(CHIN) - The Year in Perspective
2004-2005
The Canadian Heritage Information Network
(CHIN) is a national centre of excellence that
provides a visible face to Canada’s heritage
through the world of networked information.
CHIN’s vision is to connect Canadians and
worldwide audiences to Canada’s heritage.
Our mission is to promote the development,
presentation and preservation of Canada’s
digital heritage content for current and future
generations of Canadians.
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OBJECT TITLE: Eagle mask - Kwikwam
INSTITUTION: U'mista Cultural Centre
CREATOR: Robert Brown
PHOTO CREDIT: Sharon Eva Granger
DATE OF OBJECT'S
CREATION: Early 1900
COVERAGE: Kwak'w,k, wakw, Northern Vancouver, Island> |
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OBJECT TITLE: Fort La Tour Ceramic Cup
INSTITUTION: New Brunswick Museum/ New Brunswick Archaeological Services
DATE OF OBJECT'S
CREATION: 1630's
COVERAGE: 17th century Acadia |
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OBJECT TITLE: A watchful basilisk in the Biodôme’s Tropical Forest
INSTITUTION: Montréal Biodôme
DATE OF OBJECT'S
CREATION: 10.01.2004 |
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MESSAGE FROM THE MINISTER WE LIVE IN A NEW ERA |
The Internet contributes in a phenomenal
way to our knowledge society.
Canadian heritage institutions see
extraordinary possibilities in this,
especially in public education.
As the population becomes more and
more at ease with digital technology,
and a growing number of Canadians
have access to the Internet, there are
fewer cultural and linguistic boundaries.
Gradually, the decreasing cost
of access to technology is closing the gap between those who
have connectivity and those who do not.
We receive information less passively than ever before. We are
also participating in the creation and exchange of knowledge.
In this digital world, our museums play a more important role
by enriching the intellectual capital of our knowledge society,
as well as by enabling us to get to know our heritage better and
to better understand the world in which we live.
As we move forward in this effort, Canadian Heritage Information
Network’s (CHIN) award-winning Virtual Museum of Canada
(VMC) initiative, which includes the Community Memories
program, continues to achieve strong national and international
success. In 2004, the VMC received approximately 7 million visits from 142 countries around the world.
NUMBER OF CHIN MEMBER
INSTITUTIONS: 1242. NUMBER THAT
JOINED THIS YEAR: 68.
NUMBER OF NEW MEMBERS SINCE
THE LAUNCH OF VMC IN 2001: 603. |
Nevertheless, it is
fair to say that many challenges remain to creating digital heritage
content. The issues of technological know-how, standards,
copyright, intellectual property, and business models are constant
preoccupations. With this in mind, CHIN is focusing on how
we can best serve and position the museum community in the
knowledge society of the 21st century.
Based on this, we have established four strategic
priorities:
- Improve the ability of member museums to leverage emerging
technologies to develop convenient, personalized, and interactive
online services.
- Enhance the use of heritage content, especially in educational
settings, by offering virtual learning environments created
from the digital repositories in Canadian museums.
- Increase Canadians’ interest and participation by better
targeting their needs, and by implementing effective communications
strategies.
- Strengthen international collaboration that engages worldwide
audiences in Canada’s rich heritage.
Over the course of the coming year, in partnership with our
members, we look forward to achieving success in each of
these four areas.
The Honourable Liza Frulla
Minister of Canadian Heritage and
Minister responsible for Status of Women |
PRIORITY ONE:
ENHANCE SKILLS OF MUSEUMS
THROUGH TECHNOLOGY |
CHIN’s first priority is to help our members build the skills necessary
for creating, presenting, managing and preserving digital heritage.
In addition to giving members access to databases, publications,
collections, tools, catalogues, and knowledge, CHIN is also helping
them evolve their use of content and realize technology’s fuller
potential in areas like education, the development of online
communities of practice, and even in the commercial realm.
