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THE SOCIAL MUSEUM: YOUTUBE AND COLLECTIONS MANAGEMENT
A thesis submitted to the faculty ofSan Francisco State University
'V o I S In partial fulfillment ofthe requirements for
. C u t * ' * ' ’ the Degree
Master of Arts
In
Museum Studies
by
Sara Nicole Godin
San Francisco, California
August 2018
THE SOCIAL MUSEUM: YOUTUBE AND COLLECTIONS MANAGEMENT
Sara Nicole Godin San Francisco, California
2018
As society embraces the digital age, how are museums working with social media platforms to create collections-based content that taps into the unparalleled ability of social media to engage audiences, while balancing the need to preserve and supply access to collections? In this thesis, collections-based social media content that is developed by museums and published on the social media platform YouTube is examined. A review of literature concerning social media and collection management practices is conducted, followed by three case studies o f museums that are actively creating collections-based content for YouTube. A discussion of key themes is then followed by presenting several conclusions and recommendations. It is concluded that collections care can still be maintained while creating collections-based content for social media and that production of content is likely to expand as museums recognize the benefits of engaging audiences through social media.
I certify that the abstract is a correct representation of the content of this thesis.
Date
CERTIFICATION OF APPROVAL
I certify that I have read The Social Museum: YouTube and Collections Management by
Sara Nicole Godin, and that in my opinion this work meets the criteria for approving a
thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree Master o f Arts in
Museum Studies at San Francisco State University.
r. Edward Luby, Ph.DProfessor of Museum Studies
Paxoj, ^
Paige Bardolph, M.A.Lecturer of Museum Studies
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
To Dr. Edward Luby and Paige Bardolph, thank you for your support, advice, expertise,
and listening ears throughout this entire process.
To my friends, I could have never have done any of this without your support, your
shoulders to lean on, and your advice when I had nowhere to turn.
To Frank, this thesis is truly dedicated to you, for without your support, none of this
would have been possible.
v
TABLE OF CONTENTS
List of Appendices...................................................................................................................ix
Introduction................................................................................................................................1
Literature Review......................................................................................................................6
Collections Management.............................................................................................6
Social Media and Museums....................................................................................... 12
Basics of YouTube......................................................................................................19
YouTube and Museums.............................................................................................25
Methods....................................................................................................................................33
Case Study: Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County..........................................39
The Curiosity Show ....................................................................................................43
Analysis.......................................................................................................................45
Case Study: Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco............................................................... 48
FAMSF YouTube Channel........................................................................................51
Analysis....................................................................................................................... 54
Case Study: American Museum of Natural History............................................................ 56
Shelf L ife .....................................................................................................................59
Analysis....................................................................................................................... 62
Discussion............................................................................................................................... 64
Recommendations & Final Thoughts................................................................................... 73
References............................................................................................................................... 79
Appendices...............................................................................................................................88
vi
LIST OF APPENDICES
Appendix Page
1. AAM2018................................................................................................................88
2. AMNH 2018a........................................................................................................... 90
3. AMNH 2018b........................................................................................................... 91
4. AMNH 2018c........................................................................................................... 91
5. AMNH 2018d........................................................................................................... 92
6. AMNH 2018e........................................................................................................... 93
7. Facebook 2018a........................................................................................................ 94
8. Facebook 2018a........................................................................................................ 94
9. Facebook 2018c........................................................................................................ 95
10. Facebook 2018d........................................................................................................ 95
11.FAMSF 2018a.......................................................................................................... 96
12. FAMSF 2018c.......................................................................................................... 97
13. FAMSF 2018c.......................................................................................................... 98
14. FAMSF 2018d.......................................................................................................... 99
15. FAMSF 2018e.......................................................................................................... 99
16. Field Museum 2018................................................................................................ 100
17. Google 2018............................................................................................................101
18. Internet Creators Guild 2018..................................................................................101
19. NHMLA 2018a........................................................................................................102
20. NHMLA 2018b........................................................................................................103
21. NHMLA 2018c........................................................................................................104
22. NHMLA 2018d........................................................................................................105
23. Simon 2018..............................................................................................................106
24. YouTube 2018a........................................................................................................107
vii
Introduction
The balance between preservation and access s a delicate one, as museums
maintain the physical integrity of their collections and the public’s access to view,
research, and actively enjoy collections through activities such as exhibitions, collections
tours, and increasingly, through online media. As society embraces the digital age,
however, and people and museums embrace social media, a new technique for sharing
collections has emerged in the form of YouTube videos. By sharing museum collections
with online audiences through social media, collections-based content can serve as a
potential education tool for museums. Institutions can now engage new audiences with
their collections through online video and nrovide access to objects that may never have
been exhib..sd, were accessed mainly by researchers, or where viewing was limited to
tours of physical spaces.
Educational programming has been rapidly expaneing across the video-sharing
website YouTube, as online creators utilize the platform to produce educational content
covering a range of topics for all ages. Museums, as institutions of learning, can help
expand their educational activities by producing content utilizing their collections to help
their audiences better understand the concepts presented, and can interact with audiences
n a place where they spent much of their time, on social media platforms. As museums
work to provide engaging social media content for audiences, they can also build on the
fact that the public views them as trusted sources of information, as important stewards of
collections, and as places of possessing extensive knowledge of their objects.
2
Through the creation of collections-based content for YouTube and other social
media platforms, museums can engage with a broad range of demographic groups who
actively use social media in their daily lives. Through this engagement process, museums
can inform new audiences about their activities, implement educational goals, and entice
visitors to visit the institution in person or to participate in other educational activities
offered on the museum’s website.
In this thesis, the development, implementation, and evaluation of museum
activities involving collections on YouTube channels will be examined. This thesis
addresses the following questions: who on the staff participates in the filming of content
for YouTube and how are teams developed? What are the museum’s goals for the
project? How are collections cared for throughout tne filming process, and are best
practices for collections being upheld? How are collections staff actively involved with
the filming and production, how is filming in secure areas negotiated, and are collections
being protected while filming is taking place around them?
To investigate current practices regarding usage of YouTube to produce
collections-based content across the museum field, three case studies were conducted
with museums that are actively creating collections-based content, in addition to a review
of current literature of social media and collection management practices. As social
media increasingly becomes a tool implemented at museums, identifying the processes
museums are currently utilizing to showcase collections on their platforms is vital.
3
The literature review (Chapter 2) examines existing sources from museum studies
literature to understand how museums with collections-based content should protect
collections during the filming process. Basic collections management practices are
outlined, emphasizing the importance of object handling, training, security protocols, and
storage facilities. Next, the review surveys literature of basic social media history,
demographics of popular social media platforms, and current social media practices by
museums and nonprofits, followed by a brief overview ofYouTube.com, which outlines
the launch of the website, its features, and changes that have been made over its 13-year
history. Lastly, the literature review examines how museums are currently using
YouTube and the resources ava"able to museums to best make use of their social media
accounts.
Chapter 3 outlines the methods used for this thesis, including a description of the
literature review and how case studies were selected. The set of interview questions asked
by the author to relevant context experts at case study museums is outlined, as well as the
methods and results of an informal survey of museum websites concerning the use of
social media platforms, including YouTube, to highlight collections-related content.
Chapter 4 presents the first case study, The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles
County, where The Curiosity Show highlights research being conducted with the
collections. Chapter 5 introduces the second case study, Fine Arts Museums of San
Francisco, where collections-based content is only an aspect the museums’ approach to
social media content, but one that actively focuses on collections. Chapter 6 presents the
4
third case study, American Museum of Natural History, where Shelf Life highlights the
collections rarely seen by the public and presents stories about them. Chapter 7 of this
thesis offers a discussion of the previous three case studies in consideration with the
literature review and outlines three key themes concerning the development of
collections-based content tor YouTube. Finally, Chapter 8 offers conclusions and
recommendations about how museums are developing and using collections-based
content on social media to engage with their audiences.
Social media, at times, can seem like a daunting tool for museums to use, due to
the frequent changes in associated technology, the need to generate content, and
availability of the staff and time to keep the accounts active. However, as museums
understand the benefits of using social media platforms especially YouTube to showcase
their collections, museums will need to dedicate more time, effort, and training to social
media platforms and creating content to engage with their audiences balanced with
collections management protocols and the essential time and care that is needed to
steward objects that are entrusted within museums.
5
Literature Review
Collections Management
Collections management is a broad term in museum practice and is commonly
applied to all aspects of caring for a museum collection, such as registration or
organization of associated documentation of objects, the preservation of the collection,
and providing access to the collection through exhibits or research (Ladkin 2004). These
practices play an important role in ensuring that collections assist in supporting the
museum s mission in whichever way they are being used, in addition to ensuring that the
limited resources of the museum are being used efficiently.
This chapter will provide a brief overview of collection management procedures
and practices. Key literature from the field demonstrates the existence of standards,
guidance, surveys, and importance of a collection management policy, which includes
provisions for such areas as storage, proper object handling training, security protocols,
and copyright.
The museum field has developed standards and best practices for collections
stewardship. For example, the American Alliance of Museum has published Collections
Stewardship (AAM 2018a) and the International Council of Museums (ICOM) has
published standards for several areas in collections managements, including loans,
accessioning, and disaster planning (ICOM 2018a). Riebel and Van Horn (2017), Caitlin-
Legutko (2013), and the National Park Service’s Museum Handbook (2016) serve as
resources for best practices for collections stewardship in the field.
6
In 2005, the Heritage Preservation, an organization now under Foundation of the
American Institute for Conservation (FAIC), in partnership with the Institute of Museum
and Library Services (IMLS) published the first comprehensive survey of the collections
held throughout the United States. The collections surveyed range from historic objects,
natural science collections, art collections, and archival collections (Heritage Health
Index 2005). This study revealed that over 4.8 billion objects are cared for nationwide, in
various states of condition (Heritage Health Index 2005). Through survey questions,
information pertaining to collections’ environment, storage, security, and intellectual
control were gathered. The survey results can help museum personnel better understand
the scope of challenges faced by organizations that are entrusted with the care and
management of collections.
Everyday activities in collections management are guided by the museum’s
policies and procedures in terms of collections (Ladkin 2004). One such policy is the
Collections Management Policy, which provides rules and guidelines for what is done
within the collection, is informed as standards based on the museum field evolve, and is
advised by the basic scope of the collections that is held at the museum and is used as a
reference tool to help make decisions about the collection (Meister and Hoff 2011). With
this in mind, an in-depth look at specific needs of collections can be completed, as
outlined below.
Proper storage is vital for museum collections, as it is where the collection is
housed when it is not on display or being actively used. Storage must protect the
7
collection from any harmful factors, such as a unstable environments, disasters, and
possible theft, while also preserving it for future usage. To best protect the collection, a
collection storage space should be separate from other museum activities, such as the
gallery or educational spaces, as it w"l assist with controlling the physical environment.
Aspects of the environment that should be controlled include light levels, temperature
and relative humidity, any pollutants, and risk of pests (Ladkin 2004). Light can be an
especially destructive force on objects, as the damage is cumulative and objects can never
recover from the damage received. Light can cause pigment to fade, the weakening and
disintegration of material, and can generate heat to cause more damage to an object
(Fisher 2010). Ultraviolet (UV) is the most damaging type of light on the light spectrum
and can be caused by both daylight and conventional light sources (Fisher 2010). Because
of this potential for damage, museums should be cautious with their light sources by
measuring any light with a light meter to ensure that it is within the recommended
measurement of microwatts or lux for objects’ safety and make the appropriate changes,
such as lowering light levels, installing UV-filtering, or changing light-bulb types.
Additionally, within the collection space, objects should not be crowded or
overpacked, as this will make it difficult for any collections staff to retrieve any object
safely (Ladkin 2004). Ensuring that objects are housed safely within the collection
storage space, easier access to objects is created for all aspects of collections work, such
as preservation, research, and exhibition design. When collections staff retrieve objects,
however, they place them at an increased risk of damage, due to handling and movement.
8
Collections staff must balance preservation verses access, as without handling, no
collection could be exhibited or used in research. Simple precautions should be taken
when handling and moving objects, such as having clean hands or wearing protective
cotton or nitrile gloves, planning the walking route ahead of the move to ensure that there
are no obstructions, and always know where the object is going to be placed after you
have moved it (Neilson 2010). Each museum will have their own guidelines about who
can and cannot handle objects, such as volunteers and interns, and this information
should all be contained within the institution's Collection Management Policy. However,
those individuals who do not have prior training in object handling should not handle any
object throughout the collection (Neilson 2010). The 2005 Heritage Health Index reveals
that ‘significant damage due to handling has occurred at 3% of institutions, and some
damage from handling has happened at 5% of institutions” (2005). While no institution
thinks that damage will happen to their objects, this statistic demonstrates that it does
happen and that policies should be in place to minimize the risk.
Access to the collections storage space, and to collections in general, should
ideally be restricted to all personnel via a locked and secure location, and controlled
entry, through keys, alarm codes, or other forms of keyless entry. Staff responsible for
collections and the collections storage area also are responsible for overseeing visitors
and other staff when they are working within the collections storage area to ensure that
the area remains secure. Additionally, records of staff having key access and any visitors
accessing the collection spaces should be kept, as a precaution in case something does
9
happen, such as a theft. All of these points should be outlined in any Collections
Management Policy under a section pertaining to security, so that all museum employees
are aware of the protocols that are in place (Ladkin 2004). In the Heritage Health Index, it
was found that “art museums [were] most likely to have adequate security in all areas
(59%), followed by history museums/historic sites (50%)” (2005). These statistics reveal
fhat security is a concern spanning all collections and types of museums and is an issue
that all museums should take seriously.
Alongside the degree of physical access anyone may have to the collection, a
museum’s Collections Management Policy should also outline the access a person may
have to any digital rights to any collections-related materials, and when a person can and
cannot be a denied access (Malaro and DeAngelis 2012). Copyright plays an active role
in this circumstance, as museums often own objects that were created by others, yet own
the collections in the public trust, and have to balance this act as they sell products with
reproduced images in their gift shops, produce content for social media, and license
reproductions. Having a basic understanding of intellectual property is essential to respect
these legal boundaries.
Copyright, as defined, is “as form of protection provided by a national
government to creators of original works of authorship...” (Steiner 2010). Under United
States law, copyright protects any physical expression of an idea, rather than the idea
itself, and may be held by the original owner, or be, sold, leased, borrowed, or transferred
over to a new owner, such as a museum (Malaro and DeAngelis 2012, Steiner 2010). By
10
having copyright to an object, an owner has exclusive right to reproduce, adapt,
distribute, publicly perform (if applicable), and publicly display the object. Each of these
rights can influence how museums use specific objects or works throughout their
museum, whether it be in marketing and publications, in social media postings, or in web
access online. As museums' digital presences keep expanding online, audiences may
expect to see more of the collection available to browse online. The Heritage Hea'th
Index reported that ’’only a quarter of institutions provide online access to the content of
their collections or holdings through such things as online exhibitions, interactive
resources, digital art, or digital copies of photographs, documents, or books. 8% predict
that they will begin to provide such content within a year” (2005). Having online access
to collections bridges the gap between collections management and the public, as it can
inspire research, the creation of artwork, or an in-person visit to the institution.
Online access to collections can occur in a variety of ways, such as a front-facing
version of the institution’s collections management system or a built-in photo gallery
with information on the website at the time of this thesis. Museums recently have started
experimenting with social media postings of their collections to give more information to
iheir audience about their collections.
The next section of the literature review will focus on how museums have been
using social media in the age of Web 2.0.
11
Social Media and Museums
This chapter will provide a foundation for understanding the rise of social media
and how museums today are navigating the new landscape of digital media.
Social media began as a direct result of the transition from the World Wide Web
to Web 2.0 that began in the 1990s, as web content focused more on user-generated
content and social communication between users (Rouse and Haughn 2015). The rise of
social communication ftas become an integral part of Internet use and culture, as personal
networking websites and photo and video sharing websites have risen to popularity
within the past twenty years.
While social media platforms have come and gone, have been through major
redesigns, or have been purchased by other companies, a set of common factors among
the popular services that are currently available to the public have been identified by
those studying the Internet and its current effects on human culture and society. These
common factors are: 1. Social media are Web 2.0 based; 2. User-generated content is at
the center of the website; 3. Users and groups create profiles for the website or app that
are designed and maintained by the social media platform; and 4. The social media
platform facilitates the growth of the platform through the connection of users’ and
groups’ profiles (Obar and Wildman 2015). These factors can be applied to all of the
major social media websites, such as Facebook, Twitter. Instagram, Snapchat, Tumblr,
and YouTube.
12
As social media websites began to rise in popularity in the early 2000s, research
organizations such as the Pew Research Center began to analyze the usage of social
media across the United States among adults and teenagers to understand the effects
social media can have on a variety of issues and people’s way of life. In 2015, a ten year
study was released, demonstrating that between 2005 and 2015 the usage of social media
by American adults rose rapidly from 7% of Americans to 65% of Americans (Perrin
2015). During this time, young adults were found to be the most likely to use social
media platforms, with 90% of adults ages 18 to 29 actively having a profile on a social
media website (Perrin 2015). In contrast to this data, usage by adults 65 and older has
risen to 35%, while in 2005 only 2% of older Americans were using social media
platforms (Perrin 2015). In 2005, there was a gender disparity of usage, with women
being more likely to use social media; however, the disparity has lessened, as 68% of all
American women use social media, compared with 62% of all American men (Perrin
2015). Additionally, it was noted that those with some college experience were more
likely to use social media than those with a high school degree or less, however, the rate
of usage by those with a high school degree has rapidly been increasing to be more than
50% (Perrin 2015).
In addition to their ten year long study, Pew P.esearch Center also does yearly
surveys on the usage of social media, examining which platforms are the most popular
among specific demographics. Their most recent survey at the time of this thesis, held
during early 2018, found that Facebook and YouTube were the prominent social media
13
platforms that all age demographics used, with 73% of all Americans using YouTube and
68% of all Americans using Facebook, either through a computer or their cellphone
(Anderson and Smith 2018). Additionally, American young adults (ages 18 to 24) use a
variety of other platforms, such as Snapchat, instagram, and Twitter (Anderson and
Smith 2018). The survey also asked participants which platforms they visited several
times a day, about once a day, or less often, and found that Faceoook and Snapchat were
visited several times a day by around 50% of the participants and Instagram by 38% of
the participants. Twitter and YouTube were found be visited less often than a day by
around 55% of the participants (Anderson and Smith 2018).
