Museums and the Web 2001 : Abstract

Archives & Museum Informatics
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Published: March 15, 2001.

Delivering an Institutional Calendar: A Case Study at the Walker Art Center
Lisa Middag , Walker Art Center, USA
http://www.walkerart.org

Mini-Workshop: Institutional Calendar

Focusing on the development of the Walker Art Center online calendar as a case study, this presentation looks at the some of the strategies, methods and assets used in publishing an online, institutional calendar that provides a rich resource both for institutions and their audiences. First launched in December 1998, the Walker online calendar neatly delivers information, images and audio and video clips on the approximately sixty events and exhibitions, the Walker offers each month.

Beginning with the source materials (from press kits and releases to printed matter, slides and videotapes), we'll look at the various resources for content and techniques for obtaining and repurposing this content for use in an online calendar, including how to develop intradepartmental cooperation and establish digitization standards.

Continuing with process, we'll look at the nitty-gritty details of how a typical Walker calendar is produced in any given month, including a breakdown of technical and human resources, timing, responsibilities, and manpower-who is doing what and when, and how long it takes.

Then, with an eye to the navigation and design of the Walker's Calendar, we'll consider some of the choices the Walker has made along with their incumbent advantages and disadvantages, including whether or not to implement a database-driven calendar, what kind of event highlighting options make sense, how does the calendar reflect the greater institution, and how does the calendar connect with other content areas of the site (i.e. programming areas, eCommerce, event ticketing, etc.).

Finally, we'll explore some proposed renovations and refinements to the Walker calendar and look briefly at highlights of a few calendars delivered by other institutions.