This priority is supported by the CHIN Web site, where each month
about 125,000 heritage professionals access information on the
application of technology to museums. We are building on this
success by transforming www.chin.gc.ca into an even more comprehensive
online knowledge centre that allows for personalization
and offers greater convenience. Partnerships and collaborations with provincial museum associations,
THE HERITAGE NETWORK
ATLANTIC E-LEARNING
PROJECT There is always a need for basic museum training
for entry-level personnel, board members and
volunteers in community museums. “The Bare
Essentials of Museums” arose out of a common
need felt by the members of Atlantic Canada’s
museum associations. Working together under
the banner of Heritage Network Atlantic, these
associations set out to provide online, basiclevel
training for volunteers and seasonal staff
working in museums. In a highly collaborative
effort, Heritage Network Atlantic assessed how
multimedia technologies could provide accessible
basic training to new employees and free up
staff and resources, enabling the museums
to offer higher-level training opportunities for
more experienced staff. Working with CHIN,
they developed training modules that not only
provide the basic content needed by new staff,
but also provide a quick reference for guides
and volunteers. |
the Canadian Museums Association
and other related organizations, such as the Learning Coalition and
Heritage Network Atlantic, also support professional development.
These joint efforts build the technological capacity of network
members and enrich the heritage content available to heritage
professionals, students, lifelong learners, and the public in Canada
and abroad.
We are also building museums’ technical capacity through the
development of software tools like the one developed for our
Community Memories Investment Program. This easy-to-use
software provides a template for the development of local history
exhibits drawn from the collections of small and large museums,
and the treasures and reminiscences of individuals from local
communities.
As well, CHIN participates in various Government Online (GOL)
committees. This effort, in turn, helps CHIN determine directions
for initiatives such as the application of e-learning metadata.
KEY ACTIVITIES AND PROJECTS
Publications
Part of CHIN’s mandate is to conduct research on behalf of our
members. This year, we published two new publications: Research
on ‘Quality’ in Online Experiences for Museum Users and A
Canadian Museums’ Guide to Developing a Licensing Strategy.
Digital Preservation for Museums Program
Digital heritage preservation is becoming one of CHIN’s central
fields of research. This year, CHIN developed a checklist to help
museums develop internal policies and strategies for preserving
digital heritage.
Provincial Museums Association Meeting
In February 2005, CHIN hosted its seventh annual meeting of
provincial museums association directors, their technology coordinators
(for those provinces/territories that have such positions)
and the Canadian Museums Association, in Ottawa. These annual
meetings give participants the opportunity to learn from each other,
and establish the groundwork for future collaborations.
Senghor University, Egypt
Since the late 1980s, CHIN has been sharing its many decades of
experience in the museum information business. We have provided
training to groups from Argentina, the Caribbean, Czech and Slovak
Republics, Egypt, Southeast Asia, Venezuela, and other areas around
the world. This training has involved the development of customized
courses for heritage professionals interested in collections documentation
and applicable technologies, which can include everything
from planning for automation to creating online projects. In 1992,
the Head of the Museology Studies at Senghor University, in
Alexandria, Egypt, approached CHIN as a result of its reputation.
This year again, we provided a two-week workshop for students
at the university. The workshop taught students about automated
collections management, documentation, standards and strategies
for developing online heritage projects.
Next Generation
Protecting and promoting our heritage means taking time today to
prepare the heritage professionals of tomorrow. In order to inspire
and begin training future museums professionals, CHIN is often
asked to give orientation sessions and presentations to post-secondary
museology students. Meetings were organised in three Quebec and
Ontario learning institutions this year.
Young Canada Works (YCW)
CHIN also participates in the delivery of the Young Canada Works
At Building Careers In Heritage internship program. These internships
provide ideal opportunities for graduates 30 years of age and under
to build advanced career-related skills and abilities by participating
in innovative heritage projects. This year, CHIN allocated a total of
18 YCW internships to CHIN members participating in executively
produced online projects. A joint initiative of the Department of
Canadian Heritage and Parks Canada, YCW is part of the Government
of Canada’s Youth Employment Strategy (YES).
Professional Development
May: ______________________________
Louisiana
American Association of Museums
Panel: “Online Exhibitions: What Works,
What Doesn’t – An International Forum”
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia Federation of Nova Scotian Heritage
Roundtable: “Heritage Conversations:
Community Memories”
June: ______________________________
Arizona
Joint Conference on Digital Libraries (JCDL)
Panel: “The Virtual and the Real: Current
Research on Museum Audiences & Library
Users”
October: ______________________________
British Columbia
British Columbia Museums Association
Presentation: “The ‘So What’ of Virtual Exhibits
Panel: “The Young and the Restless”
Workshop: “Community Memories,
Local Stories for a Global Audience”
Newfoundland
Museum Association of Newfoundland
and Labrador
Atelier : “Digitizing Collections”
New Brunswick
Association Museums New Brunswick
Presentation: “Community Memories”
Nova Scotia
Workshop: “Copyright in a Digital Age -
A Practical Workshop”
November: ______________________________
Minneapolis Museum Computer Network
Session: “The Next Generation of Virtual
Museums”
PRIORITY TWO:
PROMOTE HERITAGE CONTENT
ACCESS AND USE IN CIVIC LIFE |
The way that people share, discuss, and interact with information
has changed dramatically in the last two decades. In Canada, it is
estimated that 71% of the public has access to the Internet from
home, and this number is growing rapidly. This new environment
pushes the boundaries of conventional learning and education, and
presents the heritage community with an amazing opportunity to
nurture sustained public engagement in heritage content.
