Introducing some top tips from Historyworks about methodologies for audience engagement. Plus handy info about understanding smart phones/tablets and delivering interpretation via web apps and trails

 1. Highly recommended book (freely available online via creative commons with frequent updates) called “The Participatory Museum” by Nina Simon. 

This sets out methodologies for participatory practice for those wanting to widen their audience engagement and develop deeper relationships with their existing visitors, volunteers, trustees, and suggests how best to reach out to those not yet part of their audience but in their geo-located community:

http://www.participatorymuseum.org/

 2. APP 101 is a very short Historyworks introductory guide to creating trails using web apps, and explains the issues involved in delivering content to smartphone or tablets of differing sizes and systems.  

On these pages you can find examples of web app trails and audio guides which Historyworks has devised and produced in order to widen audience reach and tempt those who may use a free app to explore an era or area to have a taster of what is in the local collections to draw them in as museum users:

http://historyworks.tv/products/apps/

& APP 101 PRESENTATION SHORT FILM:

http://historyworks.tv/projects/2012/09/27/historyworks_presentation_on_apps/