Won't OM_o steal my visitors?

We don't think so. Furthermore, neither does the IMLS. This study shows a positive correlation between online and offline museum visits, as summarized by this quote:

Researchers have completed the “IMLS National Study on the Use of Libraries, Museums and the Internet,” a study that delves into the use of libraries, museums and the Internet. The study concludes that “the amount of use of the Internet is positively correlated with the number of in-person visits to museums and has a positive effect on in-person visits to public libraries.”

Changing Faces: Museums & Community

A recent study conducted by Museum Insight Audience finds that only 11% to 21% of core visitors to museums find that the museum adequately reaches out to the community and connects with it. And that is "core visitors"! "Non core visitors", which is a growing segment of the total population, doesn't think museums connect at all.

MIA points to the need for museums to build a strong relationship with their communities: The face of the American population is changing rapidly; as the proportion of Americans who comprise the traditional museum audience will shrink considerably over the next thirty years. Building a strong relationship with the local community is an important method of creating and maintaining relevance to an evolving audience.

Museums or Sporting Events; Did you know...?

.. that according to the same NPR article mentioned earlier today, over 6 times as many people attend museums as major-league sporting events? About 140 million people in the U.S. will attend sporting events this year; about 840 million attended museums last year. Of course, many more watch sports online, but that's instead of attending. On the other hand online museums "serve as teasers"', actually inspirintg people to visit real-life exhibits.

NPR: The Memory of Mankind

On November 24, National Public Radio launched a series on museums in the 21st century . The first broadcast, which you can hear now tells the story of what the former Director of the Met, Philippe de Montebello, calls "The Memory of Mankind". The story wends its way from the ancient Greeks (who coined the term "mouseion", a temple to the Muses, who kept watch over the arts and sciences) up to the Museum of Online Museums .

Open Museum Wordle

Thanks to Wordle for this first take on OMo.