Imagine a world where children and adults experience history
and culture outside the boundaries of time or geography. The rapid
evolution of enabling technologies, their adoption by the public,
and the Government of Canada’s ongoing support of digital heritage
is making this a reality. By rapidly embracing current technical
trends, museums can provide society with a mirror of its past and
present, and give people an opportunity to imagine and shape
the future.
But this priority is about going beyond merely providing access to
information. It’s about making people want to use the information.
It is about active learning. Together, CHIN and its member institutions
are creating digital educational spaces where teachers and learners
can produce and exchange knowledge. Our primary target audience
in this area consists of elementary and secondary students and their
teachers.
“WHAT A GREAT SITE! FINALLY, AN
INTERACTIVE SITE THAT IS VALUABLE,
TIES INTO THE CURRICULUM, WELL
DONE, AND BASED IN REALITY!” ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHER
ON THE VMC INTERACTIVE
INVESTIGATOR EXHIBIT |
CAPTAIN BERNIER’S
EXPEDITION
This year, four Canadian schools participated
in Captain Bernier’s Expedition, the first Virtual
Classroom project organized for the VMC.
Approximately 100 students from Quebec,
Ontario, and Newfoundland and Labrador met
online to transform themselves into early 20th
century explorers and create virtual tours
across the Canadian Arctic.
Coordinated by CHIN, the Communications
Research Centre Canada (CRC), and the
National Research Council Canada (NRC),
this unique project was inspired by the Musée
maritime du Québec’s virtual exhibit, Ilititaa...
Bernier, His Men and the Inuit. Students teamed
up over a live broadband Internet connection
to design and present voyages that, like Bernier’s,
brought Inuit and Francophone together.
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Artefacts Canada
Artefacts Canada is a rich digital repository of authoritative heritage
information fed from members’ collections. Today, Artefacts Canada
contains 3,466,177 artefacts, of which, 407,259 are accompanied
by an image. Over the past year, members contributed more than
149,115 new artefacts — 41,891 of which included images.
This year, the Artefacts Canada Redevelopment project began with
consultations involving heritage professionals. This process will
ultimately lead to the establishment of the Canadian Museum Digital
Repository. We have also been creating virtual communities of
practice, using online tools, to facilitate collaborative research and
best practices in documentation standards. These communities will
play a key role in the development of a national data enhancement
strategy for Artefacts Canada.
The Virtual Museum of Canada (VMC)
As technologies become less expensive and more accessible to the
average person, memory institutions can enhance their knowledge
services through informal, self-service electronic learning tools.
The VMC stands at the forefront of this type of learning innovation.
This year, we have been conducting internal consultations to build
the ‘next generation’ of the VMC. In doing so, we are shifting the
focus of the VMC beyond content delivery to communications
delivery characterized by a fuller understanding of users, their needs,
how they learn, and the context of their online behaviours. The
VMC’s exciting virtual exhibits, engaging interactive games, and
other robust content will continue to evolve, offering heritage
institutions a stimulating platform in which to present their collections
to a global audience.
Collaboration with Library and Archives Canada
One of our goals is to provide a single point of access to the content
available not only from museums but also Library and Archives
Canada, in an online educational space. This is both a learning
strategy and a long-term content preservation strategy. To this end,
we have been laying the groundwork for a more holistic access to
resources in museums, library and archives.