These surveys and statistics showcase the changing landscaoe of social media and
its user base. By having an understanding of both the popular platforms and the
demographics who use them, museums can tailor their presence on their social media
accounts to ensure that they are reaching their intended audiences and that these viewers
are consuming the ideal content, while also offering an opportunity for visitors to interact
and learn from the content posted.
Many nonprofits and museums are aware of the use of social media as an
effective tool for marketing brand awareness, a way to advertise online-based fundraising
efforts, and as a method to attract visitors and volunteers. In a recent 2018 report by the
Nonprofit Tech for Good and the Public Interest Registry, 95% of those surveyed said
that social media is a useful tool for brand awareness; however, only 32% have a written
social media policy (Hrywna 2018). Additionally, more than 70% noted that social media
14
is an effective tool for online fundraising, and 80% surveyed noted that social media is an
effective tool for recruiting volunteers (Hrywna 2018). The survey also asked each
participant which social media nlatform they used, with Facebook being the most popular
among nonprofit organizations at 93%, followed by Twitter at 77%, YouTube at 57%,
and Instagram at 56% (Hrywna 2018). The frequency each organization posted to their
various accounts ranged as well, as 1 in 5 organizations reported they posted weekly, and
1 in 5 organizations reported they posted two or more times a day (Hrywna 2018). Four
out of five organizations reported that they use their Facebook pages to post live from a
special event or to specifically showcase their organization’s work (Hrywna 2018).
While research has shown that nonprofits in general are making strides to use
social media to educate the public about the institution's ongoing work and to involve the
public, it is not enough for museums specifically to use their profiles as a place to post
content about the work they are doing. Instead, research suggests that museums should
develop a social media strategies to engage in two-way communication with their online
visitors, as suggested by a study performed by the Arts Council England, MLA and Arts
and Business (2010).
Moreover, within the United States, a survey of arts organizations performed in
2013 found that many of the organizations were using social media to expand upon their
marketing and education endeavors, while also allowing for opportunities to share
content and interact with visitors’ comments (Thomson et al. 2013). Additionally through
this survey, 81% of the participants reported that “the internet and digital technologies are
15
“very important” for promoting the arts” (Thomson et al. 2013), 78% noted that social
media is “very important” for increasing their audience engagement efforts, and 58%
“strongly agreed” that the internet “has increased engagement in the arts by providing a
public platform through which more people can share their work” (Thomson et al. 2013).
When asked about the benefits or impacts that social media has had on the work they
have done ai their organization, it was reported that through content posting they were
able clarify the work that they do, communicate better with their audiences, and most
importantly, provide a platform for their audience to engage with each other and allow
for their content to spread throughout their audience (Thomson et al. 2013). The greatest
challenge many organizations reported was having the capacity to run their social media
profiles, in terms of staff and time resources (Thomson et al. 2013). While these
organizations would benefit from using the developing technology that is available to
them, it is constantly evolving and having to research these platforms and learn how to
use them effectively takes time.
When focusing on marketing and actively engaging with an online audience, it is
recommended that museums should start with a Facebook profile that is “regularly
updated and managed on a daily basis” (Suzic et al. 2016). Posting engaging content on
the Facebook platform would help engage with a range of demographics, because, as
previously stated more than two thirds of Americans using Facebook regularly. Similarly,
it is recommended that when establishing an online presence, museums should develop
an integrative social media policy, as having one in place may have a positive impact on
16
the museum’s brand image and can help foster dialogue online with their intended
audience (Suzic et al. 2016).
Suggestions for social media policies and handbooks have been circulating since
the mid-2000s and have recently to become more popular as more and more museums
have moved into the landscape of social media and as employees create their own profiles
in affiliation with the museum. Nina Simon, owner of the blog Museum 2.0, writing of
this issue in 2008, suggested that museums should develop a social media handbook to
serve as a resource to employees when they are developing social media projects. It could
serve as a catalog of all of the social media projects done at the museum, while also
hosting all of the available resources, such as the museum's logo, specific tags that
should be used, approved photos, where to find other copyright-free materials, and
assistance with templates and names (Simon 2008). Additionally, both the Institute of
Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and the Smithsonian have published helpful
guides that cover the importance of social meo’i policies and provide sample policies and
guides for individual platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Having these
policies in place helps to protect the content that is being uploaded, and also helps protect
the objects that are potentially being shown within the content, as copyright may need to
be procured, or the objects may not be approved to be shown on social media due to
cultural sensitivity or otner reasons.
In better understanding social media as a concept, and how nonprofits in general
have been using it, it becomes easier to see how museums can begin to develop content
17
for the YouTube platform. The next section will give a brief history of YouTube and the
features it offers to help to museums build their channels for content.
18
Basics of YouTube
This section provides a historic look at the development of the video-sharing
website, YouTube.com, as it rose from the development of Web 2.0 to become a major
website with millions of visitors, as well as an overview of its features. The transition
from the World Wide Web to Web 2.0 began in the mid 199Us, as websites began to
focus more on social communication between visitors and user-generated content (Rouse
and Haughn 2015). This shift from stauc to interactive has allowed for the rise of social
networking websites of all forms, such as photo and video sharing websites, personal
networking websites, and wikis. While some of these websites have fluctuated within
popularity, one that has maintained its popularity is the video sharing website
YouTube.com (comScore 2010).
Created by three former employees ofPaypal.com, YouTube.com first appeared
on the Internet in June, 2005, with minimal public notice. The primary goal of the
website was to create a website platform for uploading ana sharing video where the users
did not need to have high levels of technical knowledge pertaining to software and
bandwidth that many of the similar websites of the time required. By not limiting the
number of videos a user could upload, in addition to offering a simple way to share
videos through provided URLs and HTML codes for websites, YouTube quickly became
one of the fastest growing websites on the Internet at the time (O’Malley 2006),
outranking many of the popular websites of the time.
19
Soon after its launch, YouTube became one of the most visited websites on the
Internet, and within a vear of existence, it was announced that popular Internet company
Google was going to purchase YouTube.com. This sale, valued at $1.65 billion in stocks,
was Google’s second largest acquisition at the time (Sorkin and Peters 2006). This
purchase allowed YouTube to reach higher popularity and access to greater resources to
allow the website to constantly develop and update features to meet its users’ needs.
Since the Google buyout, the company has continued to grow rapidly, and become a
worldwide phenomenon, establishing local versions of the website in over 88 different
countries and over 76 different languages, representing over 95 percent of the Internet
population (YouTube 2018a). Due to this sharp rise in popularity, YouTube now has over
one billion users, representing almost one third of all Internet users, who consume an
average of a billion hours of content a day (YouTube 2018a). As of 2013, eight years
after YouTube's launch, 31 percent of American adults have uploaded a video to
YouTube, and 72 percent have watched a video on YouTube or Vimeo (a similar video
sharing website that specialized in high-defmition video and is more restricted than
YouTube) (Robbins 2015).
Over thirteen years after YouTube’s launch, the website looks vastly different but
it offers its users new and improved services. The website now offers an easy-to-use
homepage, giving users access to popular and recommended videos sorted by topic, in
addition to a search bar prominently displayed on the homepage, allowing users to search
by title, subject, or video tags. Alongside being able to watch video content on the
20
website, users are able to interact with the content via a comment, like, or dislike.
Aligning with their goals from when the website launched in 2005, users can upload as
many videos as thev would prefer, in addition to the website generating shareable links to
allow for easy distribution of content.
As YouTube has been popular for over a decade, smaller communities began to
develop within the website, as users rallied around their favorite content creators.
Keeping these communities in mind, YouTube developed a sociai-mecia-like structure
and is helping to facilitate an easy connection between the creator and the viewer, and an
increased conversation between the two. As of September, 2016, YouTube announced the
beta launch of “YouTube Community”, advertised as “new, simple way to engage with
your viewers and express yourself beyond video” (McEvoy 2016). Through this new
addition to YouTube creators’ pages, creators can streamline the sharing of content, such
as text and images, directly through their YouTube page to their supporters, rather than
going to a third-party social media website to communicate with their community. This
new design is important to the growth and development of YouTube as the website had
already ventured into the social media landscape in the past, as their parent company,
Google, had forced YouTube to adopt their social media platform, Google+, in 2013.
While the purpose of this adoption was to create a more welcoming commenting section
on YouTube videos, there was backlash, as it was seen by the user base as forcing people
to adopt the failing Google social media platform by targeting an audience on an
established website (Janakiram and Zunger 2018). After much commentary from both
21
users and creators, Google decided to remove the Google+ function from Youtube in
mid-2015, preserving its reputation as an easy access social platform.
YouTube creates new services not only for their viewers but also to aid their
content creators. Starting in 2013, YouTube launched the “YouTube Creator Academy”
(YouTube 2018b), originally beginning as a one-time series broadcasting on YouTube
itself, but due to its popularity, transformed it into a senes of guided lessons and courses
accessible to all users wanting to learn how to develop their channel. Covering a range of
lessons, such as “Activate your nonprofit status”, “Building an educational channel on
YouTube”, and “Production Skills”, these lessons are accessible to any user of YouTube
and are available in 20 different languages. These lessons are helping to foster a more
creative community of users and creators, in addition to professionalizing the field.
YouTube has also begun to support educational content on their website, in
addition to the traditional content of video-blogs, music videos, and animal educational
content. Educational videos are the second-most popular type of internet video content
50 percent of all online adults view educational videos on the Internet (Robbins 2015).
Through partnering with content creators and firms such as PBS Digital Studios, web
series focusing on science, history, health, art history, and other AP-studies related
subjects have been published on YouTube since 2012. One such show, Crash Course by
Complexly, which focuses on a variety of science and humanities subjects, has nearly 7.5
million subscribers and over 800 views on their videos (CrashCourse 2018).
Comparatively, The Art Assignment, a weekly show focusing on art history, interviews
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with artists, and social interaction with its viewers and maintained also by Complexly,
has just over 200,000 subscribers and over 6 million views on their videos
(TheArtAssignment 2018). Both of these channels have partnered with YouTube and
have received funding from the company to aid content creation. YouTube also supports
a space for this educational content by creating a “YouTube #Education” Channel for
videos to be aggregated for easy viewing.
The concept of making a video “viral” is an essential part of success of YouTube,
as it means a video is peaking at successfulness (Jiang 2015). For each content creator, or
even YouTube itself, the definition of “viral” is different. Within the past two years,
YouTube has debuted a “Trending” tab on the homepage of the website, allowing visitors
to track viral videos in real time, tracking new videos based off their real time comments,
views, where the views are coming from, rate of growth, and how old the video may be
(Google 2018). Despite this benchmark set by YouTube, for less popular content
creators, making a “viral” video make simply mean having a video spike above a million
views, which could be a large number of views for them.
Despite all of these key YouTube services being developed to assist users and
content creators, there are still YouTube-culture gu*Je:;nes that should be followed to
attract viewers. YouTube culture has been developing since the website launched in
2007, creating unspoken rules that creators follow across the platform. One important
guideline is video length. The human attention span lasts a finite amount of time that
correlates with the average YouTube video being approximately 3 minutes and 53
23
seconds (Pew Research Center 2012). To create content that resonates with viewers,
content creators do not want to bore their viewers by going over the ideal time
excessively, allowing them to stay engaged with the content. By doing so, this time limit
eliminates long-winded discussions, such as lectures, and as a well-known example,
TedTalks rarely go over 20 minutes (Gallo 2014). The time limit also ensures that content
creators are actively thinking about their content and identifying what they want their
viewers to learn from their content.
With YouTube constantly evolving and developing new features, it is important
for content creators to understand the development of the website and the services
available to them while they are creating content. The next section of this literature
review will focus on how museum institutions are actively using the YouTube platform
as a form of social media.
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YouTube and Museums
This section will provide a basic overview of the current endeavors of museums
using YouTube to connect with their online audiences and to extend the reach of the
museum beyond their four walls. While establishing and maintaining a YouTube channel
in a museum may not always be the easiest task, due to time, staffing, and general
resources, however, that does not mean it is unattainable for a museum to invest their
efforts into YouTube. With the wide array of content that is currently available for people
to consume on the Internet, a museum with a YouTube channel can add to the
educational landscape that is currently developing on the YouTube platform.
Due to decreased audience attendance and decreased funding, in the mid-2000s
when YouTube first launched, museums realized they needed to attract new audiences
and foster connections between both them and their current audience base. Because of
this realization, museums knew that museums needed “to invite visitors and other
constituents to actively participate” (Anonymous 2007) in the museum. Ed Schlossberg,
the founder of ESI Design, outlined several methods for museums to use YouTube, and
other online platforms, to connect with audiences. He recommends that museums
research new audiences and attempt to reach them by specifically developing new
programs for their demographic, such as the Museum of Modern Art in New York’s
collaboration with teens to develop programming aimed at high school students
(Anonymous 2007). It is also recommended to use the content developed to educate
audiences about art and how it can be used as a lens to explore the world (Anonymous
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2007). With these methods in mind from the early beginnings of YouTube’s
development, museums can begin basic development of YouTube to connect with
potential audiences.
Since 2007, Y ouTube has gone through massive changes, both in regards to the
services they offer and the content that is popular throughout the website, such as
allowing users to receive updates when their favorite channels upload a new video and
for content creators to have new ways on their page to interact with viewers. Many
museums are beginning to experiment - and find success - in content that is stylized in
“TV-show-style” content on YouTube, as it “brings viewers back again and again, [and]
offers museums the opportunity to build a large and engaged audience around their
show’s online presence” (Kehl 2016). These TV-show-style channels can provide a
means for museums to explore a variety of topics in individual videos, via a “season” or
series of videos on a specific topic, in addition to allowing researchers, collection
managers, and citizen scientists to speak about the materials they work with every day.
YouTube as a platform is also popular with minorities and young adults, as the website
gets more views from 18 to 34-year-olds than any U.S. cable network (Kehl 2016), and
these demographics are often the ones museums are actively trying to connect with, both
inside their museum and with their online content. By creating online YouTube based
content, especially those stylized after TV shows, museums can aim to be a trusted name
in the field, with accurate, high-quality, educational content. Currently, natural history
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museums are paving the way with content stylized in this way, such as The Brain Scoop
hosted at the Field Museum and Shelf Life at the American Museum of Natural History.
Creating a project as massive as a YouTube channel can be daunting, especially
when the project has specific goals that must align with the museum's mission and vision
and viewer engagement is not always trackable online. While YouTube channels, and any
other social media platform, can track video and web analytics, YouTube is not always
straightforward with analyzing how viewers are engaging with the content, besides how
long they are watching the video and what demographic they fall into. Because of this, it
may seem hard to quantify if YouTube is worth the investment. Emily Graslie, creator
and host of The Brain Scoop filmed at The Field Museum, says that rather than being
focused on investment, “this is communication, but it’s not looking to generate a ton of
revenue for our institution. It’s outreach for our scientists” (Kehl 2016). To compare, in
2015, the Field Museum was visited by more than 3 million people, while within the first
three years of The Brain Scoop’s launch on YouTube, it was viewed by 12 million people
(Kehl 2016). With these numbers, it is clear that the content that is being released on
YouTube is reaching an online audience and helping foster a connection between the
museum and the viewers, even if it is not fully measurable.
Natural history museums are not the only institutions to experiment in the realm
of YouTube-hosted content, however. Some art museums have also been uploading video
content to reach out to online viewers to educate about their collections and art in general.
In a study that specifically examined how art museums were using video-based content
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(not exclusive to YouTube as several published content to ArtTube, a larger website
modeled after the popular art video website ArtBabble), it was discovered that within the
art realm, there are various motivations and usages for the platform. The Solomon R.
Guggenheim Museum in New York created an ambitious project titled YouTube Play in
collaboration with YouTube, HP, and Intel, where they wanted to organize creative
amateur videos and highlight a selected few to be shown on the channel and in the
museum itself. However, it was found that the videos themselves lacked in views,
compared to the number of views the YouTube Play channel itself received,
demonstrating that people were not actively consuming the content uploaded
(Gladysheva et al 2014.)
In comparison to this, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, hereby referred to as The
Met, also in New York, aimed to produce content that “focused around their art
collection, which is in line with their mission statement” (Gladysheva et al 2014). As the
Met is a leading museum in the art realm, they also wanted their content to reflect the
image as an expert in the field. The views on their channel demonstrate that their content
reaches a considerable number of their ideal audience (Gladysheva et al 2014).
The content featured on ArtTube is from Boijmans Van Beuningen, a Dutch art
government-funded museum, showcases educational and informational videos, while
attempting to balance entertaining effects to draw viewers in (Gladysheva et al 2014).
ArtTube does feature some interactive projects, where viewers can contribute to videos
by asking artists questions that the artist would later answer. This specific project, done
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during an exhibition titled “Peanutbutterfloor”, took place from March to May of 2011,
and was able to answer 90% of the 675 visitor-asked questions (Gladysheva et al 2014).
While all three of these museums produced video content with different goals in
mind, they are linked by common themes pertaining to user engagement. Each museum
produced videos that would provide their audience “aesthetic pleasure” from viewing
their content, as they were creative and well-designed. Their videos also featured an
“immersive” environment that allowed the viewer to “escape reality”, meaning that
viewers are actively engaged with the content while they are watching and that they
choose the content to explore a different aspect of life. Additionally, museum content
also helps viewers to “manage their mood” through raising their mood through humor or
other distractions and allowing the viewer to connect with the author or presenter in the
video through “empathy” (Gladysheva et al 2014). These concepts about uset
engagement can help museums understand how visitors engage with the content they
upload online and how they can customize their content to better engage with these
visitors.
