Challenges – How might we? Part 2 #NDF23

Following from my presentation at the National Digital Forum 2023 conference I noticed many people taking fotos of my challenges slides, so I thought I’d reproduce them here, using the How might we? way of thinking about these.

I also didn’t get to talk about suggestions from audiences I have consulted over the years as to how GLAM could address big issues, but you can find them here.

Challenges: worries and big issues

• Big issues focus around climate, conflict, climate, gender, climate, mental health, climate
  • Gurian (1995): Museums as “safe places for unsafe ideas”
• How might GLAM offer programs around ending racism, reducing climate change, equality and alleviating poverty?
• How might GLAM navigate the tricky issues around current global conflicts?
• How might GLAM reach out to younger audiences who are interested in the world but not necessarily looking to GLAM for answers?
• How are we looking after staff, volunteers, audiences affected by distressing world events?

Challenges: Barriers to participation

• Financial pressures / cost of living #1 pressure for audiences, business and GLAM
• GLAM (museums) perceived as ‘look but don’t touch’:
  • Yet also as inspiring places of wonder
• As a sector, how might we use our strength of numbers in advocacy to provide affordable experiences for audiences?
• What might we do about the increased casualised workforce and staffing pressures?
• How might we change perceptions from ‘look, don’t touch’ to GLAM as places of stimulating and challenging learning for all abilities?

Challenges: Digital

• Audiences are tired of screens:
  • Yet they are very interested in immersive experiences
• Audiences don’t understand and are worried about emerging technologies such as AI
• Many (many) GLAM organisations don’t have the time, energy and resources to dedicate to thinking about digital programming:
  • They are too busy sorting out problems such as CRMs, ticketing systems and project management
  • COVID reinforced the pressure digital teams, specifically social media, are under
• How might we provide onsite digital experiences for tired eyes?
• How might we use technology to allay fears about AI taking over the world and our jobs (for example)?
• How might we allocate resources across new priority areas – online vs onsite??
• How are we looking after health and wellbeing of digital (and other) staff?

Challenges: Trust and information

• Adults generally trust museums (GLAM)
• Audiences are distrustful of media and skeptical about information online
• Teenagers and young people use TikTok as information sources, for skills development and for event planning:
  • And, TikTok is banned by many government agencies
• There has been a decline in attention spans:
  • 12 seconds in 2000 to 8 seconds in 2020
  • The average attention span of goldfish is 9 seconds…
• How might we capitalise on the ‘goodwill’ (and some affection) for GLAM?
• How might we use digital platforms more effectively within constraints?
• How might we address the issue of reaching audiences with limited time and attention spans – both in marketing and in programming?

Challenges: Education and learning

• GLAM organisations are seen as places for learning and education
• Hybrid learning (and working) is here to stay:
• Many students love it
• Unstable state of museum education:
  • Unintended consequences of losing educational audiences who are often the mainstay for numbers and revenue
• How can we be seen as learning institutions when we don’t (necessarily) value staff that deliver these programs?
• How might we shift our programming to meet the needs of audiences who prefer online learning, and those who want both?
• How might we accommodate new ways of working while still delivering onsite experiences and opening the doors?

Thanks to those who came to my presentation – much appreciated.