Content Statistics
- Exhibits & games: 300 exhibits, 144 games,
160 community memories
- Images: 407,259
- Educational Resources: 770
- Museums presented: 2,757
- Events and activities: 587
VMC INVESTMENT AND COMMUNITY
MEMORIES PROGRAMS —
EXHIBITS LAUNCHED IN 2004-2005
ALBERTA |
COMMUNITY MEMORIES |
Caroline Wheels of Time Museum
One Room Country Schools |
Dickson Store Museum Society The Dickson Store |
Innisfail and District Historical Village Remembrance and Hope |
Jasper - Yellowhead Museum and Archives
Jasper Park Volunteer Fire Brigade: A Community History |
Loyal Edmonton Regiment Museum
Ortona - The Canadian Battle - December 1943 |
Millet and District Museum and Exhibition Room
Millet Through One Hundred Years |
Mountain View Museum (Olds Historical Society)
Arriving at the 6th Siding |
Sodbusters Archives and Museum
The Sterling Flour Mill |
Sundre Pioneer Village Museum
A Tough Pill to Swallow |
Sunnybrook Farm Museum and Interpretive Centre
The Farm Tractor |
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BRITISH COLUMBIA |
VMC INVESTMENT PROGRAM |
Osoyoos Museum/Society
Drawing on Identity:The Inkameep Day School and Art Collection |
Royal British Columbia Museum
Journeys & Transformations: British Columbia Landscapes |
Maritime Museum of British Columbia
Graveyard of the Pacific: The Shipwrecks of Vancouver Island |
British Columbia Forest Discovery Center
From Camp to Community - Cowichan Forestry Life |
Simon Fraser University/Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology
A Journey to a New Land |
COMMUNITY MEMORIES |
Boundary Museum Society
Grand Forks' Wartime Memories |
Fernie and District Historical Society
Fernie Centennial Memories - A History of Team Sports in Fernie |
General Currie Heritage School
School Yard Memories |
Historic Yale Museum
Colourful Characters in Historic Yale |
Huble Homestead
A Year at Huble Homestead: 1915 |
Hudson's Hope Historical Society Museum
Hudson's Hope Pioneers in Pictures |
Japanese Canadian National Museum
Our Mothers' Patterns |
Lytton Museum and Archives
Lytton, Transformed by Transportation |
Okanagan Military Museum
Always First |
Quesnel and District Museum and Archives
Cariboo Treasures: Perspectives on a Cariboo Civilization |
Steveston Historical Society
Steveston Recollections, The History of a Village |
Vancouver Island Military Museum
For Services Rendered: Military Heroes of Vancouver Island |
West Vancouver Museum and Archives
Point Atkinson Lighthouse: Maintaining the Light |
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MANITOBA |
VMC INVESTMENT PROGRAM |
Saint-Boniface Museum
Agriculture in French Manitoba |
COMMUNITY MEMORIES |
Ashern Pioneer Museum
Life, Love and Laughter |
Badger Creek Museum
Pioneer Days |
Manitoba Electrical Museum & Education Centre
Powering Up Rural Manitoba |
Musée Saint-Joseph Museum Inc.
Mode de vie des pionniers de la vallée de la rivière Rouge |
Riverton Transportation & Heritage Centre
Riverton Musical Memories |
Transcona Historical Museum
Serving King and Country: Transcona's Hometown Heroes |
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NEW BRUNSWIICK |
COMMUNITY MEMORIES |
Albert County Historical Society Museum
Albert County Heritage |
New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame
Hometown Sports Heroes |
Queens County Historical Society & Museum Inc.
Places of Our Hearts |
Restigouche Regional Museum
Papertown, The Dalhousie Story |
Saint John Jewish Historical Museum
The Changing Role of Jewish Women in Saint John |
Science East - The York County Gaol
Fredericton's York County Jail, 1842 - 1996 |
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NEWFOUNDLAND |
COMMUNITY MEMORIES |
Botwood Heritage Centre
Botwood: History of an Airport |
Cape Bonavista Lighthouse Provincial Historic Site
A Guiding Light |
Cape Ray Lightkeepers House
Women's History of the Southwest Coast of Newfoundland |
Corner Brook Museum & Archives
Corner Brook - A Pulp and Paper Community |
Corner Brook Museum & Archives
Les Francophones de Terre-Neuve et du Labrador |
Durrell Museum
The Arm Lads Brigade |
Glovertown Heritage Society Inc.