With these museums’ examples in mind, the concept of creating and maintaining
a YouTube channel can still be daunting to some museums. However, there are a number
of resources online to those who are just at the beginning stages of content development
or wish to learn more about the platform. YouTube itself is an invaluable resource, as
they host a nonprofit community, which “offers everything from troubleshooting help to
video boot camps at YouTube’s studios” (Kehl 2016) as long a museum’s designates
29
themselves as a nonprofit when they create their channel. There is also the Internet
Creators Guild, a website created by YouTube content creators for other content creators,
that serves as a support organization for online creators and develops resources for best
practices for the online community (Internet Creators Guild 2018). Additionally, museum
conferences, such as the American Alliance of Museums, have begun to offer training on
social media and Youtube, and web-specific conferences, such as Museums and the Web,
have sessions and workshops on digital storytelling and video production (Museums and
the Web 2018).
Having a channel is ust the first step, however. Creating stories that people can
identify and engage with is an additional challenge that museums must tackle, but one
they should ideally have familiarity with as they are actively doing so for exhibits and
other interactives throughout their museum. These stories should be key to content
creation, as research is demonstrating that the concept of personal narratives is becoming
key to individual styles of learning in the new age of technology and social networking
(Greenfield 2008). Howard Gardner, an American developmental psychologist, has long
described the theory of multiple intelligence, explaining that people learn, understand,
and process the world differently. Through this theory, the concept of personal narrative
ties into tni? concept, as storytelling can assist a person in placing themselves within the
content and remembering the facts presented better than if it was traditionally taught
(Greenfield 2008). Using personal narratives, both within a museum institution and from
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their visitor base, will help cultivate a greater community and help the growth of creative
projects.
Community plays a vital role, both in museums and on YouTube itself. By
understanding how communities grow and shape the places they are found in, creators
can create better content to relate to these communities. Within museums, due to the
changing digital landscape, museum communities and experiences have expanded to
outside of their four walls. Falk and Dierking write about this concept, saying “since
visitors do not make meaning from museums solely within...the institution, effective
digital media experiences require situating the experience within the broader context of
the lives, the community, and the society in which visitors live and interact” (2008).
Understanding museum communities and customizing content for them can create richer
content, both for the audience to enjoy and for them to actively engage with and
potentially contribute to through the museum. Museums can greater understand their
communities through visitor evaluation to understand who visits their institution, actively
participates with their evenis and exhibitions, and engages with their social media
presences.
Alongside in-person communities, communities on YouTube have their own
culture that can play a role in formulating YouTube content. Understanding how
communities come together around YouTube channels and content creators can help
museums create engaging content that connects with their online audience and
encourages them to engage with their audience through comments and additional content.
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Burgess and Green suggest that YouTube has a shared culture due to its participatory
nature (2009). They suggest that a relationship develops between the creator and the
community around them, despite the global and digital divide between them, and that
there is a growing opportunity for participation between the two, through comments and
response videos (2009). Since this observation, YouTube’s participatory nature has only
continued to grow. They have ’ntroduced the Commur: ty Tab, allowing creators to
connect with their audience and publish additional content on YouTube, and live
streaming on channels with a live chat feature, allowing the audience and creator to
engage with each other at the same time.
Understanding the greater intricacies of YouTube and how museums already
navigate this landscape is an important part of recognizing how museums today are using
the platform to publish content and building communities around their social media
platforms. The next chapter will explain the methodology of this thesis.
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Methods
This thesis explores how museum collections units use YouTube. Questions
investigated will be how museums develop, implement, and evaluate their collection-
based YouTube projects. One important goal of this thesis is to examine how museums
are using these projects to showcase their collections and to highlight emerging practice
throughout the museum field.
To examine this topic, a literature review focusing on basic collection
management practices, social media in museums, a brief overview of YouTube, and the
usage of YouTube with museum collections was conducted, in addition to three case
studies with interviews of content experts, as outlined below.
A literature review, presented in Chapter 2 is divided into four sections. The
literature review first examines collection management practices, beginning with basic
handling practices and ending with security and access. Sources include Museum
Registration Methods 5, The Heritage Health Index, the American Alliance of Museums,
and The Small Museum Toolkit. Next, the literature review examined social media in
museums, focusing on a brief overview the history of museums adopting various social
media platforms and how it is used throughout the field. Sources include articles
featuring studies and articles featuring museums’ and non-profits’ experience using
various popular social media platforms. The next literature review section details a brief
history of the YouTube platform, with sources including Youtube: Online Video and
Participatory Culture, The YouTube Reader, and YouTube’s Development Blog. The
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final literature review section discussed how museums actively use YouTube, with
sources from the yearly Museum and the Web conferences, articles from the American
Alliance of Museums showcasing current trends, and academic studies on social media
usage.
Case studies of three museums in the United States that have dedicated collection-
based YouTube projects were also conducted. Case studies consisted of three parts:
information on a case study museum’s background, including its mission, history, budget,
marketing, outreach, and recent exhibitions; the results of interviews with digital content
managers, curators, and collection managers who served as content experts; and an
assessment of the information above. Interviews were designed to provide insight from
what was learned from the literature review of academic studies of social media and
museums.
Case studies were selected through the following process: an informal survey was
performed of museums accredited by the American Alliance of Museums in 5 different
states representing different regions of the United States: California, Massachusetts,
Illinois, Alaska, and Georgia. A list of each state’s accredited museums was generated
from AAM’s “Find A Museum” service. The survey tnen examined these museums’
webpages to see if the museum was displaying a YouTube channel on their front page, in
addition to any other social media handles, and if the YouTube channel showcased the
museum’s collection. From this survey, 12 museums were identified with YouTube
channels that actively used their museum collections in content.
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This list of 12 museums was then examined to identify which institutions were
updating their YouTube content regularly, which actively advertised their content on
other pages on their website and other social media channels, and which had staff
dedicated to their YouTube-based projects.
Ultimately, the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, the Fine Arts
Museums of San Francisco, and the American Museum of Natural History were selected.
Content experts at each museum were selected based on their role as the lead facilitator
for their museum’s YouTube-based content.
The first case study focused on the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles. The
Curator of Ichthyology, Dr. Chris Thacker, was interviewed via phone on March 21st,
2018. The second case study focused on the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. Travis
White, the Media Production Specialist based at the de Young, was interviewed in person
on March 23rd, 2018. The tmrd case study focused on the American Museum of Natural
History. Erin Chapman, the New Media Content Manager, and Christine Johnson, a
Curatorial Associate in Invertebrate Zoology, were interviewed via phone on April 13th,
2018.
Twenty questions were developed for the interviews with the content experts, as
presented in detail below. Three key areas were examined in the questions: development,
implementation, and evaluation. Each of the content experts were asked the same set of
questions to maintain compatibility across the case study interviews.
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The first set of ten questions focused on the development of the museum’s
YouTube projects. Question one asked, “How did the collections division become
involved with YouTube?” This question was designed for the content expert to discuss
how the museum’s YouTube based project developed to involve the collection team
Question two asked, “How does this project's social media content tie into the museum’s
mission?” This question was created to have the content expert reflect on the project and
how it ties into the museum s mission and goals. Question three asked, “How were
objects or collections selected to be featured in YouTube videos?” and was drafted to
understand the collection unit’s process in choosing collections to be featured in their
content. Question four asked “Was there collaboration with other departments/units to
develop content?” This question was designed to allow the content expert to expand on
any collaboration that may have occurred during the development of the project.
Question five asked, “When creating content, what was the impact of
filming/photography behind the scenes?” and was created to understand how the safety
and security of collections could be potentially breached during the filming of content.
Question six asked, “Were copyright issues encountered while selecting objects for
content?”. This question was drafted to allow the content expert to explain any copyright
issues that may have emerged when choosing objects or accompanying archival materials
to support their stories. Question seven asked, “Were there any security issues
encountered when creating content?” This question was posed to have the content expert
reflect on any possible security risks that may have appeared throughout filming.
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The next set of five questions focused on the implementation of the museum s
YouTube project. The first question was divided into two parts and asked “Was the
collection unit involved in selecting YouTube for your content? Why did the museum
choose YouTube over other video platforms?” This question was designed for the content
expert to explain the process of how YouTube was chosen over other video-sharing
platforms, and for the collections unit to outline how they were involved in the process.
The second question asked “Did the social media team suggest objects for the project?”
ana was posed to content expert to reflect on how collections are chosen with input from
a social media team. The third question asked “Has your institution ever partnered with
another institution for ioint social media content, in regards to collections?” This question
was designed to reflect on social media content creation and collaboration with other
museums. The fourth question asked “What benchmarks did the social media team share
with you on target audience and/or ideal demographics?” This question was drafted to
understand the ideal audience for the YouTube project and if this had an influence over
collections being chosen for the project. The fifth question was divided into two parts,
and asked, “Is there a budget for production derived from what unit? Do you have grant-
funding?” This question was posed to unaerstand the tunding sources for the museum’s
YouTube project.
The final set of four questions focused on the evaluation of the museum's
YouTube project. The first question asked, “Do you evaluate your content and any
interactions with it on an ongoing basis?” This was devised to allow the content expert to
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detail any evaluations they carried out. The second question was divided into two parts,
and asked, “Do you evaluate comments left on videos? Do you respond to them?” This
question was posed to understand a possible evaluation method of the YouTube content,
in addition to examining if they interact with their viewers. Question three asked “How
are visws of content measured?” and allowed the content expert to expand on how the
institution measures viewership of their content. The final question was divided into two
parts, and asked, “Are there future plans to expand, update, or modify the project? If no,
will there be a change in development or implementation?” This allowed for the content
expert to expand on additional plans for their YouTube content.
In the following three chapters, the three case studies mentioned above are
presented. These case studies comprise of a brief summary of the institution's history,
social media practices, and their YouTube-based content.
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Case Study: Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County has become of the leading
collections-based YouTube channels as they showcase the research being done at the
institution. Through this work, they convey their mission and focus they have been
working towards since their initial opening.
The Los Angeles County Museum of History, Science, and Art was founded by
William Miller Bowen, in the early 1900s and officially opened to the public in 1913.
Originally created to be a cultural center with a focus on history, science, and art, the
museum opened in Exposition Park with collections from four local organizations - the
Fine Arts League, the Southern California Academy of Sciences, the Historical Society of
Southern California, and the Cooper Ornithological Club. The museum changed its name
to The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (NHMLA) and separated from
the Art Department in 1963, which would become the Los Angeles County Museum of
Art (NHMLA 2018a).
The original structure of NHMLA, known as the 1913 building, is comprised of a
variety of architectural styles: Spanish Renaissance, Romanesque design, and Beaux-
Arts. While the museum has expanded over the century as it has grown, within the last
ten years the original building has gone through a major restoration and preservation
project. The goal of this project was to add a seismic retrofit, in addition to restoring the
building back to its original design using historical data from NHMLA’s original
archives.
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The museum is also part of a family of museums called “the Natural History
Family of Museums”, alongside with the La Brea Tar Pits and Museum and the William
S. Hart Museum. These museums share a strategic framework, vision, and values
amongst them. The vision of the NHMLA, as stated on their website, is “To inspire
wonder, discovery, and responsibility for our natural and cultural worlds” (NHMLA
2018b). Alongside this vision, NHMLA lists four key values on their website:
• Adventurous: We are curious and bold, with an insatiable desire to discover new ideas and knowledge.
• Inclusive: We foster and promote accessibility, collaboration, and respect for all both within our Natural History Family of Museums and out in our community.Authentic: We inspire trust by sharing with our audiences our unparalleled collections and active research to help them better understand the world around them.
• Intentional: We are driven by our core principle of studying, educating, and inspiring audiences about our natural and cultural worlds (NHMLA 2018b).
The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles uses a wide array of social media
platforms to stay connected with their visitors. The museum’s Facebook page serves as a
multifunctional tool: as an advertising marketing tool for upcoming events and
exnibitions, an aggregator for photos and videos that they post on other platforms, a place
to share content from partner institutions, and an active place to answer comments and
questions from interested visitors (Facebook 2018a). As of March, 2018, NHMLA is
running a campaign called #HowDoYouMuseum asking people to shares photos and
stories of their times at NHMLA. These posts are often shared on the museum’s
Facebook and are accumulated from visitors’ own Instagram profiles. In addition to the
40
hashtag #HowDoYouMuseum, the museum aggregates content by asking visitors to tag
their photographs with #NHMLA and advertises that each month they will pick one to
showcase at the museum.
In addition to the Facebook and Instagram, the museum uses Twitter at the handle
@nhmla. Similar to their Facebook account, they use it as a platform to share visitors’
photographs, announcements for events occurring at the museum, and a space to share
work done by staff, volunteers, and partner organizations. The museum also shares
videos of their live animals and open gardens on their Twitter handle to show visitors and
other followers what is happening at the museum. In an effort to connect with their non-
English speaking audience, the museum also operates a separate Twitter at the handle
@enNHMLA that features content in Spanish. While this Twitter handle is actively
advertised on the museum’s “Stay Connected” webpage on their website (NHMLA
2018c), the last tweet published on this account was on November 14th, 2014.
The museum also actively advertises their Flickr group and various Flickr groups
on the same “Stay Connected” webpage, suggesting that visitors can browse photographs
from collections, experience what staff members are doing behind the scenes, and ask
questions. Despite this advertising, the multiple albums hosted on their NHMLA went
through a three-year hiatus of no posts from 2015 to 2018. Recently, the Herpetology
Department has begun to revitalize this account with postings of their work with new
collection acquisitions.
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The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles actively uses a YouTube channel
under the username “NHMLA” to upload videos pertaining to a wide array of subjects.
The channel is maintained to have videos sorted into playlists based on subject matter,
allowing visitors to easily access the content they are looking for. These playlists cover
scientist profiles, current exhibitions, dinosaurs, live animals. #HowDoYouMuseum
interviews, Los Angeles nature, research and collections, and The Curiosity Show, a
series specifically focused on collections and research currently being done at NHMLA.
Alongside these various social media platforms, a few of the museum’s
departments manage blogs that are advertised on the “Stay Connected” webpage on the
website (NHMLA 2018c). These blogs are not unique to any one blog platform. The Gem
and Mineral Research Department manages a titled “MinBlog” on Blogspot.com
(Blogspot 2018a). This blog covers the range of work the department conducts, such as
traveling expeditions abroad to collect and expand their collection and their active work
at NHMLA to support exhibitions. Unfortunately, this blog has not been updated since
December, 2014. Similarly, the Department of Vertebrate Paleontology manages a blog
on Blogspot.com (Blogspot 2018b'), focusing on their publications in the field and
excavations that their department members have conducted. Similar to the Mineral Blog,
this blog has not been updated since November. 2013. The Nature Gardens also run a
blog linked to the main NHMLA website that features animals and plants that live
throughout the outdoor exhibit, in addition to a variety of citizen science projects that
takes place throughout the space. It also features posts to inform visitors about nature
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happenings that they may experience happening in their own backyards, such as their
Halloween pumpkins getting eaten by local squirrels and slugs (NHMLA 2018d). This
blog is updated regularly, with several posts being uploaded each month.
The Curiosity Show
One of the playlists curated on the NHMLA’s YouTube channel is titled The
Curiosity Show. This monthly show is led by tne Museum’s Curator of Ichthyology, Dr.
Chris Thacker. The show is advertised on the Nature page of the website as content that
allows viewers to go behind the scenes at NHMLA to meet researchers, educators, and
scientists to gain a better understanding of the research that is happening at the museum
and to understand the natural world all around us (NHMLA 2018e). While the museum
aims to engage all ages with its content, both within the museum and outside its walls,
The Curiosity Show is aimed primarily at adults, due to its focus on scientific research
(Thacker 2018).
The program began in 2016 as an idea of Thacker’s and was a collaboration with
the Marketing and Communication Department at the museum. Through this partnership
between herself and the department, the show was able to have a small film crew
dedicated to it, comprised of a cameraman/editor, a sound person, ana a producer
(Thacker 2018). While the budget is very minimal, only paying for basic copyright of
music, having a small crew aerived from the Marketing and Communications Department
helps maintain the professionalism of the production of the videos and assists with the
marketability of the programming. The YouTube platform was initially chosen because it
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serves as a good content uploader however, the Marketing and Communications
Department and Thacker were aware of the demographics associated with the platform,
and knew that the museum as a whole gets more visitors to the institution’s Facebook
page, so it was decided to share the content there as well (Thacker 2018).
To develop the content, Thacker reached out to researchers, scientists, and citizen
scientists throughout the museum for ideas to discuss on the program. She was also open
to any ideas that the Marketing and Communications Department would suggest
(Thacker 2018). When developing content alongside researchers and scientists, the team
was mindful of the research being done and wanted to represent it correctly (Thacker
2018). This mindfulness meant that final cuts of content were always reviewed by
researchers and scientists, and if they did not approve of how something was represented
or said, they were allowed to re-shoot an episode, as the main goal was to have the
researcher be satisfied with how their topic was presented to the public (Thacker 2018).
While filming The Curiosity Show, the crew followed several collections-based
rules to ensure the protection of the collections and the associated spaces. Filming in
exhibit spaces, for example, took place when the museum was closed, to ensure that
proper shots and sound quality were obtained, while also having adequate spacing around
objects without having to be mindful of surrounding museum patrons (Thacker 2018). In
videos that included a visit to a benind-the-scenes collections space, the film crew never
showed the entrance or exit, to ensure the public could never find their way to it (Thacker
2018). As all the collections included on the show were owned by the museum and
44
related to the topic of the video, staff were often aware of potential collections issues that
may arise when filming, such as showing the high-value Gem and Mineralogy
Collections during their “Gold” video, but this was discussed with the relevant scientist
beforehand (Thacker 2018).
Due to the partnership between Thacker and the Marketing and Communications
Department, the evaluation of The Curiosity Show is maintained solely by the Marketing
and Communications Department, also in part because the show shares its channel with
the greater Natural History Museum of Los Angeles YouTube channel (Thacker 2018).
