Smart Web Exhibits:Carnegie Museum of Natural History

Presented atWeb-Wise 2002,

Johns Hopkins University

2

Smart Web Exhibits

An experiment in providing access to a museum’s archival collections as part of both on-site and on-line exhibits

A collaboration between the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Carnegie Mellon University Libraries, Carnegie Mellon University School of Computer Science

Funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, 1999-2001

3

Initial Hypothesis

Museum visitors want to know more about specimens on display than label copy provides, specifically the stories behind the discovery and acquisition of those specimens.

These stories can be told through documents in the museum’s archives.

4

Design Considerations

Different types of visitors will want to see different types of information.

In-gallery kiosks will not have keyboards for query entry. Trackballs were used for selection

and scrolling.

5

Selected Archival Collections

The documents selected for digitization were those dealing with the discovery of the Carnegie Museum’s signature dinosaur, Diplodocus carnegii.

Records of Discovery and Reproduction of Diplodocus carnegii, 1899-1932.

Papers of Earl Douglass and Dinosaur National Monument, 1894-1931

6

One Data Set:Two Interfaces

Dinobase: User selects a persona, then selects a “packaged tour” or searches the entire data set.

DIVA: User can search the text of the documents or browse the entire archival collection, then select and view a particular document.

7

Dinobase

Creation of “packaged tours” with links to pre-selected digitized images and documents, including hand-written letters used to illustrate the story

Introduction of icons used to link to the original documents

8

Dinobase: Packaged Tours

Two groups of “packaged tours” were created for two personas, i.e. the child and the interested adult. Each of the tours incorporates

selected documents from the archival collections to tell the story.

9

Dinobase: Researcher’s View

User may search documents and photographs. Contrast and zoom control on both

documents and photographs Metadata displayed with photographs

User may read related publications.

10

The Three Personas

Copyright Information ©Carnegie Museum of Natural History

11

Stories For Kids

12

Selected Story

13

Dinosaur Fever

14

Lett

er

from

Monum

ent

Sit

e

15

Researcher’s View

16

Dippy Discovered

17

Photo Metadata

18

Cam

p C

arn

eg

ie

19

Caption Information

20

21

Installing the Backbone

22

Browse A Book

23

24

DIVA Interface

25

DIVA Searching

Users may search transcriptions of document’s text or the results of OCR, captured in metadata.

Users may limit search by document type and sort results by date.

Users may view collection by archival arrangement.

26

Searching for Dinosaurs and Tourists

27

Search Results

28

Browse Search

29

30

Links

Dinobase www.carnegiemuseums.org/cmnh/imls Development site for Researcher’s view

gypsum.ul.cs.cmu.edu/cmnh/dinobase.cgi DIVA (Digital Information Versatile

Archive) Diva.library.cmu.edu/CMNH/index.html

31

Challenges

Museum staff’s reticence to release data to an unknown user, i.e. without direct contact with a museum curator.

Diffuse process of exhibition development.

32

Contact Information

Bernadette G. Callery

Carnegie Museum of Natural History4400 Forbes Ave.Pittsburgh, PA 15213Calleryb@carnegiemuseums.org