New technologies and methods within Public history have begun to influence the creation of digital history projects. There are many ways that people can engage with history on the internet now. Public historians are starting to establish their digital presence. Some of the new methods of engaging with the public include social media platforms and blogs.
Social media has become incredibly important for public institutions. It has allowed museums to promote their newest exhibitions and upcoming events to entice visitors. The type of museum will influence which social media platform is best to display their information. An art museum might be interested in using a more visually appealing platform such as Instagram. An example of a project creating an Instagram account is Baltimore’s Chicory Revitalization Project. ” The page is used in ways similar to that of Instagram poets in that it allows users to directly access poetry—as both art and historical evidence—and individualize their experience with it.”[1] This digital history project has provided a unique, museum-like experience for all visitors of their account. I believe that is an important goal for digital public historians to achieve.
Another new platform for digital public historians is blogs. Although blogs have been around for quite some time already, they appear to be making a come-back. Blogs can provide more content for a museum than a social media page. “Blogs also offer a museum with a website a valuable way to reach a wider audience through search engine optimization and, in particular, a blog’s inclusion in Google search.”[2] Museums and other public institutions can use blogs to engage more directly with users and can allow them to engage with each other. The connection between the institution and its visitors paves the way for relationships between visitors.
I also believe that Covid-19 played a role in this transformation. It is more important now than ever for museums and other public institutions to have a digital presence. Due to the nature of Covid, people needed to stay inside and limit contact with other people. The creation of virtual tours and other digital engagements allowed museums to stay in contact with visitors.
[1] Sydney Johnson, “Doin’ It for the Gram: How Baltimore’s Chicory Revitalization Project Uses Instagram to Engage the Public.” National Council on Public History, https://ncph.org/history-at-work/doin-it-for-the-gram/.
[2] Bomboy, Scott, and Rebecca Sherman. “Success Strategies for Engaging Audiences with Museum Website Blogs.” MW2014: Museums and the Web 2014. Published February 24, 2014
