Over the past few years an increasing number of museums have experimented with social media to demonstrate that they are listening and engaging in the world outside. While a number of new publications describe the rise of social media as a potential panacea for dwindling audiences, this book is unique in its recognition that participation has not, for the most part, affected the majority of museum practices. Participation programs have certainly been introduced to a number of museums and as this book will show, some have been tremendously successful. Yet, for the most part, participation has been limited and the bulk of engagement has tended to be around new forms of publication from within rather than discussions with diverse audiences.
Based on research conducted with international museums over the past 6 years, this book explores three key areas: engagement, participation, and co-creation as the keystones for understanding the value of the "social" museum. Using a number of global examples to describe and map the ways in which social media has been explored within communication programs, authors Russo and Kelly offer a window into the challenges which face future communication strategies and curatorial practices within museums. This book develops models for new partnerships, based on critical analysis of both the impact of social media and evaluations of some of the most successful examples in the sector to date. In this way new essential lessons for museum professionals, museum studies students, and potential collaborators are made accessible.