Some Boats and Boatbuilders from Central Bonavista Bay |
Marystown Heritage-Museum Corporation
The History of Shipbuilding in Marystown, NL, Canada |
Mockbeggar Property Provincial Historic Site (The)
Prelude to Confederation |
Norris Arm Heritage Museum
Norris Arm: Those Pine Clad Hills |
Sir William F. Coaker Heritage Foundation
Journey through a Union Built Town |
Twillingate Museum and Crafts
Nightingale of the North-Georgina Stirling |
Winterton Boat Building Museum
Traditional Boat Building of Winterton |
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NOVA SCOTIA |
COMMUNITY MEMORIES |
Acadian Museum and Archives of West Pubnico
The Lobster Plug Story in West Pubnico |
Admiral Digby Museum
Digby County: A Journey Through Time |
Amos Seaman School Museum
King Seaman - His Legacy Continues |
Colchester Historical Museum
Cobequid Bay Shad Fishery |
Glace Bay Heritage Museum
The French Block |
Islands Historical Society
Survival of A People: Using our Natural Resources 1875-1975 |
MacDonald House Museum
Lake Ainslie - The Settlers Story |
Memory Lane Heritage Village
Memories of Oyster Pond's Village Store: 1891-1975 |
Moose River Gold Mines Museum
It Happened at Moose River |
Mount Saint Vincent University Art Gallery
Alice Egan Hagen (1872-1972) Nova Scotia Woman Ceramicist |
North Sydney Museum
Telecommunications Visions from the Past |
Shelburne County Museum
The Loyalist Link: The Forest and The Sea |
Wallace and Area Museum
Wallace Sandstone: “Building Stone for a Nation” |
Whitney Pier Historical Museum
The World at Our Doorstep |
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NUNAVUT |
VMC INVESTMENT PROGRAM |
Kitikmeot Heritage Society
Angulalik - Kitikmeot Fur Trader |
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ONTARIO |
VMC INVESTMENT PROGRAM |
Workers Arts and Heritage Centre
Highway Workplace: The Canadian Truckers Story |
Royal Ontario Museum
Tuugaaq - Ivory - Ivoire |
HVACR Heritage Centre Canada
Chilling Out |
Canadian Museum of Nature
Ukaliq, the Arctic Hare |
COMMUNITY MEMORIES |
Battlefield House Museum
Virtual Battlefield: The Museum and Its Community |
Canadian Ski Museum
Origins of Skiing in Canada's National Capital Region |
Castle Kilbride
Castle Kilbride Presents: Tying the Knot |
Collingwood Museum
Hulls on Hurontario: Collingwood's Maritime Legacy |
Cumberland Township Historical Society (CTHS)
Murder in Navanr |
Erland Lee (Museum) Home
From Saltfleet to Stoney Creek |
Fairfield Museum & National Historic Site
The Fairfield Excavations |
North Bay Area Museum
Tracks of Time |
North Huron Museum
Facades of Wingham - Past and Present |
Osgoode Township Historical Society and Museum
Plain Living in Osgoode Township |
Ross Museum
Plowing A Furrow To Victory |
School House Museum
The SWISHA Project |
Stratford-Perth Museum
Setting the Stage: Stratford Circa 1953 |
Sudbury Region Police Museum
Police are People Too! |
Todmorden Mills Heritage Museum and Arts Centre
Twentieth-Century Todmorden: A Community in the Don Valley |
Toronto Aerospace Museum
Mosquito Aircraft Production at Downsview |
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PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND |
COMMUNITY MEMORIES |
Elmira Railway Museum
Elmira Railway Museum - End of the Line |
The Prince Edward Island Regiment Museum
Prince Edward Island - Memories of WWII |
West Point Lighthouse Museum
A New Life for an Old Light |
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QUEBEC |
VMC INVESTMENT PROGRAM |
Canadian Postal Museum / Canadian Museum of Civilization
Before E-commerce : A History of Canadian Mail-order Catalogues |
Musée amérindien de Mashteuiatsh
Living Memories Pekuakamiulnuatsh |
Musée de la nature et des sciences
Canada's Symbolic Animals |
COMMUNITY MEMORIES |
Centre d'interprétation des pionniers de l'aviation (CIPA)
Pioniers de l'aviation |
Centre d'interprétation du Moulin Bernier
L'héritage de la rivière aux Bluets |
Gaspesian British Heritage Centre
Heart of the Village: Memories of The Blacksmith Shop |
Hudson Historical Society
T.B. Macaulay and Mount Victoria Farm |
La Société d'histoire et de généalogie de Val-d'Or
Hommage à Armand Beaudoin |
Maison du Granit
L'héritage des tailleurs de pierre |
Musée des communications et d'histoire de Sutton
The Impact of the Railway on the Sutton Region |
Musée des Ursulines de Trois-Rivières
On The School Benches |
Phonothèque québécoise
The History of the Independent Record Labels |
Site historique du Moulin Légaré
Le Moulin Légaré, une histoire toujours vivante... |
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SASKATCHEWAN |
COMMUNITY MEMORIES |
Avonlea's Prairie Pioneers
Avonlea's Agricultural Pioneers of the Prairiess |
Claybank Brick Plant National Historic Site and Museum
A Little Brick Plant in the Middle of Nowhere |
Craik Community Archives & Oral History Society Inc.