When comments and questions are left on the videos, both on YouTube and Facebook,
where they are shared, the Marketing and Communications Department reach out to
Thacker and the researchers showcased in the respective videos to appropriately answer
on the questions (Thacker 2018). The end of 2018, Thacker will step down from The
Curiosity Show due to time constraints, but the Marketing and Communications
Department will take over and continue the show and focus on specimen and exhibit
based stories, in comparison to their previous research-driven stories (Thacker 2018).
Analysis
The Curiosity Show showcases many of the developing best practices in the sector
of social media and museum collections. The show has a professional film crew working
to ensure high-quality production, as they are competing with other content which is
filmed in a similar manner, and that could attract visitors away. The videos are also
45
edited to stay around the ideal, four-minute mark, which is, as important as longer videos
on any social media platform can lose a viewer’s interest (Pew Research Center 2012).
Both Thacker and the film crew were very careful and organized that they were
working with collections and active working spaces and strategized about how to film
and display these spaces while on camera. This planning required ensuring that collection
spaces were clear before entering, being aware of their surroundings at all times, and
knowledgeable about the location of entrances and exits being filmed. Not filming
entrances to collections spaces, especially ones that hidden from the public, is a vital part
of overall museum security, as it maintains the space as a whole, and ensures that no one
watching the content can find their way back into collection spaces.
Thacker and the Marketing and Communication Department also worked together
to maintain a link with viewers once the content was published. The original goal of the
project was to allow viewers a behind-the-scenes look at researchers’ and scientists’
work, and this idea correlates directly with the NHMLA’s mission of “to inspire wonder,
discovery, and responsibility...” (NHMLA 2018b). By continuing to maintain the
connection with viewers by responding to questions and comments posted on YouTube
and Facebook, the viewer remains interested in the collections and the content they are
publishing.
Finally, while this project was built from “the ground up” with minimal funding,
it is continuing to be used as a marketing tool for the museum and a way to interact and
engage with visitors outside of the walls of the museum. Additionally, the content
46
strongly connects to their mission, is developed and reviewed by scientists, and makes
use of a deep partnership between the content side of the museum and its outreach
division.
The next chapter of this thesis will explore how a second museum, The Fine Arts
Museum of San Francisco, has developed YouTube content with their fine art collection.
47
Case Study: Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco (FAMSF), which is considered the
largest arts institution in the city of San Francisco, consists of two separate museums, the
de Young Museum and the Legion of Honor. The two museums merged together via a
city public vote in 1972 (Russell 1989).
The de Young Museum, originally named the Fine Arts Building, originated as a
building for the California Midwinter International Exposition held in Golden Gate Park
in 1894. Following the Exposition, the building stayed open, serving as a free museum
for the residents of San Francisco. While initially it housed a collection of exotic and
eclectic oddities, the collection began to change to focus on American art, international
textiles, and arts from around the world (FAMSF 2018a).
Due to the growing audience, collection, and the 1906 earthquake that devastated
San Francisco, the museum’s building began to grow. In 1921, the museum added a
central section, a signature tower, and formally changed its name to the M. H. de Young
Museum, named after the chair of the Exposition organizing chair, Michael H. de Young.
In the 1960s, a large bequest of Asian art from Avery Brundage was donated to de
Young, altering the scope of the collections of the de Young. However, in the 1990s, the
people of San Francisco voted to renovate the old San Francisco Main Library into the
Asian Art Museum, and this collection was transferred there in 2003 (FAMSF 2018a).
Affected by the 1989 earthquake, a plan to construct an entirely new building was
developed in the late 1990s. A plan was developed to construct a museum that would
48
blend into the natural landscape of Golden Gate Park and provide “open and light-filled
spaces that facilitate and enhance the art-viewing experience” (FAMSF 2018a).
Alongside this unique design, original features from the Fine Arts Building were
preserved or reconstructed. The new building opened in laxe 2005.
The Legion of Honor, also known as the California Palace of the Legion of
Honor, was influenced by Panama Pacific International Exposition in 1915, where there
was a replica of the Palais de la Legion d’Honneur in Paris (FAMSF 2018b). Alma
Spreckles, the wife of Aldolph B. Spreckles and manager of the Spreckles Sugar
Company, wanted to build a permanent replica as a new art museum in San Francisco.
With the approval of the French government, construction began 1921 in Lincoln Park
and the doors opened on Armistice Day (November 11) of 1924. As per the wishes of the
donors, the museum was dedicated to the men of California who had lost their lives in
Europe during World War I.
In the 1980s, after the de Young and the Legion of Honor had joined to become
the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, both museums restructured their galleries and
holdings to better present their collections. Due to incoming collections at the de Young
in their American collections and promised donations in their African and Oceania
collections, it was decided to move all of the European collections to the Legion of
Honor, as this would also unify their European art collection and allow visitors to see the
difference between different schools of art (City of San Francisco 1988).
49
The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco share a mission and goals. Their
mission, as stated on their website, is:
The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco have rendered over a century of public service in the arts, and it is our mission to extend and enhance that service well into this century. More specifically, our mission encompasses the following goals:1. To present a range of exhibitions of highest quality which serve, are accessible to, and will draw broad audiences2. To provide extensive and innovative art education programs for people of all ages and interests3. To actively involve a diverse public in all of the museums' activities4. To conserve the objects in our cart5. To collect new objects relevant to the collections through purchase and gift while affording a hospitable place for collectors in the community to donate art to the public with complete confidence6. To research and publicize the collections through scholarly publishing7. To maintain two museums outfitted to deliver exceptional visitor safety, comfort, and access as well as the environmental conditions necessary to preserve and protect art8. To operate within our goals with state-of-the-art efficiency9. To contribute to the economy and culture of San Francisco (FAMSF 2018c)
The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco uses social media both separately for
each museum and combined for the greater FAMSF name. Both the de Young and
Legion of Honor have their own separate Facebook pages, however, the two museums
use the website in a slightly different manner. The de Young uses their page primarily to
promote events happening with a focus on their exhibits (Facebook 2018b), while the
Legion of Honor uses their page to share information about works in their collections that
are usually on exhibit or to promote events happening at the Legion (Facebook 2018c).
The museums’ also have their own separate Twitters, under their respective museum
names, which are both used to promote events happening at their respective locations and
to share stories related to their collections (Twitter 2018).
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The de Young uses Instagram both on their website, curating photos visitors post
from visiting the museum, and as their own profile (Instagram 2018a), where they post
photos of objects, nterviews with artists, promotions of events, and volunteers working
in galleries. In comparison, the Legion of Honor primarily uses their Instagram to
promote their exhibitions, both current and upcoming, via posting photos of objects
(Instagram 2018b). Both institutions have used Tumblr in the past, using the platform
primarily to host user submissions that were relevant to a particular exhibition opening.
However, these pages have not been used within the last two years (Tumblr 2018).
Finally, the museums share an active YouTube channel under the username
“FAMSF”, where they post a wide variety of art related content. The two museums share
artist interviews pertaining to their exnibits, videos of the conservation team working
with objects, lectures, and teaser trailers for upcoming shows. The videos are currently
grouped into various playlists based on their associated exhibition or work of art,
allowing viewers to easily find a video that they are looking for (FAMSF 2018d).
FAMSF YouTube Channel
The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco have been an active user of YouTube
since 2007 (FAMSF 2018e). Due to staffing concerns, time constraints, and focusing on
other social media platforms, only recently have they been focusing their efforts towards
their YouTube channel. The institutions had previously experimented with Vimeo in the
past with less success, in addition to both museums’ websites going through a re-design
51
and having greater support for YouTube videos built into them (White 2018). With these
as motivators, the channel grew over the last two years.
The entire channel is managed by Travis White, a Med'H Production Specialist
from the Web Development Department, who also shoots the current video-based
content. Currently, the Content Department and Team find stories to tell via videos on the
channel, and the primary content is driven by their Special Exhibition schedule (White
2018). While there is not an identified budget to develop content, videos are maintained
out of a specific budget, while any associated costs such as copyrights and royalties are
paid for by the department that requested the video (White 2018).
To develop content, collaboration with other departments throughout the
institution has been key. Some departments throughout the museum were eager to work
with the Web Development Department to be featured in videos, as they would contact
them with stories to film (WMe 2018). Filming also required much collaboration; for
example, to film collections in any part of the museum, both the Registration Department
and the Security Team must be notified to ensure that filming permits have been
completed and that everyone is aware the filming is taking place (White 2018).
Because of the steps involved in allowing filming to take place in certain museum
spaces, content creation have also been challenging. Institutional rules exist about what
can and cannot be filmed “behind the scenes,” including those concerning access to
specific spaces, filming objects going into storage boxes, and moving crates. For
example, these rules that impacted the creation of the video “Venus by Christian Dior:
52
The Joumev of a Dress” (FAMSF 2018f). This video showcased the process of packing a
Christian Dior dress for an exhibit in France and required special access. Due to the
complexities of the packing process, it was necessary to adapt the scope of filming
completed by the videographer (White 2018).
Because the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco have a prominent art collection,
much of what of shown in their videos must be approved to be shown to ensure that no
copyright issues will arise once the content is posted. While in the past an object’s
copyright was not researched and acknowledged as part of the filming process, the
institution has hired a dedicated employee who is focused purely on Digital Asset
Management (White 2018). This has resulted in a more comprehensive approach to
copyright in videos, which has meant in some cases having content up only up for a
limited amount of time or blurring other objects when filming (White 2018).
When creating this web-based content, the team involved in filming is acutely
aware that the target audience is vastly different than the ones that are currently walking
through their doors; specifically, a younger, lower income audience is watching these
videos, but an upper-class older audience is coming through the doors of the museums
(White 2018). When measuring views on social media content, the Marketing
Department and Web Team focuses primarily on YouTube to develop that younger
audience, while other platforms, such as Facebook, serve primarily as places to cross-post
content, and audience involvement is not actively monitored (White 2018). Comments
left on videos, both on YouTube and Facebook, are answered when they relate to
53
exhibits, primarily to avoid confusion for visitors, and occasionally a question related to
an object will also be answered (White 2018).
Upcoming for the FAMSF YouTube channel is a new organization for the content
and playlist system for better access for visitors, in addition for strategizing about how
new content can fit into the new categories that will be developed (White 2018).
Alongside this reorganization, the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco will be
undergoing a brand refresh in the Summer of 2018 that will influence their social media
presence and how the de Young and Legion of Honor are represented (White 2018).
Analysis
The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco YouTube channel demonstrates the
careful planning arts museums must conduct to showcase their collections on social
media platforms. When creating videos, the Marketing and Web Teams must be in active
discussion with the Registration and Conservation Departments, for example, rather than
picking the objects purely for the stories they could tell the audience. The team must
carefully consider safety, copyright issues, and oacking procedures in advance of and
during filming to ensure that the museums’ rules for filming are met.
By highlighting the work of conservators with collections in YouTube videos, the
mission of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco is also implemented. For example,
the second area of their mission states “To provide extensive and innovative art
education programs for people of all ages and interests,” while another area emphasizes
conservation of the collection (FAMSF 2018c). Videos displaying behind-the-scenes
54
activities at both museum locations educate the public about how much time and effort
goes into caring for these priceless collections and do so in a way that is both innovative
and engaging. Conservators, as trained museum professionals, know the proper protocols
for handling museum objects and demonstrate this throughout the videos that showcase
their department. At the same time, the time and care that goes into putting on the
museums' exhibitions on a regular schedule, in addition to the different roles that exist
within a museum for working with art, are emphasized in the museums YouTube
content.
Finally, much of the content placed on the YouTube channel by the Fine Arts
Museums of San Francisco has been developed through a partnership between the
Marketing Department and other departments that have approached Marketing with ideas
for videos that could be published on the YouTube channel. As a result, content-rich
videos that cover subjects that were originally suggested by the Education Department or
the Conservation Team are produced in ways that are relevant to and that reach target
audiences. It is noteworthy that the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, as one of the
few art museums to show its collections on YouTube, has used this partnership model to
create high-quality, mission-based content. This may be attributed to a range of reasons,
such as copyright law affecting a large portion of the collection that may prohibit it from
being shared on social media platforms short-term or even at ail
The next chapter of this thesis will focus on the American Museum of Natural
History and it’s YouTube program, Shelf Life.
55
Case Study: American Museum of Natural History
The American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) is a research based natural
history museum located in Upper East Side neighborhood of New York City. AMNH
was founded in 1869 by Albert Smith Bickmore, and signed into existence by the
Governor of New York, John Thompson Hoffman. Two years later, the museum opened
its first series of exhibits at the Central Park Arsenal, a building built in the late 1840s to
hold weapons and ammunition for the New York State Militia, in 1871. Soon, however,
the museum began to outgrow its space within the Arsenal and acquired land at its
current location, across from Central Park between 77th and 81st Streets. The building
opened six years later (AMNH 2018a).
Over the next ninety years, the ins:itution grew as the museum became involved
n expeditions across the globe. The museum began to develop their multiple halls of
dioramas, with the assistance of Carl Akeley, a pioneer in museum animal taxidermy. In
1935, the Hayden Planetarium opened (AMNH 2018b).
From the early 1990s to present day, the institution has begun to focus its efforts
on conservation and education, as they have opened a Center for Biodiversity and
Education and the National Center for Science Literacy, Education and Technology in
collaboration with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
Alongside these efforts, the museum has also opened a hall focusing on Human Biology
and Evolution, and updated their many fossil halls throughout the building. The main
building of the museum has also gone under a recent major restoration to repair the
56
outside of the main building to restore its original stone design (AMNH 2018c). In 2014,
the museum announced the creation of the Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education,
and Innovation. This expansion will serve as a place for public exhibitions, but also
“expand access to a broader range of the Museum s resources for students, teachers, and
families, offering new learning opportunities and inviting all visitors to share in the
excitement of discovery” (AMNH 2018d).
To align with their current goals focusing on conservation and education, the
mission statement for the American Museum of Natural History as stated on their
website, is, “To discover, interpret, and disseminate—through scientific research and
education—knowledge about human cultures, the natural world, and the universe”
(AMNH 2018e).
The American Museum of Natural History uses a variety of social media
platforms to connect visitors with the activities happening with the walls of the museum,
all of which are advertised on the bottom of the museum’s website. The museum’s
Facebook page, “@NaturalHistory”, primarily shares scientific content. This content
takes the forms of short videos focusing on popular questions, interesting facts about their
collection with accompanying photographs, and celebrations of specific days, such as
National Dolphin Day (Facebook 2018d). The museum also uses the new feature
“Facebook Live” to give viewers a behind-the-scenes look at what occurs at the museum.
The museum’s Twitter page, under the handle @amnh, posts extremely similar content to
their Facebook page, with the addition of sharing of content from staff member-generated
57
content and events at surrounding institutions with relationships to the AMNH (Twitter
2018).
The Instagram account, under the handle @amnh, posts photos pertaining to
animal and plant specimens, sharing informa"on about the species. Photos relating to
events happening at the museum, usually allowing for visitor participation, are also
posted on this profile (Instagram 2018). Additionally, the AMNH posts photographs,
videos, and links to their Instagram Stories for 24 hours for viewers to see. AMNH also
uses a Snapchat account under the handle @AMNH to post content for 24 hours for
viewers to see.
The museum utilizes YouTube under the account AMNHorg. The videos are
sorted into a variety of playlists, ranging from Earth Day, The Art of Taxidermy, and
#CelapodWeek. There is also a dedicated playlist for recordings of content that
previously was released on the museum’s Facebook Live platforms, so that it is stored on
an additional video sharing platform. AMNH also publishes a monthly YouTube series
called Shelf Life that focuses on the collections at the museum that usually are not shown
in traditional exhibits ana are still vital for museum research purposes.
AMNH actively uses the Tumblr website as their main blogging platform at the
URL “tumblr.amnh.org”. Here, the museum shares similar photos from their Instagram,
Facebook, and Twitter profiles, in addition to sharing links to their Science@AMNH
podcast.
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In addition to all of these social media platforms, the museum also features a
“News & Blogs” page on their website that promotes news, podcasts, research from the
field, on exhibit, education, and from the collection posts. On this page, there is also an
active tagging system, allowing visitors to explore by subject, animal type, and location.
Additionally, there are links to the museum’s twitter profile and pages for Shelf Life for
visitors to explore.
Shelf Life
One playlist on the American Museum of Natural History’s YouTube channel is
Shelf Life, a monthly show that focused on the behind-the-scenes aspects of collections
and showing the importance of research with these rarely seen objects. The show features
a variety of departments across the museum, ranging from invertebrate zoology, to
paleontology, to conservation, all showcasing the importance of the work they play in the
museum and the role they play towards research. The show is heavily advertised on the
website, as each video is given a dedicated page to describe the video in length with
archival material and additional photos to give more in-depth material to the story. The
museum aims to interact with a range of ages through their social media content, but
Shelf Life is primarily aimed at adults ages 25 through 55 (Chapman and Johnson 2018).
The program started in 2014 as a collaboration between the Communication
Department and several collections divisions throughout the museum. Erin Chapman,
who is the museum’s New Media Manager, leads the project and serves as the point of
contact between Communications and the collections units to generate ideas for the show.
59
As the show is created through the Communications Department to showcase research
and promote education, a goal that is very mission-dr.ven, the show is not given a set
budget and also has a dedicated film crew (Chapman and Johnson 2018).
To develop the content for Shelf Life, Chapman would collaborate with
collections staff to generate ideas and explore collections to feature on the program, as
the main idea was to go behind the scenes, showcase collections-based research, and
displace the myth of “old collections” (Chapman and Johnson 2018). When talking to
collections units and collections managers, Chapman asked about highly visited and
overlooked collections, in addition to specific stories and topics that they have become
familiar with while working in the collections (Chapman and Johnson 2018). Later, these
same collections staff would review the final video product to ensure all the information
was correct. The Social Media Team at the American Museum of Natural History did not
play an active role in generating content, as the staff members are new to the institution
and are not completely familiar with the collection yet (Chapman and Johnson 2018).
