[Bcma-l] Guided Tours with Headsets

[bcma-l@museumsassn.bc.ca]

Depends on the feeling you want your museum to convey.
We think the human touch is essentail.

-- 
Larry A. Ewashen
Doukhobor Discovery Centre
112 Heritage Way
Castlegar BC V1N 4M5
www.Doukhobor-Museum.org <http://www.Doukhobor-Museum.org>
250-365-5327

 
On 04/04/2008, *bcma-l-admin@museumsassn.bc.ca 
<mailto:bcma-l-admin@museumsassn.bc.ca>* <bcma-l-admin@museumsassn.bc.ca 
<mailto:bcma-l-admin@museumsassn.bc.ca>> wrote:

    I must disagree that human guides are always better:  I've heard
    some guides in international museums who seemed to be making it up
    as they went along.  Audio Guides allow the institution to control
    what is being said, then.   Also:  having an audio guide which the
    visitor controls herself means that she can pause over an object or
    a work of art and consider it more carefully than a human guide
    would allow, if timing was a factor (which it generally is.)
     Inasmuch as many galleries and museums are very expensive (I can't
    remember the cost of the Frick, on which I base my experience, but I
    do remember wishing I was a student again!), the visitor usually
    wants to get as much out of the visit as possible:  listening to the
    background to a painting twice or three times is an option with an
    audio guide which would be frowned on (or ignored) by a human guide.

     
    Patricia Kidd

    Patricia Kidd, M.A., Cultural Historian
    (Adjunct Curator, Decorative Arts, AGGV)
    1025 Moss Street
    Victoria B.C. Canada
    V8V 4P2
    (250)382-2543


     

    On 3-Apr-08, at 6:58 PM, bcma-l-admin@museumsassn.bc.ca
    <mailto:bcma-l-admin@museumsassn.bc.ca> wrote:
>     We eschew this form of touring as it does not involve human
>     contact, also creates a situation where guides are no longer
>     needed, not a good message to send to funding agencies.
>     Live people are best!
>
>      
>     On 03/04/2008, *bcma-l-admin@museumsassn.bc.ca
>     <mailto:bcma-l-admin@museumsassn.bc.ca>*
>     <bcma-l-admin@museumsassn.bc.ca
>     <mailto:bcma-l-admin@museumsassn.bc.ca>> wrote:
>
>         We are thinking of introducing 'Guided Tours' with the use of
>         Headsets, for our visitors to the Historic Roadhouse.  We
>         would be grateful for the opportunity to contact anyone who is
>         currently using this method of touring.
>          
>         Liza Curran
>         General Manager
>         Historic Hat Creek Ranch
>         P.O. Box 878, Junction Hwy 97 & 99
>         Cache Creek, BC  V0K 1H0
>         Phone: 250-457-9722
>         Fax: 250-457-9311
>         E-mail:  hhcr@telus.net <mailto:hhcr@telus.net>
>         Website: www.hatcreekranch.com <http://www.hatcreekranch.com/>
>
>
>          
>
>
>
>
>     -- 
>     Larry A. Ewashen
>     Doukhobor Discovery Centre
>     112 Heritage Way
>     Castlegar BC V1N 4M5
>     www.Doukhobor-Museum.org <http://www.doukhobor-museum.org/>
>     250-365-5327