Settlers' Effects Brought to Craik and Aylesbury |
Duck Lake Regional Interpretive Centre
The First Shot Rang Out |
Estevan Art Gallery and Museum
Andrew King Show Print |
Grand Coteau Heritage and Cultural Centre
Through the Eyes of Everett Baker |
Herbert CPR Train Station Museum
Faspa Country: a Herbert story |
Moose Jaw Museum & Art Gallery
Like a Falling Leaf - The 1954 Plane Collision Over Moose Jaw |
Museum of Antiquities
Greece Then, Greece Now: The Hellenic Community of Saskatoon |
Prairie West Historical Society Incorporated
Prairie Fire |
South Saskatchewan Photo Museum
A Century of Education |
Wood Mountain Rodeo Ranch Museum
The Wood Mountain Sports and Stampede |
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YUKON |
COMMUNITY MEMORIES |
MacBride Museum
Mysterious 36 |
PRIORITY THREE:
INCREASE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT
AND PARTICIPATION |
Canadian heritage is a rich mosaic of cultures, stories, languages,
and ways of life. Public engagement and participation in this
diverse heritage requires easy access to meaningful and relevant information.
Our goal is to collaborate with member institutions and
international heritage institutions to give a voice to diversity and
test new technologies.
To further increase public engagement, better understand users, and
stay on top of new trends and technologies, we have created
a Research and Business Intelligence (RBI) work unit. This group
will help improve the way information is managed; increase benefits
to those who create, disseminate, and use knowledge; and capitalize
on business opportunities.
CHIN has been analyzing usage and engagement patterns on the
VMC. This research has led us to strengthen our focus on audience
issues like engagement, learning, meaning-making, contexts and
personalization. In addition to their intrinsic value as cultural tools,
many of our exhibits also help CHIN learn—and, in turn, support
members’ learning—about processes, standards, and best practices
for building high-quality online heritage exhibits.
“THE VMC IS A FANTASTIC
INITIATIVE! …YOU ARE
REPRESENTING CANADIAN
GALLERIES AND MUSEUMS
IN A WONDERFULLY
PROGRESSIVE MANNER.” VMC VISITOR |
HORIZONS: CANADIAN
AND RUSSIAN LANDSCAPE
PAINTING (1860 -1940)
This year, CHIN launched Horizons: Canadian
and Russian Landscape Painting (1860-1940),
an extraordinary VMC exhibit resulting from an
unprecedented collaboration over more than a
year between Canada and Russia. The exhibit
won the 2004 Digital Marketing Award for best
non-profit Web site, and was officially nominated
for the Arts category of the 2005 Webby Award.
Partners included the Russian Association for
Documentation and Information Technology in
Museums, the prestigious State Tretiakov Gallery in
Moscow, and the following museums in Canada :
the Musée national des beaux arts du Québec,
the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, the Musée
des beaux arts de Sherbrooke, the Art Gallery
of Newfoundland and Labrador – The Rooms,
the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, the Art Gallery
of Hamilton and the Edmonton Art Gallery.
The exhibit engages audiences through a novel
approach to online learning experiences. Built
on the principles of constructivism, which espouse
a learner-centred approach to learning, this
remarkable event in Russian-Canadian cultural
relations gives the people of both countries
the chance to learn more about each other.
It comprises 250 paintings from the collections
of a number of museums in Canada and Russia.
It also includes photographs, drawings, details
of images, and biographies of more than 120
Canadian and Russian artists. Each painting’s
virtual representation is accompanied by an
interpretive text and a biography of the artist.
Simple interactive features let visitors closely
explore the paintings. |
KEY ACTIVITIES AND PROJECTS
2004 Survey of Visitors to Museums’
Web Space and Physical Space
CHIN and its members are recognized for their innovative research
on how audiences use digital heritage information. This year, for
instance, CHIN’s 2004 Survey of Visitors to Museums’Web Space
and Physical Space, developed with Statistics Canada and completed
in collaboration with the Canadian museum community, helped
heritage professionals better understand why people visit museums’
Web spaces, and how these visits are linked to visits to the museums’
physical spaces.
