to thethreemainNMC Horizon Reports anewseriesofregionaland sector-based studies, called the NMC Technology Outlooks, with the dual goals of understanding howtechnologyisbeingabsorbedusingasmallerlens,and

also noting the contrasts between technology use inoneareacomparedtoanother.

Todate,theNMChasconductedstudiesoftechnologyuptakeinAustralia,NewZealand,theUK,LatinAmerica,Brazil, Singapore, and Norway, and has extended thatresearch to Europe. In 2012, the Technology Outlookseries was expanded to include sector analyses, andso far has documented technology uptake acrossSTEM+educationandcommunity,technical,andjuniorcolleges.

The 44 members of this year’s advisory board werepurposefullychosentorepresentabroadspectrumofthemuseumsector;keywriters,thinkers,technologists,and futurists from museums, education, business,and industry rounded out the group. They engagedin a comprehensive review and analysis of research,articles, papers, blogs, and interviews, discussedexistingapplications,andbrainstormednewones,andultimately ranked the items on the list of candidatetechnologies for their potential relevance to museumeducation and interpretation. This work took placeentirelyonlineandmaybereviewedontheprojectwikiatmuseum.wiki.nmc.org.

The effort to produce the NMC Horizon Report: 2013 Museum EditionbeganinAugust2013,andconcludedwhen the report was released in November 2013, aperiodof justoverthreemonths.Thesixtechnologiesand applications that emerged at the top of the finalrankings—twoperadoptionhorizon—aredetailedintheprecedingchapters.

Each of those chapters includes detailed descriptions,links to active demonstration projects, and a widearrayofadditionalresourcesrelatedtothesixprofiledtechnologies.Those profiles are the heart of the NMC

NMC Horizon Report: 2013 Museum Edition36

TheNMCHorizonProject

TThe NMC Horizon Project is currently in its eleventh year, dedicated to charting the landscape of emerging technologies for teaching, learning, and creative inquiry in education globally.

Horizon Report: 2013 Museum Edition, and will fuel theworkoftheNMCHorizonProjectthroughouttheyear.ToshareyoureducationaltechnologyprojectswiththeNMCtopotentiallybefeaturedinafutureNMC Horizon Report, the NMC Horizon Project Navigator database,or theNMCHorizonEdTechWeeklyApp,visitgo.nmc.org/projects. For those wanting to know more abouttheprocessesusedtogeneratetheNMCHorizon Report series,manyofwhichareongoingandextendtheworkinthereports,wereferyoutothereport’sfinalsectionontheresearchmethodology.

37TheNMCHorizonProject

The 44 members of this year’s advisory board were purposefully chosen to represent a broad spectrum of the museum sector; key writers, thinkers, technologists, and futurists from museums, education, business, and industry rounded out the group.

heprocessusedtoresearchandcreatetheNMC Horizon Report: 2013 Museum Editionisverymuchrootedinthemethodsusedacrossalltheresearchconducted within the NMC Horizon Project. Alleditions in the NMC Horizon Report series are

produced using a carefully constructed process thatis informed by both primary and secondary research.Dozens of technologies, meaningful trends, andcriticalchallengesareexaminedforpossibleinclusionin the report for each edition. Every report draws

on the considerable expertise of an internationallyrenowned advisory board that first considers a broadset of important emerging technologies, challenges,and trends, and then examines each of them inprogressively more detail, reducing the set until thefinal listing of technologies, trends, and challenges isselected.

This process takes place online, where it is capturedandplacedintheNMCHorizonProjectwiki.Thewikiisintendedtobeacompletelytransparentwindowontotheworkoftheproject,andcontainstheentirerecordoftheresearchforeachofthevariouseditions.

ThesectionofthewikiusedfortheNMC Horizon Report: 2013 Museum Edition can be found at museum.wiki.nmc.org.

The procedure for selecting the topics in the reportincluded a modified Delphi process now refinedover years of producing the NMC Horizon Report series, and began with the assembly of the advisoryboard. The advisory board represents a wide rangeof backgrounds, nationalities, and interests, yet eachmember brings a particularly relevant expertise. OverthedecadeoftheNMCHorizonProjectresearch,morethan 850 internationally recognized practitioners andexperts have participated on project advisory boards;in any given year, a third of advisory board membersare new, ensuring a flow of fresh perspectives eachyear. Nominations to serve on the advisory board areencouraged—seego.nmc.org/horizon-nominate.