While filming Shelf Life, many collections-based protection rules were followed
to ensure the protection of the collec- -ons and the associated spaces. When filming in
collections spaces, and specifically with objects, the “hands of Shelf Life ’ are ever
present, meaning that a collections staff member is always on hand to assist with
handling, moving, and positioning an object (Chapman and Johnson 2018). The
production crew is also sure to ensure that objects are always stabilized, such as bones
from the paleontology collection. When filming videos, the crew is also sure to use LED
60
lights so that there are no hot spots being generated on objects. Additionally, to access
any museum collection space, production staff needed to be with collections staff at all
times.
While Shelf Live is primarily hosted on YouTube, the content also exists on
multiple platforms. The videos are cross-posted to the American Museum of Natural
History’s Vimeo channel, where the focus is primarily filmic and visual content, and on
Instagram Live, where people are more likely to engage with content on their mobile
device (Chapman and Johnson 2018). Overall reception to Shelf Life has led to more
subscribers to the AMNH YouTube channel when compared to individual videos, with
the overall demographics are around 60% male and 40% female (Chapman and Johnson
2018). This is in comparison with standard science content video demographics of 80%
male and 20% female. Chapman and Johnson attribute the high spike in female
viewership to their conscious effort to showcase women and their roles at the museum.
When measuring content views, standard analytics are studied to gain a better
understanding of those watching the content, such as the duration of the view, the age of
the viewer, and the general location of the viewer (Chapman and Johnson 2018).
Alongside analyzing the views on the YouTube-based content, the Communications staff
also examines statistics of Shelf Life content on other social media channels (Chapman
and Johnson 2018). The Communications Team does not respond to any comments that
are left on the YouTube platform, as they prefer to interact with viewers when doing
behind-the-scenes collections content on Facebook Life with collections staff to answer
61
any collections-related questions, but recently the Social Media Team has chosen to
adopt the Community Page tab on their YouTube Page to share content and interact with
viewers there (Chapman and Johnson 2018).
Shelf Life recently wrapped filming of its second season of content that focused
on the topic of expeditions and stories and collections associated with them. While
currently there is no discussion to begin development of a third season of content, it does
not mean that more seasons of Shelf Life could be produced in the upcoming years.
Analysis
Shelf Life demonstrates ideal best practices for social media and collections
blending together across multiple platforms to engage with viewers in behind-the-scenes
content. Through their use of multiple social media accounts, such as YouTube,
Instagram, and Facebook, viewers are given multiple encounters to experience
collections-based stories.
Their efforts to maintain a connection with viewers is a vital effort for creating
content on any social media platform. The recent endeavor using the Community tab on
their YouTube page to share videos and other mecia with their subscribers speaks to their
new efforts to interact more with viewers on YouTube, as previously they were not as
involved, choosing to focus all their efforts on other platforms.
The filming team also demonstrates the careful planning needed to ensure the
collections being filmed were always properly protected. By always being in
communication with the collections staff about information pertaining to objects,, to lead
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the production crew into the collection space, removing the objects from storage, staging
and stabilizing of the objects, the objects being filmed were never placed at risk. The
production crew also never jeopardize any object with their filming equipment by always
using LED lights to ensure heat and light damage never became a problem.
Shelf Life ultimately is a mission-based social media project, as it directly aims to
educate their intended audience. The AMNH mission specifically calls on education as a
method of assisting their audience through exploring the natural world around them, and
through Shelf L ife 's educational intent, they are fulfilling the institutional mission. The
Communications Department identified a need in their programming to reach the 25-55
demographic when developing the project, as they were already publishing content to
reach high-school aged students, and developed Shelf Life to fill that gap in their content.
Additionally, the American Museum of Natural History as a whole has begun to
transition to making research more accessible through their programming and opening of
the Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation. Shelf Life acts as an
engaging storytelling tool for the American Museum of Natural History to share its
research with their audience.
The next chapter will focus on the discussion of these three case studies and the
common links between them.
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Discussion
In analyzing the case studies presented in the previous chapters, four key themes
concerning the use of Youtube channels by museums can be identified. In various ways,
the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, the Fine Arts Museums of San
Francisco, and the American Museum of Natural History each integrate the following
areas into their online presences in an attempt to highlight collection connections: their
efforts are mission-based, carefully planned, create links to online audiences, and are
based on interdepartmental partnerships. Below, each of the key themes is discussed with
respect to how they relate to the case studies, in addition to what the literature review
suggests about their overall significance.
1. Mission-Based
In the development of YouTube-hosted collections programming, the case studies
highlight how museums are careful to create programming and a social media presence
that is consistently mission-based. This idea builds upon the previous literature discussed
in the Social Media and Museum section. All three case studies showcase the thoughtful
process of understanding and implementing the institution's mission when supplying
content for their channels.
First, the creators of The Curiosity Show at the Natural History Museum of Los
Angeles County carefully considered their mission of “to inspire wonder, discovery, and
responsibility...” (NHMLA 2018b) in creating content, as they wished to share the active
work researchers at the institution were performing in hopes to gain viewers’ interest in
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both the research and collections. Second, the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
specifically created their current YouTube content to provide art education that is
accessible to people of all ages, a goal that correlates with the second area of their
mission statement of “to provide extensive ana innova” ve art education programs for
people of all ages and interests” (FAMSF 2018c). Third, Shelf Life at the American
Museum of Natural History is closely associated with their mission “To discover,
interpret, and disseminate—through scientific research and education—knowledge about
human cultures, the natural world, and the universe” (AMNH 2018e), through their
collaboration with collection managers to explore and tell stories about the collections
rarely seen.
Although each of these museums’ missions differ, their YouTube-based projects
highlight activities that are firmly embedded in an understanding of the institution's
mission. As outlined in the literature review, many institutions have used social media to
communicate to the public the work they are actively doing, as well as using the platform
to engage with the audience and answer questions they may have about said work
(Thomson et al. 2013). The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s YouTube efforts, for example,
specifically focused on the museum’s art collection in their online programming, as it
directly correlated with their mission, in comparison with the Solomon R. Guggenheim
Museum’s YouTube Play project, which aimed to exhibit current artistic amateur videos
both online and in the museum.
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Overall, when creating online content that involves collections, placing the
mission at the center of the many areas that must be considered in establishing a vibrant
social media presence results in a more relevant, meaningful, and engaging experience
for viewers, due to the direct association between the work the museum is doing and the
reason why the museum exists. Ideally, all museum activities including social media
content should adhere so the mission of the museum.
2. Careful Planning
In the development and filming of collections-related content for YouTube, the
case studies highlight how careful planning was a critical part of the process.
Specifically, in each case study, collections staff were actively involved in the filming
process or in supervising any efforts that took place within the collection spaces.
First, while working on Shelf Life, the video content creators at AMNH worked
closely with collections managers and other collections staff to assist with filming efforts
when handling objects and moving objects around the space, as well as in lighting, so
much so that they called them the “hands of Shelf Life” (Chapman & Johnson 2018). The
production crew respected the need for proper training to handle collections and
integrated the concerns of collections managers into the filming process.
This practice reflects important points outlined in the literature review: first,
museums must have specific protocol about who can and cannot handle objects, and that
only those persons who have gone through specific object handling training should be
allowed to handle objects (Neilson 2010); and second, when filming in collection spaces,
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the production crew should use LED lights, as these produce light at a cooler temperature
than incandescent or fluorescent hght bulbs, and it can eliminate hot spots being formed
on an object during the filming process and help prolong the lifespan within the
collection (Fisher 2010).
Second, the crew involved in filming within the collection space for The Curiosity
Show at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles followed several collections
security rules, such as never filming the entrances and exits of the collection space and
having collections staff with them at all times while in restricted areas. This practice is
consistent with the literature from collections management, which emphasizes the need
for security protocols to be in place when it comes to the access of secure collection
spaces, as it maintains the safekeeping of the collections (Ladkin 2004). Making the film
crew aware of security protocols required careful planning that resulted in a smoother and
more efficient filming process, which ultimately served to better protect the collection.
Lastly, the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco required extensive collaboration
with both the Registration and the Security Departments to access collections to be
filmed, as filming permits must be filled out and departments must be made aware before
filming can proceed. Additionally, there were strict rules about what activities could and
could not be filmed behind-the-scenes, such as the packing and movement of objects, that
at times can affect the scope of filming projects, as the filming crew was restricted to
enter specific collections areas. These important protocols required careful planning to
implement and are consistent with the literature concerning security in collections, as the
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spaces, and by extension, the collections, should remain restricted to museum staff
through a Keyed entry. Limiting the filming of packing and movement of objects also
ensures that fewer people would be present throughout the movement of the object,
which is vital for guaranteeing the object’s safety, and that procedures for packing items
remained secure. These restrictions also help mitigate security concerns as it does not
reveal too much about the location of any particular location or any collection storage
areas.
Overall, each museum carefully planned the filming of content for YouTube with
the departments and spaces around them, as the protocols greatly affected the filming
process. These protocols protected the objects that the museums were presenting for
display via YouTube and made the process more efficient. As a result, planning in
advance resulted in accessing collections in ways that were appropriate from the
perspective of collections management.
3. Link with Their Online Audience
Through the publishing of the content online through the YouTube platform, and
advertising it on other social med:H platforms, the case studies highlight how important it
is for museums to highlight their collections to create a link with their online audience.
First, the creators of Shelf Life at the American Museum of Natural History,
identified their target audience of adult ages 25 to 55, which influenced their choice of
social media platform of YouTube. Additionally, they actively posted their content on
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multiple platforms, such as Vimeo, Facebook, and Instagram Stories, to better connect
with their online audience and attract them to watching and engaging with their
content. Research demonstrates that museums should investigate their audiences before
creating content, to ensure that they will be engaged with the content (Anonymous 2007).
Through this strategy of engaging through multiple social media channels, rather than
remaining on one platform, museums are more likely to engage with their audience, due
to the rates that Americans are actively using social media platforms.
Second, The Curiosity Show at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles used
comments left on their videos to actively engage with their audience. Through these
comments and questions, the production and marketing teams actively worked with the
researchers featured in the videos to provide accurate answers to the audience’s questions
that were left on both YouTube and Facebook. By creating and collaborating on answers
to viewers’ questions, the teams working behind-the-scenes of The Curiosity Show are
assisting m building the community around the videos. Community is an essential part of
both museum and YouTube functions, as it helps build audiences and engagement.
Lastly, the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco researched their audience heavily
before creating their new content. The social media and web teams involved identified a
younger, lower income audience for their web content, in comparison to the older, upper-
class audience that frequents the institution in person more often.
All three case studies actively attempted to engage their audiences through their
YouTube-based content, in addition to giving the audience opportunities to participate
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through comments and live videos. As such, the case studies demonstrate that museum?
can adapt to the new internet-based approaches to engage audiences. Finally, by
developing collections-based content, the museums gave audiences a new lens to explore
their institutions, which each museum followed uniquely through their own collection-
based stories.
4. Partnerships
While developing and implementing their YouTube-based projects, all three of
the case studies demonstrated the importance of partnerships, as different department
throughout the museum were vital to the success of the project. The projects would not
have been completed if they were solely within one department.
When developing Shelf Life at the American Museum of Natural History, staff in
the Communication Department actively collaborated with staff throughout the
Collections Departments to learn more about the collections and to select objects and
stories that would translate well onto YouTube-based media. As collection managers and
other collections staff have a strong knowledge, this partnership was vital in creating
Shelf Life and in identifying the overarching themes that would be covered in each
season.
During the development and implementation of The Curiosity Show at the Natural
History Museum of Los Angeles County, the partnership with the Collections, Marketing
and Communication departments became essential to the production of the show.
Through this partnership, the show was able to gain a small film crew, purchase the rights
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to a theme song, and be managed on the YouTube platform. Without the resources of the
Marketing and Communications Department, The Curiosity Show would have remained
an idea of its creator, Dr. Thacker, and not been implemented in video form.
While filming content for the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco channel, the
social media and web teams frequently collaborated wuh a digital asset manager to
discuss copyright of objects to ensure that they were approved to appear on social media.
This collaboration is essential for an art museum showcasing their collections on social
media, as not every object will have the appropriate rights to be shown in a video or will
only be allowed to be shown for a certain amount of time.
Each of the case studies demonstrates the importance of partnerships while
creating content, despite their partnerships being uniquely different. As mentioned in the
literature review, one of the greatest challenges of establishing a social media profile is
having the capacity to run the profile, in terms of staff time and resources (Thomson et al.
2013). By utilizing partnerships throughout the institution, staff time for developing and
implementing social media efforts can be divided amongst the project participants, so that
staff with specialized knowledge on specific aspects are able to work ana assist on set
parts of the project.
In summation, museums working to bring collections-based content to audiences
via social media today develop efforts that are mission-based, carefully planned, that
involve creating links to online audiences, and that are based on partnerships. The final
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chapter of this thesis will focus on recommendations to the field on creating YouTube-
based content.
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Recommendations & Final Thoughts
This chapter presents three conclusions focusing on the collections-based
YouTube content in museums. First, collections care standards can still be upheld while
developing and producing collections-based social media content. Second, the production
of collections-based content is likely to expand as museums as museums recognize the
benefits of engaging audiences via social media. And third, for museums to embrace
social media for their collections-based content, understanding their audience is vital.
These conclusions will be followed by four recommendations concerning how museums
can actively use YouTube to engage online audiences with their collections.
Conclusion #1: Collections care standards can still be upheld while developing and
producing collections-based social media content.
The case stucnes conducted for this thesis demonstrate that throughout their
development and production process the museums interviewed were careful to consult
and collaborate with collections managers and staff to ensure that while collections-based
content was being produced, objects were never put at risk during filming. Through this
process, production teams became familiar with the intricacies of collection management
policies and regulations and the importance of these rules, which it became part of the
planning process when creating content.
Having a collections management policy helps enforce collections care rules, as it
outlines important guidelines for work within the collections and is informed by
standards in the museum field, such as those published by the American Alliance of
73
Museums and the International Council of Museums. By following the procedures
outlined in an institution's collection management policy while creating collections-based
content, collections care standards are likely to be upneid to tneir rigorous standards.
Conclusion #2: The production of collections-based content is likely to expand as
museums as museums recognize the benefits of engaging audiences via social media.
Each of the YouTube projects examined implemented their channels as a new
method of engaging audiences with their collection, whether it was for active research at
The Curiosity Show, ongoing art education and conservation at the Fine Arts Museums of
San Francisco, or to share stories about collections that are rarely seen at Shelf
Life. These programs each expanded their show outside of their YouTube channel onto
additional social media platforms, such as Facebook for a wider demographic pool.
Engaging audiences via social media can have a range of benefits for an
institution, such as educating the public about ongoing exhibits and research, recruiting
volunteers, fundraising efforts, and advertising for upcoming events (Nonprofit Times
2018). Recently, the Field Museum was able to fund the creation of a new diorama and
conservation of four specimens with the aid of their collections-based YouTube channel,
The Brain Scoop (Field Museum 2018).
As museums greater understand the benefits of engaging audiences, and how
audiences engage with collections through social media and other digital platforms,
collection-based content is likely to expand throughout museums.
74
Conclusion #3: For museums to embrace social media for their collections-based content,
understanding their audience is vital.
To create collections-based content for YouTube, museums must understand their
online audience to ensure that there is an audience willing to receive the content.
Researching and understanding the onnne audience and demographics demonstrates that
museums understand who is viewing their current social media content, who will be
viewing their future content, and that the museum has identified an appropriate
demographic to customize the content for.
As audiences become more comfortable with technology and social media,
creating collections-based content that audiences can connect with and engage with
becomes especially important. All three case studies demonstrated the importance of
conducting demographic research before publishing collections-based content, as they
wanted to engage with a specific audience age group. This research helped them tailor
their content to better connect with that demographic and choose the platform YouTube,
due to the high numbers of young adult users on that platform.
Based on the above conclusions, three recommendations are briefly outlined to support
the development, implementation, and evaluation of collections-based YouTube content
for museums.
Recommendation #1: Due to the fast evolution in technology, YouTube and other social
media platforms are always changing. These changes may affect museums’ workflow and
can be difficult to adapt to, but to combat this, utilize interdepartmental partnerships.
75
As Youtube and other social media platforms implement new features or website
designs, content creation may be impeded as users adjust to new interface or
developments. However, these changes may help affect a museum’s development,
content, and engagement with the audience for the better. For example, YouTube
frequently changes their website layout and algorithms for how videos reach their desired
audience. Learning to navigate around these issues and integra ng them into a museum’s
workflow can be difficult, and may require additional research and training, but as online
technology is always changing, it is essential to stay up-to-date with the current
technology.
Recommendation #2: Understanding the museum’s collections is essential to producing
engaging collections-based content. By having a greater understanding, better research
can be done into object stories that can be translated to the audience.
Researching and creating stories is the core of producing collections-based
content, as the stories derived from the collection are what guides the content. Through
collaboration with collection managers and collections staff, these stories can be
uncovered and understood to be translated to online media. However, for this process to
occur, the collections team must have a strong understanding of what is being held within
their collections. Through regular inventories, museums can systematically check and
understand the collection, wi -ch may lead to research and further development of
content. This practice also aligns with ensuring that collections are properly being taken
76
care of throughout the project, as during the inventory process, collection issues, such as
rehousing problems or a pest infestation may be discovered.
Recommendaf1 on #3: The use of additional social media platforms supplement to
YouTube can extend the reach of a museum's collections-based content and can help
engage audiences with these collections.
While YouTube has an expansive reach through their own demographics, the usage of
additional social media platforms can help the collections-based content further extend
out to audiences, as some demographics are more familiar with other social media
platforms than others. As these case studies have shown, YouTube is an excellent
platform for hosting video content, but there are other platforms that are also sharing and
engaging audiences through comments better than YouTube’s platform. Because of this
factor, museums can use other social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram to
share and engage with audiences, while still using YouTube as the original platform.
These additional platforms come with their own ideal audience demographics that may
also help boost collections-based content, in addition to other features that YouTube may
not support. These features can be used to share other aspects of collections work, such as
question and answer sessions with collection staff or photos from active work days in the
collections, that can help share the behind-the-scenes work that collections staff do to
preserve and steward collections at their institutions.
