Producing Online Heritage Projects
Foreword
The publication of Producing Online Heritage Projects is a fitting way to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Canadian Heritage Information Network (CHIN) because this handbook is an important milestone for CHIN and its more than 700 member museums, galleries and heritage institutions. It is our way of sharing, with heritage professionals, the valuable experience we have acquired over the past seven years in producing online heritage products and virtual exhibits with our numerous museum partners.
It all began with Christmas Traditions in France and in Canada (1995). This popular virtual exhibit, developed with museums in Canada and France in partnership with CHIN as executive producer, continues to attract large numbers of visitors every holiday season. In the Countries of the Francophonie (1997) was another Web production to which many partners from the international heritage community contributed. It was followed by the award-winning Haida Spirits of the Sea, which was launched simultaneously on the Web and at the Canada Pavilion at Expo 98 in Lisbon.
These early achievements lead to dozens of virtual exhibits produced collaboratively with Canadian and international heritage institutions. Accessible through the Virtual Museum of Canada (VMC) gateway at www.virtualmuseum.ca, the extraordinary multimedia content produced by Canadian museums attracts new online audiences from around the world. With more than 3 million visits from 140 countries in its first year of existence, the VMC is now established as one of the world's premier heritage gateways and is helping to enhance the profile of Canadian museums and their collections.
The VMC Investment Program was established in 2001 to help heritage institutions across Canada produce content for the Web. As new productions are featured and information added to sections such as VMC Exhibits, Fun and Games, Find a Museum and Teachers' Centre, the VMC's worldwide public audience is increasing steadily.
We hope that this handbook will prove useful to the many heritage professionals across the country who are busy developing exciting online content, and help them reap the enormous benefits available from Web-based education and promotion.
CHIN's new focus on skills development for the creation, management and presentation of digital content is targeted at building the heritage community's capacity. CHIN also remains active in getting smaller museums directly involved in the production process and encouraging all heritage institutions to work together while staying abreast of the latest technology developments and their implications for heritage and the Web.
It is our belief that Producing Online Heritage Projects will encourage heritage institutions to seize another major opportunity to advance the vision first articulated 30 years ago. If you are just beginning to think about using the online medium, this handbook is sure to provide you with useful guidance and helpful information. Even if you are a veteran of Internet production, specific sections of the handbook will surprise you with new approaches and useful bits of advice from knowledgeable colleagues. And please tell us about your own experiences as you work with the handbook. Your input and feedback will help us add new material in future editions, for the benefit of all heritage professionals.
As we continue our journey together, CHIN would like to pay tribute to its members, and to the spectacular results of their work, which we will continue to promote through initiatives such as the Virtual Museum of Canada.
Danielle Boily, Manager
Public Programs
Canadian Heritage Information Network (CHIN)
Virtual Museum of Canada (VMC)
