May 21, 2013

"My History Museum" website wins bronze MUSE award

The My History Museum website created as part of a public engagement process for the Canadian Museum of Civilization (CMC) has won a bronze MUSE award in the category of "Digital communities" from the American Alliance of Museums.

Lord Cultural Resources is proud to have facilitated the development of the My History Museum website as a way to invite the participation of Canadians to the planning of a new permanent exhibition at the Canadian Museum of Civilization – soon to become the Canadian History Museum.

MUSE awards are given to projects from around the world.

“We are absolutely delighted with the award. Working with the museum staff to create the My History Museum campaign has re-confirmed for us that opening the doors to public participation is an integral part of any planning process,” says Gail Lord, Co-President of Lord Cultural Resources. “The CMC wanted to affirm to Canadians wherever they may be that this is their museum and the web combined with face-to-face meetings did this."

Between October 2012 and February 2013, the My History Museum website invited comment and ideas to questions such as: What artifacts would you put in your national history museum? What stories would you tell? How would you reach Canadians from across the country? Canadians embraced the project, leaving comments and suggestions and voting on their favourite objects, important historical events, and personalities. As suggestions were made, the site was enriched with new content and images based on the input of visitors.

“Teachers and young people were particularly receptive to the website but a diverse cross-section of people left comments and ‘voted’, ” says Ngaire Blankenberg, Project Manager for Lord Cultural Resources. “We worked to create a graphic identity and forms of interaction that were not barriers for those who didn’t feel confident about their knowledge of Canadian history,” she says. “We wanted to make it a fun invitation, not a school exam.”

The My History Museum website was part of a broader consultation process that included face to face meetings, panel discussions, and activities in public spaces like airports, libraries, and shopping malls.