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Hello everyone, It was a pleasure meeting those who of you who attended the Think Drink last Thursday. I really enjoyed the discussions about the role of e-learning in different institutions as well as the various tangents we explored. I had promised to get back to you with a few research references I mentioned that evening. First, the two recent studies refuting the often invoked argument that publishing museum content online will discourage visitors from coming to the physical museum. On Thursday I said one of these was from Pew Research, but that is incorrect. The studies were conducted by the IMLS (Institute of Museum and Library Services) and CHIN (Canadian Heritage Information Network). Granted, both are North American organisations, but their findings are certainly applicable in an international context. Details on the IMLS study can be found at http://interconnectionsreport.org. And a quote: "The Internet is not replacing in-person visits to libraries and museums and may actually increase onsite use of libraries and museums. There is a positive relationship between Internet use and in-person visits to museums and public libraries." In the CHIN study (2004), 57% of respondents said the information they found on museum websites increased their interest for a physical visit. More details at http://www.chin.gc.ca/English/Digital_Content/2004Survey/surveyResults.html A related item is a provocative animation by Mike Edson, Director of Web and New Media Strategy at the Smithsonian Institution. His humorous presentation (http://usingdata.typepad.com/usingdata/2009/03/web.html) addresses many of the issues we discussed about why curators may be reluctant to embrace social media. Finally, for those who might want to follow it up, the study describing how practical pre-orientation sessions for school children (dealing with layout of the museum, location of toilets, etc.) improved learning during the actual visit can be found in The Museum Experience (Falk & Dierking, pages 27-35). This came up in the context of Martin's question about the usefulness of 3D virtual tours. It was suggested that they might be ideal for logistical introductions to the museum, which boost students' comfort levels and help them retain more from the lesson part of the trip. Again, it was a great discussion. Martin, many thanks for organising it! Warm wishes, Shelley