Online Visitor Survey
This VMC survey was conducted in order to help us learn more
about our audience, including their socio-demographic characteristics,
the types of content they would like to see, whether or not it was
their first visit, and whether they would return.
British Columbia Directory Project
Following the model of CHIN’s collaboration with the Canadian
Museums Association (CMA), this collaboration between CHIN
and the British Columbia Museums Association (BCMA) allows
users to access and update information on museums, events, and
job postings from either the BCMA or CHIN Web sites (VMC
‘Find a Museum/Event’). This pilot project will serve as a model
for collaboration with other provincial museums associations to
share data and create provincial views.
Cosmic Quest
Cosmic Quest is a new international VMC exhibit launched this year.
Produced in collaboration with many Canadian and international
partners, it offers users the opportunity to interact with information
on celestial bodies, supplemented with legends, interpretations
and artwork from various indigenous cultures around the world. A
particulary engaging feature of this exhibit is the Pocket Astronomer
tool, which lets cellular telephone users with Web access identify
constellations in the sky. Thanks to this creative tool, amateur astronomers
are able to receive instructions based on their actual position
relative to the stars. Partners include the Montreal Planetarium;
the Centre of the Universe at the Herzberg Institute for Astrophysics;
the National Research Council of Canada; the Gemini Observatory
in Hawaii; the Glenbow Museum; the Manitoba Museum; and
Collections Australia Network (CAN) formerly the Australian
Museums & Galleries Online (AMOL).
Valentine’s Day: Love and Romance Through the Ages
The Valentine’s Day: Love and Romance Through the Ages
exhibit is our first online exhibit adapted for the needs of persons
with visual or hearing impairments. It explores the history of
Valentine’s Day, covering subjects such as the symbols of love,
Valentine’s Day cards from different eras, medieval poetry, and
the myths and rites associated with the day. This exhibit was created
in collaboration with several museums throughout Canada and
around the world, including the Maison Saint-Gabriel in Quebec;
the Provincial Museum of Alberta; the Cupids Museum in
Newfoundland and Labrador; the Fanshawe Pioneer Village in
Ontario; the Musée Colby-Curtis in Quebec; the Doon Heritage
Crossroads in Ontario; the St. Mary’s Museum in Ontario; the
U.K.’s British Museum; and the Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum
in Florida.
PRIORITY FOUR:
PROMOTE CANADIAN CONTENT
ABROAD THROUGH EXTENDED
INTERNATIONAL OUTREACH |
Created in response to an international UNESCO convention, our
Network has evolved to become one of the world’s foremost centres
of excellence around digital standards for heritage content, intellectual
property issues, and other fundamental aspects of digital heritage.
This expertise is the product of the Canadian museum community’s
willingness over the last 30 years to contribute its collections and
knowledge for the benefit of Canadian and world heritage. Today,
CHIN and its members are not only involved, but are leading
global thinking in digital heritage.
CONSULTATION WITH
UNESCO ON IRAQ
During the recent armed conflict in Iraq, the
Iraq Museum in Baghdad was looted of thousands
of artefacts representing an area that
marks the birthplace of the written word. While
many of these artefacts were eventually returned,
thousands are still missing. The museum’s
paper records remained intact, helping museum
staff and the Italian Carabinieri to complete
Interpol reports of missing objects.
In early May of 2004, at the request of the
International Council of Museums (ICOM),
CHIN participated in a Meeting of Experts
funded by UNESCO's Division of Cultural
Heritage. The goal was to look into selecting
a collections management system for the Iraq
Museum. Working with the new online version
of the Collections Management Software
Review (CMSR), we helped UNESCO and the
Iraq Museum establish a set of basic requirements
and shortlist suitable software packages.
CHIN is proud to have participated in a project
of such intrinsic value and importance to world
heritage. At the end of the process, MINISIS,
a Canadian company, was selected. |
CHIN’s objective in the international arena is to increase the visibility
of Canadian heritage and heritage institutions for the benefit of
Canadian and international heritage professionals and the general
public. The entire Network is strengthened when CHIN and its
members build strong international connections.
KEY ACTIVITIES AND PROJECTS
The digital Cultural Content Forum (dCCF)
The digital Cultural Content Forum was established in 2001 to
foster international information exchange among agencies engaged
in the digitization and delivery of global digital cultural heritage.