Final Thoughts
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There can be a tendency among people to assume that YouTube content is merely
animal content or highlights from the current talent competition that is gaining popularity
on television. While this may be true in some realms of the Internet, a large section of
YouTube is aimed towards educational content, with the goal of short consumable videos
to both educate and entertain the public. Museums, as institutions of learning, have begun
to explore YouTube as a viable platform for collections-based content to connect with
audiences that may not have normally walked through their doors. While currently the
large majority of institutions that are producing collections-based content is natural
history museums, strides are being made throughout the field to show that art museums
can also be successful in creating content that online audiences can actively enjoy and
engage with.
By providing access to informative stories pertaining to collections to viewers,
museums can cultivate an active online community that is engaged with their collection
and knowledgeable about the ongoing work that is occurring at that institution. Social
media, at times, can seem daunting, due to the number of platforms and time needed to
generate content and an audience. However, using these platforms can aid museums’ in
ensuring that their collections are accessible to the public, while also keeping them safe
and cared for by the collections staff at the museum. This careful balance of access and
preservation is one that museums have always, and will always be grappling with, and
social media is one way to bridge the gap.
78
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APPENDICES
Appendix 1: AAM 2018
Collections Stewardship StandardsStewardship is the careful, sound and responsible management of that which is entrusted to a museum's care. Possession of collections incurs legal, social and ethical obligations to provide proper physical storage, management and care for the collections and associated documentation, as well as proper intellectual control. Collections are held'm trust for the public and made accessible for the public's benefit. Effective collections stewardship ensures that the objects the museum owns, borrows, holds in its custody and/or uses are available and accessible to present and future generations. A museum's collections are an important means of advancing its mission and serving the public.
Core Standards: Collections Stewardship• The museum owns, exhibits or uses collections that are appropriate to its mission.
• The museum legally, ethically and effectively manages, documents, cares for and uses tho collections.
• The museum conducts collections-related research according to appropriate scholarly standards
• The museum strategically plans for the use and development of its collections.
• Guided by its mission, the museum provides public access to its collections while ensuring their preservation.
• See also the Core Standards for Facilities & Risk Management
Related Core Document• Collections Management Policy
Professional Practices: Collections StewardshipMuseums are expected to: plan strategically and act ethically with respect to collections stewardship matters; legally, ethically and responsibly acquire, manage and dispose of collection items as well as know what collections are in its ownership/custody, where they came from, why it has them and their current condition and location; and provide regular and reasonable access *o, and use of, the collections/objects in its custody.
Achieving this standard requires thorough understanding of collections stewardship issues to ensure thoughtful and responsible planning and decision making. With this in mind, national standards emphasize systematic development and regular review of policies, procedures, practices and plans for the goals, activities and needs of the collections.
Professional Practices: Collections StewardshipM u s e u m s a re e x p e c t e d to : p la n s tra t e g ic a l ly a n d a c t e th ic a l ly w i t h r e s p e c t t o c o l le c t io n s s t e w a r d s h ip
m a t t e r s ; le g a lly , e th ic a l ly a n d r e s p o n s ib ly a c q u ir e , m a n a g e a n d d is p o s e o f c o lle c t io n ite m s a s w e ll a s
k n o w w h a t c o lle c t io n s a re in Its o w n e r s h ip / c u s t o d y , w h e r e t h e y c a m e f r o m , w h y it h a s t h e m a n d th e ir c u r r e n t c o n d it io n a n d lo c a tio n ; a n d p r o v id e r e g u la r a n d r e a s o n a b le a c c e s s to , a n d u s e o f , t h e
c o lle c t io n s / o b je c ts in its c u s t o d y .
A c h ie v in g t h is s t a n d a r d r e q u ire s t h o r o u g h u n d e r s t a n d in g o f c o lle c t io n s s t e w a r d s h ip is s u e s t o e n s u r e
t h o u g h t f u l a n d r e s p o n s ib le p la n n in g a n d d e c is io n m a k in g . W it h t h is in m in d , n a tio n a l s t a n d a r d s
e m p h a s iz e s y s t e m a t ic d e v e lo p m e n t a n d r e g u la r r e v ie w o f p o lic ie s , p r o c e d u r e s , p r a c t ic e s a n d p la n s
f o r t h e g o a ls , a c tiv it ie s a n d n e e d s o f th e c o lle c t io n s .
To meet these a museum must have:
• A c u r r e n t , a p p r o v e d , c o m p r e h e n s iv e c o lle c t io n s m a n a g e m e n t p o lic y is in e f f e c t a n d a c t iv e ly u s e d t o g u id e t h e m u s e u m 's s te w a r d s h ip o f its c o lle c t io n s .
- T h e s u f f ic ie n t h u m a n r e s o u r c e s a n d s ta ff w it h t h e a p p r o p r ia t e e d u c a t io n , t r a in in g a n d
e x p e r ie n c e to fulfill th e m u s e u m ’s s t e w a r d s h ip re s p o n s ib ilit ie s a n d th e n e e d s o f t h e c o lle c t io n s -
• S ta ff d e le g a t e d w it h re s p o n s ib ilit y to c a r r y o u t th e c o lle c t io n s m a n a g e m e n t p o lic y .
■ A s y s t e m o f d o c u m e n t a t io n , r e c o r d s m a n a g e m e n t a n d in v e n t o r y is in e ff e c t t o d e s c r ib e e a c h o b je c t a n d its a c q u is it io n (p e r m a n e n t o r t e m p o r a r y ) , c u r r e n t c o n d it io n a n d lo c a tio n a n d
m o v e m e n t in to , o u t o f a n d w ith in th e m u s e u m .
- P r o c e s s e s t h a t re g u la r ly m o n it o r e n v ir o n m e n t a l c o n d it io n s a n d h a v e p r o a c t iv e m e a s u r e s t o m it ig a te t h e e f f e c t s o f u lt ra v io le t lig h t, f lu c t u a t io n s in te m p e r a t u r e a n d h u m id it y , a ir p o llu tio n , d a m a g e , p e s t s a n d n a tu ra l d is a s te rs o n c o lle c t io n s .
• A n a p p r o p r ia t e m e t h o d f o r id e n t if y in g n e e d s a n d d e t e r m in in g p r io r it ie s fo r c o n s e r v a t io n / c a r e is
in p la c e .
• S a f e t y a n d s e c u r it y p r o c e d u r e s a n d p la n s fo r c o lle c t io n s in th e m u s e u m 's c u s t o d y a re d o c u m e n t e d , p r a c t ic e d a n d a d d r e s s e d in th e m u s e u m 's e m e r g e n c y / d is a s t e r p r e p a r e d n e s s p la n .
• R e g u la r a s s e s s m e n t o f , a n d p la n n in g fo r, c o lle c t io n n e e d s (d e v e lo p m e n t , c o n s e r v a t io n , ris k m a n a g e m e n t , e t c . ) ta k e s p la c e a n d s u f f ic ie n t f in a n c ia l a n d h u m a n r e s o u r c e s a re a llo c a t e d fo r
c o lle c t io n s s te w a r d s h ip .
• C o l le c t io n s c a r e p o lic ie s a n d p r o c e d u r e s fo r c o lle c t io n s o n e x h ib it io n , in s t o r a g e , o n lo a n a n d
d u r in g t r a v e l a re a p p r o p r ia te , a d e q u a t e a n d d o c u m e n t e d .
• B o t h t h e p h y s ic a l a n d in te lle c tu a l c o n t r o l o f its p r o p e r t y .
- A p p r o p r ia t e m u s e u m p o lic ie s a n d p r o c e d u r e s th a t in c o r p o r a t e e th ic a l c o n s id e r a t io n s o f
c o lle c t io n s s te w a r d s h ip .
■ C o n s id e r a t io n s r e g a r d in g f u t u r e c o l le c t in g a c tiv it ie s a re in c o r p o r a t e d in t o in s t itu tio n a l p la n s a n d
o t h e r a p p r o p r ia t e p o l ic y d o c u m e n t s .
How Does A Museum Assess Whether Its Collections and/or Objects Are Appropriate for Its Mission?
T h i s is d e t e r m in e d b y c o m p a r in g th e in s t itu t io n ’s m is s io n — h o w It f o r m a lly d e f in e s its u n iq u e id e n t it y
a n d p u r p o s e , a n d its u n d e r s t a n d in g o f its ro le a n d re s p o n s ib ilit y to th e p u b lic — to t w o t h in g s : (1 ) th e c o lle c t io n s u s e d b y th e in s t itu tio n ; a n d ( 2 ) its p o lic ie s , p r o c e d u r e s a n d p r a c t ic e s r e g a r d in g t h e
d e v e lo p m e n t a n d u s e o f c o lle c t io n s (s e e a ls o th e S t e n d a r d s o n In s ttto t io n a l M is s io ^ ^ a t e m e n t s ) .
A r e v ie w o f a m u s e u m 's c o lle c t io n s s te w a r d s h ip p r a c t ic e s e x a m in e s : w h e t h e r th e m is s io n s t a t e m e n t
o r c o lle c t io n s d o c u m e n t s (e .g . , c o lle c t io n s m a n a g e m e n t p o lic y , c o lle c t io n s p la n , e t c . ) a re c le a r e n o u g h to g u id e c o lle c t io n s s te w a r d s h ip d e c is io n s ; w h e t h e r th e c o lle c t io n s o w n e d b y th e m u s e u m ,
a n d o b je c t s lo a n e d a n d e x h ib it e d a t th e m u s e u m , fall w ith in t h e s c o p e o f th e s ta te d m is s io n a n d c o lle c t io n s d o c u m e n t s ; a n d w h e t h e r th e m is s io n a n d o t h e r c o lle c t io n s s te w a rd s h ip -r e la t e d
d o c u m e n t s a re in a lig n m e n t a n d g u id e th e m u s e u m 's p r a c t ic e s .
Assessing Collections Stewardship
T h e r e a re d if fe re n t w a y s to m a n a g e , h o u s e , s e c u r e , d o c u m e n t a n d c o n s e r v e c o lle c t io n s , d e p e n d in g
o n th e ir m e d ia a n d u s e , a n d th e m u s e u m 's o w n d is c ip lin e , s iz e , p h y s ic a l fa c ilit ie s , g e o g r a p h i c lo c a t io n
a n d fin a n c ia l a n d h u m a n r e s o u r c e s . T h e r e f o r e , o n e m u s t c o n s id e r m a n y f a c e ts o f a n in s t itu t io n 's
o p e r a t io n s t h a t , ta k e n t o g e t h e r , d e m o n s t r a t e th e e f f e c t iv e n e s s o f its c o lle c t io n s s t e w a r d s h ip p o lic ie s ,
p r o c e d u r e s a n d p r a c t ic e s , a n d a s s e s s t h e m In lig h t o f v a r y in g f a c t o rs . F o r in s t a n c e , m u s e u m s m a y
h a v e d iv e r s e t y p e s o f c o lle c t io n s c a t e g o r iz e d b y d if fe re n t le v e ls o f p u r p o s e a n d u s e — p e r m a n e n t ,
e d u c a t io n a l, a rc h iv a l, r e s e a r c h a n d s tu d y , t o n a m e a f e w — t h a t m a y h a v e d if fe re n t m a n a g e m e n t a n d
c a r e n e e d s . T h e s e d is t in c t io n s s h o u ld b e a r t ic u la t e d in c o lle c t io n s s t e w a r d s h ip -r e la t e d p o lic ie s a n d p r o c e d u r e s . In a d d it io n , d if fe re n t m u s e u m d is c ip lin e s m a y h a v e d if fe re n t c o lle c t io n s s te w a r d s h ip
p r a c t ic e s , is s u e s a n d n e e d s re la te d to th e ir s p e c if ic f ie ld . M u s e u m s a re e x p e c t e d t o f o llo w t h e s ta n d a r d s a n d b e s t p r a c t ic e s a p p r o p r ia t e to th e ir r e s p e c t iv e d is c ip lin e a n d / o r m u s e u m t y p e a s
a p p lic a b le .
89
Appendix 2: AMNH 2018a
A m e r ic a n M u se u m w i *#* o N a t u r a l H is t o r y p a w j - j
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History 1869-1900AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY TIMELINE1869 * Albert Smith Btckmore, one-time student of Harvard zoologist Louis Agassiz, is successful in Ns proposal to aeete a natural history museum in New York City, winning the support of William E. Dodge, Jr., Theodore Roosevelt, Sr., Joseph Choate, and J. Pierpont Morgan. The Governor of New York, John Thompson Hoffman, signs the Act of Incorporation officially creating the American Museum of Natural History on April 6. John David Wotfe becomes President of the Museum the same year.
1871 • A series of exhibits of the Museum's collection goes on view tor the first time in the Central Part Arsenal, the Museum's original home on the eastern side of Central Park.
1B72 • Robert L. Stuart becomes President of the Museum.
* The Museum quickly outgrows the Arsenal and secures Manhattan Square, a Mock of land across the street from Central Park, between West 77th and 81st Streets, to buttd a bigger facility. Although funds are only available for the construction of a relatively modest building, architects Calvert Vaux and J. Wrey Mould prepare a monumental plan for the entire Manhattan Square site, to indude an enormous five-story square with a Greek cross in the middle that would create four enclosed courts with a central octagonal crossing, covered with a dome.
1874 ♦ The cornerstone for the Museum's first building at 77th Street is laid by U.S. President UlysaesS. Grant
1881 < New Museum President Morris K. Jesup launches the Museum into a golden age of exploration that lasts from 1880 to 1930. During this time, the Museum is involved with expeditions thet discover the North Pole; explore unmapped areas of Sfceria; traverse Outer Mongolia and the great Gobi; and penetrate the densest jungles of the Congo, taking Museum representatives to every continent on the globe.
1877 * The firet buHding open* with U.S. President Rutherford B. Hayes presiding at a public ceremony.
1895 * President Jesup hires Franz Boas to be the assistant curator in the Department of Ethnology.
Appendix 3: AMNH 2018b
About the Museum► Richard Glider Center
for Science, Education, and InnovationMission Statement
^ History
History 1869-1900
History 1 9 0 M 9 6 0
History 1961-1990
History 1991-Present
Careers► Annual Report
Board of TrusteesFinancial StatementsGovernance PolicyConflict of Interest PolicySustainabilityPrinciples
Notice of Non- Discrimination and HarossmentFinancial Conflict of
History 1901-196CAMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY TIMELINE1906 • Boas leaves his position at the Museum and begins teaching at Columbia University, One of his students is Margaret Mead, the scientist, explorer, writer, and teacher who will work in the Department of Anthropology at the American Museum of Natural History from 1926 until her death in 1978. A pioneer, she brings the serious work of anthropology into the public consciousness.
1908 • Museum President Morris K. Jesup dies. Henry Fairfield Osborn becomes President. Osborn is the first Museum president trained as a scientist.
1913 • Carl Akeley, a pioneer in the creation of lifelike mammal dioramas, writes to Os bom offering to devote five years to the creation of an African Mammals Hall at the Museum. Osborn agrees.
■v,
Roy Chapman Andrews
1920s • Roy Chapman Andrews leads the historic Central Asiatic Expeditions through the Gobi of Mongolia, discovering some of the richest dinosaur fossil sites in the world. Andrews and his team work there until the border between China and Outer Mongolia doses in 1930.
1926 * The Museum receives an extensive gift of mammals from the Indian subcontinent, the result of an expedition led by Arthur S. Vemay and Colonel J. C. Faunthorpe. Work soon begins on designing a fitting environment for these specimens, which will be mounted according to Aketeys technique and displayed in dioramas.
Appendix 4: AMNH 2018c
About the Museum► Richard Gilder Center
for Science, Education, and Innovation
Mission S ta te m e n t
^ H is to ry
History 1869-1900
History 1901-1960
History 1961-1990
History 1991-Present
Careers
► A nnual Report
Board o f Trustees
Financial S tatem ents
Governance Policy
Conflict o f interest Policy
S ustainabilityPrinciples
Notice o f N on- Discrim ination and Harassm ent
Finnrwinl rn n flir t rtf
History 1991-PresentTHE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY - TIMELINE1991 * The Mongolian Academy of Sciences invites the Museum to take part in a joint paleontological expedition to the Gobi, the first such expedition to Include Western scientists sincethe Central Asiatic Expedition in the 1920s. These joint expeditions now take place annually.
• A frve-story-high Barosaurus cast is installed in the Theodore Roosevelt Rotunda, becoming the world's highest freestanding dinosaur display.
1992 • The Research Library's new facility opens.
• The Center for Biodiversity and Conservation is established.
• The Hall of Human Biology and Evolution opens on the first floor.
A!l033unjs tHall o ' Saunschia.'DlnoMun)
1996 • Major renovations are completed on the fossii halls on the fourth floor of the Museum. Openings during this period include: the Hall of Primitive Mammals, the Paul and Irma Milstein Half of Advanced Mammals, Ihe Hafi of Saurischian Dinosaurs, the Hall of Omrthischian Dinosaurs, the Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Orientation Center, and the Hall of Vertebrate Origins.
1997 • The National Center for Science Literacy, Education and Technology is created, in partnership with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
Appendix 5: AMNH 2018d
the P ro je c t!Overview
Tlx new Richard Gilder Center for Science, Educadoi, ta d Innovation will Invite visitors to experience the Iknnu ii not <mly as ■ place of puhHt eihtWlkma but u an active scientific and educational institution.
The Gflder Center wlB Include new exhibition and learning spaces with Hatt-of-ihe-att technology and acceas ip the Muna ia*s worid- cIm coDfcthms. It will also expand access m a broader range of the Museum's resources far students, teadiere, and (amines, offering new teaming opportunities ind inviting ill rlsttan to share In the mdteioemo/ dbcovrry.
About
The NeedScience Is at the core nf the most pwsi lng Isaues of the day— human health, climate chant*, and biodiversity conservation, among others- *nd there is an urgent need to enhance the public understanding of science and to provide effective educational experiences ihet support informed, thoughtful engagement with these topics.
There ts an equally critical need to address key challenges In STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education. The Glider Center will expand the teach and deepen the Impact of the Museum’s work in sdenee education, building an a Strang foundation of successful programs such as Urban Advantage, the Master of AiU in Teaching Program , and the Science Hews arch Man taring Program that already serve teachers, students, and youth throughout New York City, New York State, and beyond.
