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Tweeting About Open Data

By Elizabeth Merritt

I’m plotting a year of exploring the Trendwatch 2015 themes: Sometimes via live events (keep an eye on the CFM’s web page futureofmuseums.org for upcoming engagements), but mostly over the web. I hope you will find an …
Finally Beyond the Hype? Simulcasting Experiences and Virtual Reality

By Elizabeth Merritt

I hope you’ve had a chance to look at TrendsWatch 2015 (download your copy here.) In coming months, a host of guest bloggers will explore each theme in more depth. First up, CFM Council member Garry Golden, a professional futurist who …
Releasing TrendsWatch 2015 into the Wild

By Elizabeth Merritt

I want to say “Tada!” but I think all I have the energy for is “whew.” This year’s TrendsWatch is now available for download, and for the next week I’ll be hovering anxiously over my Twitter feed (#TrendsWatch), blogroll and e-mail to …
Shaping the Future of Museum Ethics

By Elizabeth Merritt

Today the Alliance is launching a survey asking for input on what museum professionals think should be included in the definition of direct care. Sally Yerkovich, Chair of the AAM Direct Care Task Force, explains why this is a pressing …
Museums and Online Learning: a student’s perspective

By Elizabeth Merritt

Early 19th Century Gallery atCrystal Bridges Last December I visited Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas, to brainstorm with their staff about museums and distance education. As Michael Edson has pointed out …
More on Trust: The Malleable Past

By Elizabeth Merritt

In my study at home is a beautiful wooden couch handcrafted by my uncle Bob. It cleverly converts into a (narrow, hard) sleeper sofa when you lift the woven back. I was very happy to inherit this piece of family memorabilia, and always …
Monday Musing: Quantifying the Sacrifice Measure

By Elizabeth Merritt

I’ve been sitting on this figure for awhile. Steven Lubar (@lubar) from Brown University lobbed the associated NPR story at me on Twitter in response to one of my posts on museum economics and professional salaries. NPR staff had …
Futurist Friday: Building the City of the Future

By Elizabeth Merritt

Eugène Hénard, ‘The Cities of The Future’, published in American City, January 1911. I just downloaded a report that looks like a fascinating futurist read. “A Visual History of the Future” looks at how past …
Throwback Thursday: Revisiting Trust

By Elizabeth Merritt

In this Tuesday’s post on trust–who trusts museums, and why–I mentioned a post I wrote almost exactly two years ago that touched on that issue. Choosing Roles: Facilitator or Advocate?” explored two options, either …
Trust Me, I’m a Museum

By Elizabeth Merritt

Back in 2001 AAM sponsored a survey which showed that 87% of respondents viewed museums as “one of the most trustworthy sources of objective information.” We cited that figure a lot in the following decade. commissioned by the …