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Monday Musing: Millennial Anti-Materialism

By Elizabeth Merritt

I read an article in the Washington Post last Friday that resonated with some nascent thoughts on the role of museums shaped by audiences born between 1980 and 2000. The story, by Jura Konclus, looks at the “seismic shift of stuff” …
On Morning Coffee & Museum Activism

By Elizabeth Merritt

Last weekend, Starbucks announced it will stop putting the slogan “Race Together” on coffee cups. Their spokesperson said this was a previously scheduled move, but to many it looked like a response to the flak the company has been taking …
What Do Ethical Consumers Expect of Museums?

By Elizabeth Merritt

An open letter released today calls on natural history and science museums to “cut all ties with the fossil fuel industry and funders of climate change obfuscation.” The letter, signed by scientists and by one former museum trustee & …
Crowdsourced Resources on Open Data

By Elizabeth Merritt

A lot of great folks joined me for last Friday’s Tweet chat on open data. Here’s a compilation of the resources, recommendations and questions shared by participants, to help you Find me on Twitter@futureofmuseums with your exploration of …
Futurist Friday: The Longest Wait for a Book EVER

By Elizabeth Merritt

I came across Katie Paterson’s Future Library Project in the course of researching TrendsWatch 2015, and cited it as an example of “slow culture.” Extremely slow–Paterson has planted a forest to supply paper for …
Visualizing the Future

By Elizabeth Merritt

As someone who reads a killing amount of text every week—news, blogs, email, journals, newspapers, reports, even (luxury of luxuries) books—I find switching over to nonverbal mode to be a sweet relief. Besides, other modalities (pictures, …
More on the Wacky World of Museum Economics

By Elizabeth Merritt

“Food should be more expensive.” That’s a core message of the locavore/sustainable food movement, and it doesn’t resonate so well with most folks. It sounds ridiculous on the face of it—who wants to pay more for food? But proponents of …
Monday Musing: TrendsWatch Watch

By Elizabeth Merritt

Here’s a quick roundup of recent stories related to the themes in TrendsWatch 2015 (Haven’t got your copy yet? Download the free PDF here. Print copies will be available in the AAM Bookstore soon.) Open Data Here’s a story I featured in …
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 …