Once the advisory board for a particular edition isconstituted,theirworkbeginswithasystematicreviewof the literature — press clippings, reports, essays,and other materials — that pertains to emergingtechnology. Advisory board members are providedwith an extensive set of background materials whentheprojectbegins,andarethenaskedtocommentonthem, identify those that seem especially worthwhile,and add to the set. The group discusses existingapplications of emerging technology and brainstormsnew ones. A key criterion for the inclusion of a topicin this edition is its potential relevance to museumeducation and interpretation. A carefully selected setof RSS feeds from hundreds of relevant publicationsensuresthatbackgroundresourcesstaycurrentastheprojectprogresses.Theyareusedtoinformthethinkingoftheparticipantsthroughouttheprocess.

Following the review of the literature, the advisoryboard engages in the central focus of the research —theresearchquestionsthatareatthecoreoftheNMCHorizonProject.Thesequestionsweredesignedtoelicit

NMC Horizon Report: 2013 Museum Edition38

Methodology

TDozens of technologies, meaningful trends, and critical challenges are examined for possible inclusion in the report for each edition.

a comprehensive listing of interesting technologies,challenges,andtrendsfromtheadvisoryboard:

1 Which of the key technologies catalogued in the NMC Horizon Project Listing will be most

important to museum education and interpretation within the next five years?

2 What key technologies are missing from our list? Consider these related questions:

> What would you list among the established technologies that some institutions are using today that arguably all museums should be using broadly to support or enhance museum education and interpretation?

> What technologies that have a solid user base in consumer, entertainment, or other industries should museums be actively looking for ways to apply?

> What are the key emerging technologies you see developing to the point that museums should begin to take notice during the next four to five years?

3 What do you see as the key challenges related to education and interpretation that museums will

face during the next five years?

4 What trends do you expect will have a significant impact on the ways in which museums use

technologies in the service of mission-mandated goals related to education and interpretation?

Oneoftheadvisoryboard’smostimportanttasksistoanswer these questions as systematically and broadlyas possible, so as to ensure that the range of relevanttopicsisconsidered.Oncethisworkisdone,aprocessthat moves quickly over just a few days, the advisoryboard moves to a unique consensus-building processbasedonaniterativeDelphi-basedmethodology.

Inthefirststepof thisapproach, theresponsestotheresearchquestionsaresystematicallyrankedandplaced

intoadoptionhorizonsbyeachadvisoryboardmemberusing a multi-vote system that allows members toweight their selections. Each member is asked to alsoidentify the timeframe during which they feel thetechnologywouldentermainstreamuse—definedforthepurposeoftheprojectasabout20%ofinstitutionsadopting itwithintheperioddiscussed. (Thisfigure isbasedontheresearchofGeoffreyA.Mooreandreferstothecriticalmassofadoptionsneededforatechnologytohaveachanceofenteringbroaduse.)Theserankingsare compiled into a collective set of responses, andinevitably, the ones around which there is the mostagreementarequicklyapparent.

Fromthecomprehensivelistoftechnologiesoriginallyconsidered for any report, the 12 that emerge at thetopofthe initial rankingprocess—fourperadoptionhorizon—arefurtherresearchedandexpanded.Oncethis“Short List” is identified, the group, working withboth NMC staff and practitioners in the field, beginsto explore the ways in which these twelve importanttechnologiesmightbeusedformuseumeducationandinterpretation. A significant amount of time is spentresearchingrealandpotentialapplications foreachoftheareasthatwouldbeofinteresttopractitioners.

Foreveryedition,whenthatworkisdone,eachofthesetwelve“ShortList” items iswrittenup inthe formatofthe NMC Horizon Report. With the benefit of the fullpicture of how the topic will look in the report, the“ShortList”isthenrankedyetagain,thistimeinreverse.ThesixtechnologiesandapplicationsthatemergearethosedetailedintheNMCHorizon Report.

For additional detail on the project methodology ortoreviewtheactual instrumentation,theranking,andthe interim products behind the report, please visitmuseum.wiki.nmc.org.