Over the last several decades, the Museum's anoual attendance has f t own from approximately three mllUon to approximately Ow million. The Glider Center wfll enhance the visitor experience by Improving circulation and by making physical end programmatic connections among galleries, claMrooms, collection*, and Htarary resource*.
DesignThe Gilder Center is designed by Jeanne Gang of Studio Gang Architects. Ralph Appelbaum of Ralph AppettMum Associate* b designing the exhibition experiences, and ths landscape architecture Arm is R««d HUdntwand.
The Glider Center Is designed by Jeanne Gang of Studio Gang Architects. Ralph Appelbaum of Ralph Appelbaum Associates Is designing the exhibition experiences, and the landscape architecture Arm is Reed KUderbnnd.
Approximately M percent of the 2j0,000-gro«s-square-foot project will be located within iheaieacum m Jy occupied by the Museum. Three existing Museum buildings will be removed to mintmlz* the Gilder Center footprint in Theodore Roosevelt Park to about 11,600 square feet (approximately a quarter acre).
The Gilder Center will be a Ihe-story, approximately 190,000-gioa*- sqoare-foot addition lo the Museum. The proposed project would also include approximately AO,000 gross square feet of renovations lo misting space and attentions to an approximately 7 5 ,000-squaje-foot adjacent area of Theodore Roosevelt Park.
92
Appendix 6: AMNH 2018e
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Mission StatementTo discover, interpret, and disseminate— through scientific research and education— knowledge about human cultures, the natural world, and the universe.
In 2006, the Museum established the Richard Gilder Graduate School which includes a Ph.D. granting program in comparative biology within the Museum. Accordingly, the Museum's Cherter was amended by the Board of Regents of the State of New York as follows:
“to confer the degrees o f Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), and Master of Philosophy (M. Phit.) to duly qualified graduates completing registered curricula at the Graduate School of the American Museum of Natural History, end to award from the Graduate School the Honorary Degrees of Science (D.Sc.), Doctor of Laws (LL.D.), Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) and Master o f Humane Letters (L.H.M.) to those selected by the Board of Trustees.*
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Appendix 7: Facebook 2018a
Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County OSmhmia
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CaWng ell Los Angeles County K-12 student nature photognpftar* ■f' M l From Juty 11 through September 30, enter your fewt netuw images for your chance to win cool NHMLA prizesi Submit your best photos to us at nhm.org/photocontest.
This contest will complement the upcoming WBdJtfe Photographer of the Year exhibition coming here on August IB!
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inhuman. Unstoppable. Absolutely beautiful.It's man vs. machine—and past vs. present—in ‘Cuft of the Machine,’ on view through August 12th. dey.ng/sOOQH
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Appendix 9: Facebook 2018c
How the Groundbreaking Realism Movement Revolutionized Art History
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Legion of Honoi <*Lto j & f**0" \ Q **eew*'̂ l* j jMuseum O --------------- ---------------------------(s&LegfonofHonor Jn the mki-19th century, artists in Europe adopted a new style o f art.
Realism, ft was so unexpected to g to attention to everyday subject Home matter, and this art movement transformed the Western art world.
Here, My Modern Met explores the contributions of pioneer* of Realism in order to understand why this movement became so significant.
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Appendix 10: Facebook 2018d
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It’s the last day of Shark Week, and some may say we saved the best for last: the great white shark. One o f the world's largest predatory fishes, the great white shark (Care ha rod on carch arias) is at the top of the ocean's food chain. Far from being an indiscriminate "killer* it locates Its prey—seals, sea (ions, dolphins, and fishes, including other sharks— through sme», eight, and a well-developed electrical sense. Attacks on humans are rare and probably cases of mistaken Identity. Ever wonder why this species is often seen with its mouth egape? It's not because It's hungry—the great white keeps water flowing through Its g ils by swimming with Its mouth open. By staying in constant motion, it avoids having to pump water over its gills.Photo: Bernard DUPONT
<3> 200 Central Partt W (4,134.49 km)10024 New York, New Yortt
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95
Appendix 11: FAMSF 2018a
History of the de Young MuseumThe de Young Mus*rm originated as the Fine Arts BuJtfing. which wes constructed in Golden Gate Perk for the Catffcxnie MkVrinter internet! one! Exposhfon in 1894. The char of the exposition crgarizmq committee was Michael H de Young. co-founder of the San ftancrsco C tnnkJt. The Fine Arts ButkJmg wat designed in a pseudo-Egyptian Revival style and decorative** adorned with Imaoes of Htthor, the cow goddess F low ing the exposition, the txilding was designated at a museum for the people o f San Frandaeo. O w the years, the de Vcwng has grown) from an attraction orig/natty designed to tempomrSy house an ectacnc coflectton of exotic oddities and curiosities to the foremost museum in the western United States concentrating on American art international textile arts and costumes, and art o f the ancient Americas, Oceania end Africa.
The new Memorial Museum was a success from its opening on March 25,1895. No admission was charged, and most o f what wason display had been acquired from the exhibits at the expotftton.€la>*n years sfter the rrwseum opened, the greet earthquake o f'9 06 caused significant damage to the Midwinter Fair buHding, forcing a year-and^hstf closure ter repairs.
Before long, the museum's steady devefopmwH csfled for a new space to be flr serve its growing audiences. Michael de Young responded by planning the building that woiidaetv* as the core of the de Young Museuri facility through the 20!h century. Louis Christian MiJgardl, the coordinator for architecture for the 1915 Panan»Pacsfc Exposition, designed the SpanisfrPlateresqufrstyte buSdfng. It was completed in 1919 and formally transferred by deYoung to the cftys parts commissioners. In 1921, deYoung added a central section, together »*th the tower that would become the museum's aigneture feature, and the museun began to assume the basic configuration that H retained untii 2001. Michael de Young's great effort* were honored with the changing of the museum’s name to the M. H. de Young Memorial Museum. Yet another add$on, a west wing, was completed in 1925. the year de Young died. Just four yearn later, the originef Eflyptien-style building was declared unsafe and demeaned. By the end of the 1940s. the elaborate cast concrete ornamentation of the original de Young was determined to bee hazard and removed because the sail sk from the Pacific had rusted the supporting steel.
in the nw}-19G0a, following Avtty Bruidegrt bequest of his magnificent Asian art collection, the Brundage wing was constructed, thereafter altering the museum's orientaiion toward the Japanese Tea Garden, another remnant of the 1894 Midwinter Fair. In 1994 d iy voters overwhelmingly supported a bond maaaura to renowte the former San Francisco Main Library as the new home o f the Asian Art Museum. Architect Gae AulertJ-widely reoopniiad for adapting historic structures into museum spaeea-waa chosen as the design archile* for the new tecflity. The Asian art collection remained open to the public at the deYoung until October 2001, when It closed in preparation for the mow. In November 20C3 it reopened its doors to the public at Its new Crvtc Center location as sn Independent museum.
In 1969 the de Young suffered significant structural damage as a result of the Lome Prieta earthquake The Fine Arts Museums' board of touteet completed a project that braced the musauh as a temporary measure until a tong*term aoMoncouid be implemented. For the next several years, the board actively sought solutions to the de Young's structural jeoperdy and solicited feedback from throughout the community, conducting numerous visiter surveys and public woriahopt.
With extensive public Input the board initiated a process to plan and build a privmefy financed ins titu te as a phbmhrapteQift to Cecity. In the tradition of M. H de Young An open erctwartiof selection process took place from 1998 to 1999. The board endorsed a museun concept plan in October 1999, and a successftj muttimfllicin~6ollr fundraising campaign was initiated under the leaderthio of board president Dlsne B. Witsey
The reacting design ay the Swiss architectural firm Hercog & da Meuren weevea the museun into the natural environment of the parte It also provide* open end Oftht-filiea spaces U53tfaoi4aa and enhance The art-viewing experience. Historic dementi from the former de Young. *uch as the sphlraes, the original palm tree*, and the Pool of Enchantment, have been retained or reconstructed at the new museum The former de Young Museum structure dosed to the public on December 31,2000. The new deYoung opened on October 15,2005.
/towding to The Art Newspaper (April 2012). f f * new museum Is the most visited an m m w n west of the Mississippi, the sath-mo*t-via!ted art museum in North America, and the 35th-most visited in the worid. Housed in a siate-of-the-art accessible, end architecturally significant facrirty, it provides valuable art experiences to generations of residents and visitors.
History of the Legion of Honor
Appendix 12: FAMSF 2018b
High on Ihe headlands abo>a the Qotden Qate-'whsre Ihe faoficQoean mflhinlo S t Franeaoo Bay' slair is theCaifemiftPslacaotthe Legion at Hawr. the gA ol Abne de Brettarih Spredats to the city ol Sen frsncaco. Located in Lincoto F f̂k, thia unkiue art mueeun * one ol the greet treasures in a dty that boasts n«ny riches. The iw *ai*n* spectacular satttog is made *»an more dramatic by the imposing rrw irh nonri— inrf hi ritrftnQ
In ’ 815Akm Spredatstel in love with Ihe French frvilion si San Francisco^ Ptnemeftc/ic littaxiwliond Exposition. ThispetSonwas • rap io of the RriM da la Ligion rfHonneur in Psris, one o( iha dstinguished 18th-cenh*ylsrtdmsrt<» on the Wt bar* o( the Seine. The H6tel de Sakn, as it was first caled was deigned bjr Pier re Rousaeau in 1782 for the ftinc*o<Salm-Krybourg.Comptatod in 1788. it was not destined to serve long as a royal readence; the Gertrwprinwwhoesbrbjnes tel with the French Revckjtjon,hied there only one year. Madame de Staaif owned B briefly before Napdeon took il m t in 1904 as the home ol ha nenrfy est^ifohed L4gi«i d'Honneur, the order he creetedes a reward far c*d and m®ary merit
AkneSprec M i persueded her hu^end, sugar m y l t Adolph & Sprodeah, to recapture the beauty ol the pevfcn as * new srt museum tor Sin Francisco. the dc»aal the !915 •qjosfon, the Fm nchga*mment granted them permission to constructs permanent replic* but Mforid W ti i delayed 1he groundbreaking for this arofcrtbus prefect unS 1931. Constructed on a remote site know iis Land* End—one o< (he most besut&J settings Imaginable lor any mueeum-the CaHfcmie F^tece ot the Legion ol Hawr m s completed in 1924, and on Armistice Day ot 1het year the door* opened to the public. In keeping with 1he wishes ol the donors, to te n o r Ihe dead « t * serving the twing* it was accepted by the city d San Franosoo as a iru au m a l fine arti dedeated to 1he memory at the 3.600CaWomi# men who had lost their lii«3 o r the betfefiefchot France duingUforidWvl.
ArcMed Qeorge ApplagerM design far the Coiiofna Ftece 0< the Legion o< Honor was a three-quarter'Kaled adaption o4 the 18th- century 5Hriswi original, incorporating the moat advanced ideas in museum construction. The wait were 21 inches thick, msde with hoBow tiles to l»ep temperature* man, and the heating ayetam design eliminated aesthetics^ offensive radiators and deemed the air that filtered through it %wlhdpmaars to w m a * dust Sauen thousand oiiicyarda of concrete snd a mflion pounds ol retntorring bar went into the structure, butaneaeeesnart performed in the 1060s shewed thet the landmark bultfng needed to be made seismicity secure. Between March 1692 e x i No-amber 1B9S-ilsa»«enly-<«stwniwwy-lhe Legion irte rvw nt a major renovation thetinduded seismic strengthening, tuttfiQ systems upgrades, restoration of hsstffic ardriectiftJ features, and an underground expansion thet added 35,000 aquare teet. Waiter awvices and proywn bctftiee increased, w*hout Bering the historic facade or a rtonety affecting the erMronmental integrity of the site-The erd i ted schoaan to eccompish this chefanging feet were EdtwdLarTabeeBames and Mark CenagnefO-
The 1995 renoialion resized a 42 percert increese in squsre footage, in ^d rig ax additional ̂ nedeledvbHion galleries set sraxnd the pyramid sfc)tight wsUe n the Legion cowtjani The gtess p^amid site atop the Rosefaans Courl snd ̂ ede l exhfcition galleries located betow It isa Nay eecond focal point In alormal courtyard olhetydse focused solely on Auguste Rod inh The Thinker, as well as sigh t and tensite counterpoim to the he«* stone materisls of 1he Court of Hero, lending safe and interest The museisri ako provides servioes for scholars es wal as yotara. On the tower tonal, the paper conssnalion laboratory, which is internationally recognized lor its mwetive snd high <M*ty wort, doubted in aza during the rwicwation. A print study room, ako added during renawtion, efcxoe ctase examination of nwrfci on paper, as w rf s* access to the cofcdton by means a l kax computeriiad work suftorn. Smitariy, * porcelain study room adjacent to the mteeumV porcebrig*rygKaBH*Kilwsei opportunity to seamine I f * eras o# Ihe mu eeumXcoiection
On the la w r total. a spacious cafe provides vwfcxs tath a place to eat end rekx white enjoying dfemaijc views of the Rscific Oceen end beyond. Across from the cafe, ttiemueeum store faefcxessn*ido selection of srt posters and books, notecankjewelry, end <rthert*iique products inspired by the nweumfc cofledkms.
In a statement dulwjia d to the Board of !% i Commissioners on 5 Jenuery 1930. Adolph 8. Spracfcah declared it n»«s the |>jipoge of *my wite snd myeeB to contribute to the beautification of our natty* cayeomHhingnc* only beauttutfiitiefl. but also something denoted to patriotic and ueeM ends; something which might be dedta toO as a swtobte memorial to otrbrane boys who g— their fc«« to thee country in 1he Gnst \Afcf, snd ako tend itsett, ss s home o< srt snd histcricd treasure*, to promoting the education and culture of OU» dtoens. snd e ip e d ^ the rising and coming generations.'
97
Ibout the Fine Arts Museums of San Franciscotiprising the de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park and the Legion of Honor in Lincoln Park, we are the largest public arts institution in the i of San Francisco and one of the largest art museums in the United States.
Appendix 13: FAMSF 2018c
Mission Statement
The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco have rendered over a century of public service in the arts, and it is our mission to extend and enhance that service weU into this century. More specificity, our mission encompasses the following goafs:
1. To present a range of exhibitions of highest quality which serve, are accessible to, and will draw broad audiences 2- To provide extensive and innovative art education programs for people of at! ages and interests3. To actively involve a diverse pubKc in all of the museums' activities4. To conserve the objects in our care5. To collect new objects relevant to the collections through purchase and gift while affording a hospitable place for collectors in the community to donate art to the puttie with complete confidence6. To research and publicize the collections through scholarly publishing7. To maintain two museums outfitted to deliver exceptional visitor safety, comfort, and access as well as the environmental conditions necessary to preserve and protect art8. To operate within our goals with state-of-the-art efficiency9. To contribute to the economy and culture of San Francisco
*jmmary, the Fine Arts Museums continue to serve as one of the premier public institutions in the western United States, existing to provide community and region with high quality exhibitions, programs, education and outreach, and to care for San Francisco's esteemed art ectioa
98
Appendix 14: FAMSF 2018d
HOME VIDEOS PLAYLISTS CHANNELS DISCUSSION ABOUT
All playlists ▼
Created playlists
The Summer of Love Expert... Conservation Works on Paper Sculpture & Decorative Arts
Playlists
6
IlkCanon: A Mini-Symposium ^ Captioned for Accessibility Conversations with Colin de Young Artist Fellows
Fine Arts Museums of Sen Francis,., Fine Arts Museums of San Francis,. Fine Arts Museums of San Francis... Frne Arts Museums of San Francis.,.
Appendix 15: FAMSF 2018e
Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco3,420 subscribers
HOME VIDEOS PLAYLISTS CHANNELS DISCUSSION
Description
Comprising the de Young and the Legion of Honor, the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco are the fifth most visited art museums in the United States.
Stats
Joined May 7,2007
1,102,110 views
Details
For business inquiries: VIEW EMAtL ADDRESS
Location: United States
Appendix 16: Field Museum 2018
iv.Ftdti Buy Tickets Membership info The Museum Store I
aupmrt thewgsifUM
AflO UT THE M u iiu w
P f t n ° » m - -%prT\ r r r r f -’ i . i oli.-t! ‘L I it i 'h im
O n Thursday, M ay 10, and Friday, M ay u , the Field M useum w ill c lo se early a t 4pm , w ith last adm ission at 3pm , in xpreparation fo r o u r annual M em bers' Nights.
Search fioiamusoum.org
Horn? * Exhibitions & Events » Exhibitions * P rejm Hyena EHtnm*
Jum p to Section Navigation I
Project Hyena Diorama
In April 2015, The Field Museum's science-based YouTube channel, The Brain Scoop, teamed up with
museum fans from all over the world to fund the creation o f the Museum's first new habitat diorama in over
60 years. Thanks to more than 1,500 contributors from across the globe, the six-week Indiegogo campaign
raised enough m oney to m ove the Museum's striped hyenas from their previous location (in the Reptile Hall, of all places), to a brand new home in the HaR of Asian Mammals.
The hyenas, collected in 1896 and mounted in 1899 by Field Museum taxidermist Carl Akeley, were carefully
conserved. Staff researched the hyenas' native habitat to ensure accuracy— from the landform, to the plants
and other animals in the scene, to the pre-dawn sky. Every element was meticulously crafted for the new
diorama. An interactive touchscreen label enahles visitors to explore the diorama, its production* and the
history behind the specimens.
Learn more about the diorama's creation:Watch Chief Curiosity Correspondent Emily Grasiie kickoff the Indiegogo campaign
Read updates and see photos shared with Indiegogo backers
Hear about the diorama's painted background from staff artist Aaron Delehanty
See the care involved as our Exhibitions team creates each o f the smallest details for the hyenas' h a b ita t-
like aloe plants reminiscent o f those Carl Akeley photographed on his 1896 expedition
Find out more about our striped hyenas from Dr. Larry Heaney, Curator o f Mammals
100
Trending on YouTubeTrending helps viewers see what's happening on YouTube and in the world. Some trends are predictable, like a new song from a popular artist or a new movie trailer. Others are surprising, like a viral video. Trending aims to surface videos that a wide range of viewers will appreciate.
