ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
*****************************************************************************

That's one model--
another is the alternative audio tours that assist and inform  
visitors through tours of collections, but with particular focii.   
These podcasts already exist--people have been doing personalized  
downloadable tours of the MoMA for a couple years (tho' I haven't  
heard a new one in a while).

I'd love to tour the Metropolitan Museum of Art with a voice-over  
helping me to understand how certain pieces in the collection  
represent the roots of, say, Abstract Expressionism, for example.   
Or, press a button, and take an entirely different tour that focuses  
on forgotten 19th Century masters.
Or (as I've said on this list before), wouldn't it be great to be  
able to take a tour of a natural history museum with an audio  
(podcast) tour from a strict anti-evolutionist point-of-view?  (no-- 
not because I'm anti-evolution, but because I'm interested in  
alternative interpretations...)  Press a button, and revisit the  
collection, this time focusing on the personalities and stories of  
the archeologists who found the objects in the collection.  Too cool.

I think this would help encourage repeat visitation, by offering a  
different spin for every visit to an institution.

Also, note, the Met is already on this, and has released two  
podcasts--tho' not tours, per se.  The first supplemented the VanGogh  
drawing exhibition, featuring Kevin Bacon reading from VanGogh's  
letters.  Pretty cool.  I haven't heard the second cast, yet.

Jason


On Mar 23, 2006, at 3:17 PM, Carolyn Levi wrote:

> ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology  
> Centers
> Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related  
> institutions.
> ********************************************************************** 
> *******
>
> I have been reading this discussion while I'm listening to a  
> wonderful podcast about sonic fabric (http://www.nyas.org/snc/ 
> podcasts.asp) and thinking, boy, wouldn't I love to go out and play  
> with sonic fabric somewhere. In theory, then, NYAS's podcast could  
> be driving attendance to an exhibit. If I had the opportunity,  
> that's the model I would grab and run with.
>
> Carolyn
>
> ********************************************************************** 
> *
> More information about the Informal Science Education Network and the
> Association of Science-Technology Centers may be found at http:// 
> www.astc.org.
> To remove your e-mail address from the ISEN-ASTC-L list, send the
> message  SIGNOFF ISEN-ASTC-L in the BODY of a message to
> [log in to unmask]

***********************************************************************
More information about the Informal Science Education Network and the
Association of Science-Technology Centers may be found at http://www.astc.org.
To remove your e-mail address from the ISEN-ASTC-L list, send the
message  SIGNOFF ISEN-ASTC-L in the BODY of a message to
[log in to unmask]