39Methodology

NMC Horizon Report: 2013 Museum Edition40

TheNMCHorizonProject:2013MuseumEditionAdvisoryBoard

Larry JohnsonCo-Principal InvestigatorNew Media ConsortiumUnitedStates

Koven SmithCo-Principal InvestigatorDenver Art Museum UnitedStates

Holly WitcheyCo-Principal InvestigatorJohns Hopkins UniversityUnitedStates

Samantha Adams BeckerLead Writer/ResearcherNew Media ConsortiumUnitedStates

Alex FreemanEditorMIDEAUnitedStates

Susana Smith Bautista University of Southern CaliforniaUnitedStatesAllegra BurnetteThe Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)UnitedStates

Suse Cairns MuseumGeek Blog Australia

Sheila CareyCanadian Heritage Information NetworkCanada

Erin Coburn ConsultantUnitedStatesDavid Dean Museum of Texas Tech UniversityUnitedStates

Guy Deschenes PhD Candidate, Museology,UQAMCanada

Ryan DonahueThe Metropolitan Museum of ArtUnitedStates

Jennifer FoleyCleveland Museum of ArtUnitedStates

Vivian Kung HagaBalboa Park Online CollaborativeUnitedStates

Susan HazanThe Israel Museum, JerusalemIsrael

Phyllis HechtJHU Museum StudiesUnitedStates

Jessica HeimbergDallas Museum of ArtUnitedStates

Nik HoneysettJ. Paul Getty Museum of ArtUnitedStates

Lynda KellyAustralian National Maritime MuseumAustralia

Eli KuslanskyUnified FieldUnitedStates

Rob LancefieldDavison Art Center, Wesleyan UniversityUnitedStates

Miriam LangerNew Mexico Highlands UniversityUnitedStates

Jack LuddenJ. Paul Getty TrustUnitedStates

Elizabeth MerrittAAMUnitedStates

Jonathan MunarArt 21UnitedStates

Mike MurawskiPortland Art MuseumUnitedStates

Liz NeelyArt Institute of ChicagoUnitedStates

Lorna O’BrienNorth Lands Creative Glass / Timespan Museum and Arts CentreScotland

Lori Byrd PhillipsThe Children’s Museum of IndianapolisUnitedStates

Victoria PortwaySmithsonian National Air and Space MuseumUnitedStates

Mia RidgeMuseums Computer Group / Open University / Open Objects BlogUnitedKingdom

Ed RodleyPeabody Essex MuseumUnitedStates

Adrianne RussellMarianna Kistler Beach Museum of ArtUnitedStates

Suzanne SarrafNational Gallery of ArtUnitedStates

Scott SayreSandbox StudiosUnitedStates

Marsha SemmelNoyce Leadership Institute /Independent ConsultantUnitedStates

John StackTateUnitedKingdom

Len SteinbachSteinbach and AssociatesUnitedStates

Robert TrioHong Kong Maritime MuseumHongKong

Don UndeenThe Metropolitan Museum of ArtUnitedStates

John WeberInstitute of the Arts and Sciences, University of California, Santa CruzUnitedStates

Heather Marie WellsCrystal Bridges Museum of American ArtUnitedStates

Bruce WymanBruce Wyman & AssociatesUnitedStates

Under the banner of the Horizon Project, the NMC and its research partners have held an ongoing series of conversations and dialogs with its advisory boards — a group that now numbers over 850 technology professionals, campus technologists, faculty leaders from colleges and universities, museum professionals, teachers and other school professionals, and representatives of leading corporations from all over the world.

NMC

T 512-445-4200F 512-445-4205E communications@nmc.org

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The NMC Horizon Report.Now available weekly.

HZIntroducingtheNMCHorizonEdTechWeeklyAppfortabletsandsmartphones.GetweeklyupdatesofthehottestnewsintheEdTechworld.Searchourever-expandingdatabaseofprojects,reports,andnewsaboutinnovationsinteachingandlearning.DownloadandshareallNMC Horizon Reports.Fromanywhere.FindusintheiTunesStoreatgo.nmc.org/iosandinGooglePlayatgo.nmc.org/android.

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