Trending is not personalized. Trending displays the same list of trending videos in each country to all users, except for India, in India, Trending displays the same list of trending videos for each of the 9 most common Indie languages.
The list of trending videos is updated roughly every 15 minutes. With each update, videos may move up, down, or stay in the same position in the list.
Appendix 17: Google 2018
Appendix 18: Internet Creators Guild 2018
We support online creators by organizing collective representation efforts, advocating on their behalf, and
developing resources with best practices, such as these initiatives from our first year:
C oordinated an open Isrttvr on beha lf o f crea to r* to dem and the FCC and C ongrau do not dism antle Nst N eutra lity rules.
Produced e re po rt on th e fa c to r* th a t are in fluenc ing brand deal
rates.
C reated standard con tract explanations to be tte r equip crea tor*
fo r negotiations.
Established lines o f com m unication w ith YouTube and b « c a m « a msgaphone fo r crea tor c o n c tm i.
G athered experiences and dsvs lo p td guides to help creators m anage the ir communities.
i Net Neutrality Open LetterC reators could have th e ir live lihood jeopard ized by changes to
th e existing Net Neutrality rules.
In a n i* f te ensure c re a to n ' a r e h e a r t , w e partic ipa ted in
a da y o f action to save Net Neutrality. O ur open le tte r was
signed by over 800 in ternet creators a nd supporters who
coitoctfvefy roach an audience o f over 240 m illion people.
READ MORE
101
Appendix 19: NHMLA 2018a
> About Ok Nbmura > Htonry
A k u tO u rU u H u m
Villon *odV«h**»
Strategic Framaworit
W#*t>oirth Project
NHMNert
StifC oaM C ttd
The Neturafiit
tw frt I t in u k 4 Filming
MtoriungatNHM
(otrdonrumt
MuttunlnritnMr
Corpont* Governance
Tennsof U *
CoMaCtUi
History of the Natural History Museum
The Natural History Muatwn of Loi Angeles County Issituatedon M M M r w d H M agriojhural fairground ftom 1072 until m a i n the IMOs, a local attorney and Sunday school teacher, VflBiani Miller Bmmn, b t c m IncnMJr^y da rned by thegrowtngiwmbereof (a tom , gambling events, and other v to s that existed lo the par*. In W » j he bd the fight to cmMmx th t SIMC. Cowny, and Oty » devttop tfw p v t h • o i b n i o tfdK in dill pbn,ttw State wouU biritd an exposition bulking f o CatifomlB products (and brter an wowy); the Cau rty would buOd i historical and art m u a m ; Mid the Otjr would n M t l n Ihe po w sh . Thd ufpwTX* ownership Hi# exists today.
Thenuaeum bulWing wes foo led on the western axis of the proposed sunken m e garden of Apio,tau*J PjrV, renamed HfxrtiUoc P»rt< lr O c e rn to 19TO. O i I>ec»n>bef 17 of tha t year, wHh Bowen, Mayor George Alexander, future CaWomi* Governor WBBam H. Stephens and Mfter cSgrVtariei in attendance, and wtth the Grand Lodge of Minora of California oAdating, the Museum's cornerstone was laid and construction bepn .
The O rig inal M useumThe oflgJrul structure — what It today known coflaqirfilly « the 190 Bulking — w by looJ irctviectf Frank Hudwr and William AJ3. ManwH. H locorpcxattd ar» eclectic blend of style* Spanish R tfldsM nn ornnr'entatlon ts teen In thctenaortU trimmings; Romanesque Wyie in the arched windows and the brick watts; and the Beaux-Arts traBUon In the T-shaped floor plan.
The fecal point oflhe!9T3 Building m , and is tadB* the rotunda, which m easure A feet In diameter with three wings. The ro ttn la^ »m#s are made of Itafian maiMa, its tacu rf moufc tit*. Jtf» Bracken W m # i 'Three Mums* statue f a c ts Ha center. The rotunda* dome Is SI
In Selfht, whh i ikyfight 20 feel to w s , designed bf the eminent Wfctar Horace Judton.
A* the Museum was beta* built, fo>» IockI argantoaOons — the Historical Society of Souther* CiJ Ifcma, the Cooper OfnHhotogmd Qub, the Stiutham Cattfomia A6*da<ny of Stlaicei, and the Fine Arts L«gue —were persuaded to ftfl the g*8erfe* of ihe new auiseum. The museum was pven the exclusive rights In WO to remove the prahfctoric remains f a n Ok tar p tu at fcmchcta &rea. Mammal skeletons continued to dominate the science w lr^ of theMueawn imBl W 6, when they wem monKl Id the CencaoSc Ha8 and to the George C. Page Museum of L»8rea Ohcowtes.
Th* Grand OpeningOn November 6,1913, Exposition Park and the new museum ~ catted then the Lot Angela* County Museum of H istory Sclent*, and Art « the time — opened foraaVy is the pubtc. A two-week cfric celebration ensued, do»«tJi ling with the opening of the Owen* Rhrer fcjueduct In the San Fernando Vafley, Wffltam MuihoHand would dcderc of the water b» hit famously short ipeedt, "Then ftta .ukek,* in IxpasWon Pari, US. SenatorJobtOiHtorb deviated the site r f a fountain that would occupy the a n te* o f a woken gaitfcfl as a com me m om Ion of VutaqutdwcL Ai Senator Wcrta left the pladbrm, a jet of water shot up 30 foet.
The Wstof ,̂ icienca and art cdlectkHi of th t Ms*eum gradually thecapndtyof theITOaJldJng, and the original structw* was expanded. In 1963, the Art Department relocated to Ki own museum in Hancoct Pa rti (the los Anjele* County Musawn of A n i At that dme, the Enposition Pert Acitity became the Maiural History Muaeun of Los AflfaleiCoumy («HMLA). NHMlAw** Joined by other major tuituraifidim es In the p a r t the Memortal CoUseum, Sports Attn*. Summing Siadlum, California 5cknc* CaB#omta Afrtcan American Museum, and the largest manlclpai-owned ro*a garden in the nation.
R enovation a n d Pr«**rvatkn*After more than two years of reno»atlor and architectural preservation, the B l l SuSdbif « - opened in the spring of 7009. In addKkm to a seismic retrofit, thneariy phM ofconstm ction also focused on the restoration r f the br«lam ^ rotated stained ftass skyflght at the ape* of the RotLiwt*. Tins e*actlrg work was carried out by Danrfd fudson, grandson of the skyighn designer. Witter Horace Judton. Under David's direction, th t o<rut* and elegant stained gtess was cleaned, repaired and strengthened, bringing ft back to its fWI glory.
Using ewensfce data from NHMl/fs own jrchwes — Including historic drawings, photos and tkxuments — the project team unewwed the original design, layout and construction method* of me original budding and rts subsequent 1920* addition* In ottitr to reston th t iwddlng, white modemiiing It Inside and o u t The 19T3 Bufkfing"s first exhlbitton. o f Marnnok, debated in 2010. fallowed by the H h o v NtM in Juhfc 2011.
W t H ave a Family o f Three!
Hatural History Museum of lo t Angete County (exposition Park)
TheU B«a lar Pitsand Mumuit {Mld-wfeMre}
V m im S. HWT Mwsewn ^tewhall)
Octsber Hcwember 2017 Download the Nature/m TOf (4 MB)
The Gtris Are tack !
tiitgjp^ted in cwating an tpie m m . 1 The historic Kotund*. with the csnterptece'Three Muses' UAue, is one d the Museum's most elegant and popular spares.U arn Mom
102
Appendix 20: NHMLA 2018b
The Family o f M use um r th rru x f | ta rp itu v g j hartmuseum-ori
N A T U R A L ABOUT OUR MUSEUMS DONATE MfMBFRSHH* V O U iN TE£ » EVENtS/fUMiNG TICKETS SEARCH
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■ v o m * a M d w , t ld p th e ih m i
Hwne > AiOijt 0w MtSCU«1S>Muion
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*► VW on and Values
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Vision and ValuesV is io n S ta te m e n t
To inspire wonder, discovery, and responsibility for our luturaJ and cultural worlds.
Adventurous: We are curious and boid. w ith an insatiable desire to dlsawer new ideas and
knowledge.tndudw r. We fostet and promote accessibUty, cottaboration.and respect fo r aH both w ith in
our Natural H istory Family o f M useum and out In our community
A u th e n tic We Inspire trus t by sharing w ith our audiences our unparalleled collections and
active research to help them better unde n tand the world around them.
In ten tional: We are drfren by our core principle o f studying, educating, and inspring
iixfieDces about our natural and cultural worlds.
Become a member today to skip the lines and
feceNe fiee admission and special exhibit
tickets all yearlong!
Learn M o n
Join Now
103
Appendix 21: NHMLA 2018c
Stay Connected! Became a Member, M p*eU»wrfVhkMMdVfehM*
Family o f Mueeuna
Strategic Framework
H b to ry
W est Sooth Project
NHM Next
Pt* » Room
- i S t ijrC e m ic tW
The N atura lis t
fv * n t HrirtmHA f ilm in g
W ort big a t NHM
Board o f Trurtees
M uieum Leadership
Corporate Governance
T»rrm of Lh*
Contact U i
Social MediaStay connected w ith us to gel the b te s i updates and be the firs t to know w h it's happening
Ufce” us on Paceboefc to find ou t what Thomas the H r o is up to ! Add*** on
Twitter f t n i M l i ftx real-time news. Vrtr’re aho tweeting # w N H M JL A in espaftoi Peruse
our'W w'ftab* channel to go In depth in to what we are doing end tfa c » e r some o f our popular
time lapse videos. Abo, i f you • reusing ta a ta fra a i m ate sura to tag photos o f the Museum
w ith e ttttM L A . W ell be selecting one photo a month to showcase here a t the Museum
On Ffcb r browse our photography, get to know some o f our frtenrfs, and Join our groups.
Where we open the discussion to oof staff metrben and you.
Fo*rtl H m t b ^ a t Had Rocfc Cawpe«t
Ohio la b
Our B m Fridays Lectures are where science meets hm. AvaBabfa for download via * * » o r the
(Tunes P odcast* network.
■top
UnSke some culturat institutions, the Natural H istory Museum welcomes wedding* and
personal celebrations in adt&tton to corporate affafts and fe to * non-profit organization.
WhUe our experienced event sta ff is happy to make recomnwndat km* on how and where to
plan your event, we don*t Rmft you to a select number o f floor plans. Would )«u Bke the
dm ouurs to preside over your ceremony? N ot a problem! Would you prefer them to be the
M - O on the dance floor? Done! Events here jre limited only by your imagination.
T a r Pfea B log
Excavation dispatches from the Page Museum at the La Brae T a r M t*.
This Wog is dedicated to aH th ings stemming from our Gems and Mineral Reiearch
Department!
Niton4w d«nThb blog is ail about the MujeunVs new outdoor exhibit, the Nature Gardens. I t f i keep you in
the loop as the exhibit is b u ilt the plants are put In, and we start keeping track o f the animals
that move in.
e a member today to skip the Hues and
receive free atkrission and special exhlbfi tid re u year Song!
Learn More
jo in Mow
Ice Age s EncountersMOVE TOTHIPAGC MUSEUM AT THE LA (RCA TAR RTS THIS SEPTEMBER
Check ou t a v ideo fo r the
tee Aga Encounters shows and catch It five at
Vertebrate Paleontology
A Wog o f the Vtertebrate Paleontology Oeparunem.
104
Appendix 22: NHMLA 2018e
Natureat N H M L A
SHOT DONATE MEMBERSHIP VOLUNTEE* EVEMTWFilMINt* TICKETS
VISIT COMMUNITY SCIENCE L A . NATURE MAP RESEARCH & NEWS VIDEO BLOG
Home / Video / T l» Ct»»*ity Sho*
The Curiosity ShowEvery m onth, the Museum's Curator of Fishes, Dr. Chris Thacker, takes you behind the scenes at N H M L A to meet our scientists. In each
episode, we showcase researchers and educators that are helping to make sense of the nature ail around us! To watch all the episodes go to our YouTube piayiist and d o n t forget to subscribe for the iatest.
Ep.23 Bloopers and O irtta kM Vol. 2
Check cut mae
Ep. 22 Lizard L o w Bite* w ith G re f Pauly
Ep. 21 T attoo Stories w ith N H M LA Staff
Ep. 20 F le ldw ort Stories Ep.19 H ayden the Metro Mammoth w ith Dr. Emily Ltnduy
Ep.23 Bloopers and O uttakes Voi. 2
Appendix 23: Simon 2018
MONDAY, OCTOSt* 21, 2001
How (and W hy) to Develop a Social Media Handbook
f--------------------------
What is the ideal ro i* of your m arWting o r W tN m in the creetion and distribution of content on the *o d * i Web? fd »ruge that rt doesn't make tens* for mark eting to create and control all o f the content produced in Web 2.0-land. A fter a ll, they control very t tttle o f the content produced in exhibition*, shared via programs, and expressed by public-facing staff and volunteers. If your m u n u n has many voices In the real world, you w ill most powerfully and honestly convey yourself v irtually If you can reflect the diversity of your bistltution. The trick is figuring out how to organize and track tt all.
Let me |tve you an example. The marketing director fo r a mid-size science museum, Jeff, recently showed me a YouTube channel he’d discovered whfch was created by a camp staff member at the museum. The channel consisted of a few videos of kids making s tu ff at camp. Jeff said, " i don’t have a problem w ith this. I Love that they are dotnf this. I have a problem with the fact thet they aren’t dearly Identifying themselves w ith the museum, aren’ t linking bade to the museum’s website, and Just generally aren’ t making I t deer that thte camp is a product o f our museum.”
His concerns are velid. Whenever visitors enjoy a program o r exhibit a t the museum, i t ’s deer to them w^ere they are. They are in the musoun. They a /en 't going to be confused about what institu tion created and distributed the content. On the Web, this Is not to dear. If staff s tart blogging, posting videos and photos, etc., i t 's Important for them to deerty convey the ir association, so that vfcltora who check out that content know that they are (virtually} in the museum as they do so. And on the marketing and tracking tide, ‘rogue* blogs, YouTube diannels, and Fbckr pools that ■ rent clearly identified can become an annoyance as staff try to get a handle on Institutional impact on the Web.
Much as HR distrfw tes an employee handbook tha t explains both regulations (i.e . no sandals) and opportunities (i.e . health benefits), the marketing o r K team should create a social media handbook that contains both rules and useful resources. This is differen t from having a social media poHcy, whfch Is typically a ll stick, no carrot. Marketing directors tfce Jeff don’ t want to be tra ffic cops. They w » rt to enable soda! media activity, and tha t means providing both guidelines and resources, bi this way, the marketing or PR director becomes a gateway in the most positive light -helping s ta ff figure out what tods to use, how to use them, and how to get the most out o f them.
On the guidelines side, a social media handbook would include:
« what is considered appropriate for Internal and external distrfoution• any rules about th in p that should not be shared w ith the pubbc o r need approval before being released (financial*,
pictures o f kids without permission... this lis t should be small and discrete)• how to get a new krttiathw approved by your manager• elements tha t must be Included in any initia tive. These may Include:
• museum logo• analytics code• link back to the institu tion• links to other social media initiatives (i.e . staff Flickr users must friend each other)• specific text, tags, o r keywords
On the resources side, a social media handbook would include:
• lists o f recommended tods and social sites• information about how to pick the best Web tool fo r your program /exhibit/ln ttla tive• recommendations fo r screen names and a list o f screen names currently In use per to d• approved logoi in color, black and white, and a square version ■ approved photos thet can be used• stylesheets and other graphical elements created fo r various types o f Web templates• information about where to find legal -to-use images, audio, and video and any licensing rules o f the science centre• a list of other social media initiatives at the museum
The ideal place fo r such a handbook would be on a wiki, vUtere s ta ff could easily upload I Id a to new content they've created on the Web. That way, the wfld becomes both the hantfcook and a growing catalog o f projects. K may make sense for the marketing team to track a ll of m w u n ' i efforts cumulatively, and having access to such a lis t would allow th « n to ensure that they are seeing the whole picture.
The existence o f such a handbook doesn’ t mean there w on 't also be times when there is controversy about th e appropriateness o f a given piece of Web content. But i t w ill help tha t conversation happen in a way tha t is fa ir to all parties Involved.
What would you Include in your social media handbook? What guidelines or resources does your organliatlon offer in this regard?
POSTtD *v $l»0N 5^3 U K IS :
Appendix 24: YouTube 2018a
DYouTubt
Global Reach
• YouTube has over a b«ion users - almost one-third of all people on the Internet-and each day those users watch a btifcon hours of video, generating bBflons of views.
• YouTube overall, and even YouTube on mobte atone, reaches more ”8-34 and 18-49 year-olds than sny cable network in the US.
• More than half of YouTube views come from mobile devices
• YouTube has launched localvers ions in more than 88 countries.
• You can navigate YouTube in a total of 76 different languages (covering 95% of the Internet population).
Investing in creators
■ Tbe YouTube Spaces team is focused on helping creators make great content through strategic programs and workshops largely administered at the YouTube Space production facilities in Los Angeles, New York. London, Tokyo, Sao Paulo and Berlin.
• As of March 2015, creators filming in YouTube Spaces have produced over 10,000 videos which have generated over 1 billion views and 70+ million hours of watchtime.
Copyright
■ As of July 20" 6, YouTube has paid out two trillion doit are to rlghtsholders who have chosen to monetize claims since Content ID first launched in 2007.
• As of July 2015, there are 8,000+ partners using Content ID - including many major network broadcasters, movie studios and record labels. They have claimed over 400 million videos, helping them control their content on YouTube and make money on videos containing copyrighted material.
• We have more than 50 million active reference files in our Content !D database, making it the most comprehensive in the world, it's even won a Primetime Emmy!