Dear Colleague
The 24 Hour Museum is changing and we need
your help!
Launched 2 years ago as the brainchild of the
mda and the Campaign for Museums, the 24HM
is now a publicly funded, independent charity run
from a small office in Brighton.
Our purpose is to promote UK museums galleries
and heritage attractions. Using the Internet to
bridge the gap between the public and the
sector, we have an average of 140,000 visits
(page impressions) a month and recently won the
New Statesman / BT Internet new media award
for Best Educational Website.
Our new-look site was launched to the sector at
this year’s Museums Association Conference.
We’re very excited about the changes we’ve
made.
Key changes include:
· Improved navigation, design and
functionality
· Added Interactivity
· New exhibition, news and on-line exhibition
sections
· Dedicated sections for museum
professionals and teachers
· Increased search capacity – including a
“freetext” search
But a database can only be useful if its data is
accurate. How can we ensure that our Museum
Finder is always up to date?
Perhaps our most important change is the
introduction of “Direct Data Entry” (DDE). It
sounds very technical (and it is) but don’t worry,
it’s very simple to use.
DDE enables every institution featured on our
database to input and amend their own details
as often as they want.
Opening Hours, Facilities, Key Exhibits, Temporary
Exhibitions, Workshops, Events and Educational
Resources can all be detailed at the touch of a
button (or three!)
If you have your own web-site you can set up links
to it. If you haven’t, you can show all the
information you need on our Museum Finder –
pictures too – and it wont cost your organisation
a penny.
Here’s what some of our “guinea pigs” said about
DDE:
“It's a wonderful resource.”
[log in to unmask] { HYPERLINK "mailto:[log in to unmask]" [log in to unmask]
“surprisingly easy!”
Jules Norris { HYPERLINK "mailto:[log in to unmask]" [log in to unmask]
“a brilliant idea”.
James McGregor { HYPERLINK "mailto:[log in to unmask]" [log in to unmask]
“I am very impressed... The easy to use
format will come into its own.”
Museum { HYPERLINK "mailto:[log in to unmask]" [log in to unmask]
“when we have temporary exhibitions we
are not always prepared enough in
advance to publicise but to be able to
add data directly means we can update
info as we make decisions.”
Elaine Fisher { HYPERLINK "mailto:[log in to unmask]" [log in to unmask]
Getting started is easy. Contact us at
{ HYPERLINK "mailto:[log in to unmask]" [log in to unmask]
or 01273 820470 for your own special password.
This gives you access to your 24 Hour Museum
institution homepage. Follow the instructions and
you can start adding or changing data
immediately and don’t forget that we’re only a
call away if you do need help.
We value your feed-back and we need your
input! Send your stories, exhibition news, letters or
ideas to Jon Pratty, site editor at
{ HYPERLINK "mailto:[log in to unmask]" [log in to unmask]
We look forward to hearing from you
Best Wishes
Helen
Helen Wade
project co-ordinator
24 Hour Museum
01273 820 470
Sande Nuttall
Development Officer
mda
Jupiter House
Station Road
Cambridge
CB1 2JD
01223 315 760 e-mail [log in to unmask]
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