For our first blog assignment, we were asked to evaluate three historic organization's websites. So what makes for a good site? In my opinion it is ease of navigation, quality information (fees, times, and days of operation), and overall appearance. Since every organization is not created equal, I will be looking at a small museum, a large historic organization, and an international museum.
For my first website I have chosen a site close to my old home. It is the Cullman County Museum Website. On the front page of this site, the virtual tourist will find a clean looking modern website. Dates, times, and admission fees are easy to find as well. There is a good bit of information that can be learned from a well laid out site directory at the top of the page. However, if one were to click on several of the site's links to their own displays, one would discover a dead link. After the first dead link, I thought, well that’s unfortunate. After the fifth or sixth one, I began to wonder if anyone was minding the store. I suspect that, as often is the case, that the museum hired someone to create the site and then handed it over to a volunteer who may or may not have the time/know-how to operate the site. It also might just be that the site is still under construction. If that is the case, there needs to be a notice about this. I was disappointed that a promising looking site for such a small town was hampered by these issues. http://cullmancountymuseum.com/
The next site that I reviewed is a bit farther from home. It is the Sir John Soane Museum in London. As I have researched house museums in England for my London Study Abroad Trip and Master’s Thesis, this site has stood out as the best and most informative. As with most things British, the site is very well laid out and efficient. Each tab takes you to a detailed page of pertinent information on fees, tour times, and other vital considerations. The links and online displays add to the information provided in text. The video “Opening the Soane’s” has me filled with anticipation knowing that I will soon be walking those very corridors. If I had to find a complaint it would be a lack of interactive elements and a feeling that the site is becoming dated. Yes there are photos and videos, but why no virtual tour? What if I never had the chance to go to London? I would have no way of experiencing what it is like to be inside the museum. This is the only problem that I have with this otherwise very good site. http://www.soane.org/
Last, but most certainly not least is my favorite history site of all; Colonial Williamsburg. I mean it is so good that its website is simply http://www.history.org/ . This page has it all; interactivity, information, readability, and ease of navigation. I cannot tell you how many times I visited this site as a teacher to find information and teaching tools for my American History classes. The electronic field trips that they offer are superb. My favorite part of the page is the “tour the town” application at the bottom of the home page. It is a clickable interactive map of Colonial Williamsburg. I used it to orient my history classes before our annual field trips. Not only does it show you where things are, but the photos and multimedia creates an excitement for the trip. There is so much on this site that it would take a full day to look at everything much less to write in a blog post. If you have never visited this site, do it today. You will learn something as well as finding something to use for a class. This site does not just show you their brick and mortar site. They do not simply put photos of artifacts and building online. The creators of this site have created something new and useful in the fields of historic research, education, and public history. This is what all historic sites should strive to be.
For my first website I have chosen a site close to my old home. It is the Cullman County Museum Website. On the front page of this site, the virtual tourist will find a clean looking modern website. Dates, times, and admission fees are easy to find as well. There is a good bit of information that can be learned from a well laid out site directory at the top of the page. However, if one were to click on several of the site's links to their own displays, one would discover a dead link. After the first dead link, I thought, well that’s unfortunate. After the fifth or sixth one, I began to wonder if anyone was minding the store. I suspect that, as often is the case, that the museum hired someone to create the site and then handed it over to a volunteer who may or may not have the time/know-how to operate the site. It also might just be that the site is still under construction. If that is the case, there needs to be a notice about this. I was disappointed that a promising looking site for such a small town was hampered by these issues. http://cullmancountymuseum.com/
The next site that I reviewed is a bit farther from home. It is the Sir John Soane Museum in London. As I have researched house museums in England for my London Study Abroad Trip and Master’s Thesis, this site has stood out as the best and most informative. As with most things British, the site is very well laid out and efficient. Each tab takes you to a detailed page of pertinent information on fees, tour times, and other vital considerations. The links and online displays add to the information provided in text. The video “Opening the Soane’s” has me filled with anticipation knowing that I will soon be walking those very corridors. If I had to find a complaint it would be a lack of interactive elements and a feeling that the site is becoming dated. Yes there are photos and videos, but why no virtual tour? What if I never had the chance to go to London? I would have no way of experiencing what it is like to be inside the museum. This is the only problem that I have with this otherwise very good site. http://www.soane.org/
Last, but most certainly not least is my favorite history site of all; Colonial Williamsburg. I mean it is so good that its website is simply http://www.history.org/ . This page has it all; interactivity, information, readability, and ease of navigation. I cannot tell you how many times I visited this site as a teacher to find information and teaching tools for my American History classes. The electronic field trips that they offer are superb. My favorite part of the page is the “tour the town” application at the bottom of the home page. It is a clickable interactive map of Colonial Williamsburg. I used it to orient my history classes before our annual field trips. Not only does it show you where things are, but the photos and multimedia creates an excitement for the trip. There is so much on this site that it would take a full day to look at everything much less to write in a blog post. If you have never visited this site, do it today. You will learn something as well as finding something to use for a class. This site does not just show you their brick and mortar site. They do not simply put photos of artifacts and building online. The creators of this site have created something new and useful in the fields of historic research, education, and public history. This is what all historic sites should strive to be.
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