Its objectives are to foster relationships, develop shared knowledge,
and promote creativity, innovation and excellence in the digital cultural
content sector. dCCF consists of CHIN, the Museums
Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) of the United Kingdom,
and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) from
the United States.
CHIN acted as an organizing partner for the 2004 dCCF, along
with Canadian Culture Online (CCO) and the eCulture Directorate,
all on behalf of the Department of Canadian Heritage. The event
was attended by 100 delegates involved in digital cultural content
creation, curation, and preservation from Europe, America, Asia,
Australia, and Africa. Together, we explored digital cultural content
and technology; business models for museums and creative industries
to sustain digital culture and heritage resources; policy and funding
implications for public organizations; applications in learning and
education; and understanding audiences and expert users.
2004 – 2005 OPERATIONAL REVIEW |
HERITAGE COMMUNITY OUTREACH
Presence at Annual Association Gatherings
April: ______________________________
Museum Association of Saskatchewan (MAS)
Canadian Museums Association (CMA)
May: ______________________________
Federation of Nova Scotian Heritage (FNSH)
June: ______________________________
Canadian Association of Science Centres (CASC)
September: ______________________________
Société des musées québécois (SMQ)
October: ______________________________
British Columbia Museums Association (BCMA)
Museum Association of Newfoundland and Labrador (MANL)
Ontario Museums Association (OMA)
Museums Alberta Association (MAA)
Association Museums New Brunswick (AMNB)
New CHIN E-Bulletin
In order to expand the breadth and pertinence of CHIN’s communications
with the heritage community, CHIN has revamped its
monthly newsletter. The new version, read by more than 4,000
museum professionals, contains rich content about best practices,
case studies, profiles and interviews that highlight solutions to shared
concerns, as well as intriguing initiatives developed by the network’s
institutions.
Article Contributions:
Provincial Museums Association Newsletter
In an effort to make heritage sector workers and volunteers aware
of local IT-related initiatives, CHIN provides all ten provincial
museum associations, as well as the Yukon Historic and Museums
Association (YHMA), with customized articles for inclusion in
their respective bulletins. Our first series of articles focused on the
experience of creating a Web site for the first time, while the second
series focused on the experiences and challenges of institutions
that have recently set up computerized management systems for
their collections.
GENERAL PUBLIC AND TEACHERS OUTREACH
VMC Teachers e-Newsletter
In September 2004, we introduced this focused and informative
newsletter to more than 7,500 educational professionals. The
Teachers e-Newsletter is a fantastic means by which to explore
lesson plans, online educational games, and fun learning activities.
Exhibitions
March: ______________________________
Quebec
Francophonie Festival 2005
Quebec
Association québécoise des utilisateurs
d'ordinateurs au primaire et au secondaire
Web Positioning
This year, the VMC had content visible on a variety of search
engines, including the two largest—Yahoo! and Google—as well as
Kanoodle and Enhance for the Anglophone market, and
NetworldMedia for the Francophone market. Search engine coverage
generated more than 500,000 clicks to the VMC.
Reciprocal Linking
In the early months of 2005, each CHIN member who had contributed
content to the VMC portal was invited to provide a reciprocal link
from their content to the VMC, in order to entice search engine
crawlers. This exercise was positively received by members, and
the results should soon show the benefits of reciprocal linking.
ONGOING COMMUNICATIONS
Feedback Messages
CHIN communicates regularly with users of the CHIN Web site
and the Virtual Museum of Canada. This year, we received 2,297
feedback messages from CHIN visitors, and 1,697 feedback messages
from VMC visitors.
Members Help Desk
In addition to increased visibility and ongoing learning about digital
heritage, CHIN members also benefit from free access to bilingual
expertise. This year, our Help Desk processed a total of 3,147 calls
ranging from technical support for creating a Community Memories
exhibit to general inquiries about CHIN membership benefits.
For more information, visit our Web site at:
www.chin.gc.ca
Contact us at :
15 Eddy Street, 4th Floor
Gatineau, QC
K1A 0M5
Phone : (819) 994-1200
Toll free number : 1-800-520-2446
Fax : (819) 994-9555
E-mail : service@chin.gc.ca
© Minister of Public Works and
Government Services Canada, 2005
Catalogue No.: CH56-2005E
ISBN 0-662-40058-5
Special thanks to our members for the beautiful images:
Dawson City Museum and Historical Society, Montréal Biodôme,
New Brunswick Archaeological Services, U’mista Cultural Centre. |