Inexpensive Doesn't Mean Cheap: Museum Applications for Low-Cost Technology

Heather Marie WellsCollections Assistant and Podcast Producer

Shiloh Museum of Ozark HistorySpringdale, Arkansas

Write This Down:http://hmbwells.googlepages.com/home

Disclaimers

● You may have to check with your IT department to get access to some of these websites or to download the software

● Check on your organization's regulations and policies on purchasing or putting out bids for services

Agenda

● Office Applications● Communication & Collaboration● Collections Work● Publishing & Production● Exhibit Work● Fun with Google

Office Applications

● Open Office (download)● Zoho Office (online)● Think Free (online)● Google Documents (online)

Office Applications

● Benefits– All are free– All can open and save in Microsoft formats or their

own formats– Web based apps can be accessed anywhere

● Drawbacks– Not as robust (i.e. lack of fonts or features)– Get features and fonts slower than name-brand

software– Have to have Internet for web based apps

Font Management

● What the Font?– Identifies fonts– Sells fonts for as low as $5.00

● Font Viewer3– Organizes fonts into collections– Makes fonts available as needed (making software run

faster)– Print a catalog for your curators– $8.00 compared to $80.00

File Management● Back-up (~$5.00)

– Mozy – month, year, bi-annually– Carbonite – yearly or more

● File Converters– Zamzar

● You just never know when you'll need to convert a file for-mat

Web Browsers

● Firefox● Opera● Safari● Google Chrome

● Alternatives to IE● Often faster than IE● Usually get new

features before IE (like tabs)

● More plugins and add-ons available

● Cross-platform● Usually more secure

than IE

Nuke Anything!

And It's Gone!

Communication & Collaboration

● Instant messaging● Message boards & groups● Blogs● Wikis● Twitter

Collections Work

● Perpetual calendars● Converting numbers● Genealogy● Patent searches

Collections Work

● Perpetual calendars● Converting numbers● Genealogy● Patent searches● Archivists' Toolkit● LibraryThing● DATABASES

Publishing & Production

● Cafe Press● Lulu● Vista Print● Puzzle generators● Sharing presentations

– SlideShare– 280 Slides

Audio and Video

● Audacity● PhotoStory● Movie Maker● Loops● Audio converter

Exhibit Work

● Image Processing– Editing– Enlarging– Sharing– Sources

● Exhibit Design– Floor Plans– 3D Modeling

Photo Editing

● Picnik (online)– Robust features with free tier– Next tier starts at $25.00 per year

● Picasa (download) owned by Google– Excellent photo organizer– Basic, user-friendly tools for touch-ups– Integrates with Google's photo sharing site

● GIMP (download)– Comparable to Photoshop in power and features– usually less user-friendly– Free compared to $800.00 for Photoshop

Photo Enlarging - Rastabator

● Online: file can't be bigger than 1MB● Download version can do smaller dot size● Enlarges photos up to 20 meters● You get a PDF to printout and put together● Best results: photos with high contrast, high

resolution, small dot size

Photo Sharing

● Flickr– Free tier, limited uploads & storage– 3rd party integrations = more ways to interact

● SmugMug– Geared more towards professionals – Geared more towards making you money– Better watermarks– Remove all references to SmugMug so it looks like

your site

Photo Sources

● Generic royalty-free photos● As low as $1.00● Upload your photos for others to use, but check

terms of use

Floor Planning● PlanningWiz – online design tool for simply floor

planning. Made for retail and real estate, but works for exhibit planning

3D Modeling

● Blender – free, opensource, cross-platform, GNU General Public License 3D creation suite– Make things in Blender for Google SketchUp

● Google SketchUp – create, modify, and share 3D models– Make things in SketchUp and smash it into Google

Earth for a virtual 3D tour

Google! What Don't They Do?!

● Searches– Patents– Images– News archives– Scholar– Blog– Creative commons license– Book scanning project

Google! More than Searching

● Google Pages and Sites● Google Reader● Google Notebook● Google Earth● Gmail● Google Labs

Note: Google offers free pro versions to schools so if you are affiliated with a university, college, etc. check with them on this.

Finding Things Yourself

● Know what you already have● Look for online educational technology training

and services● Computer industry websites● Blogs & Podcasts● Museum technology groups

Searches

● Open source, Shareware, Freeware + kind of app you are looking for (freeware presentation software)

● Name of commercial app + alternative (photoshop alternative)

Cautions● Not all Open source and Shareware software is

free– Open source means you have access to the program

code and you can change it to add your own features and sometimes this may be more valuable than being free

– Shareware often goes by the honor system; if you use it, pay for it or give a donation

More Cautions

● Beta versions– Ready for general use but haven't finished final testing– Websites crash or won't be available – Downloaded software is prone to crash– Don't be shocked by instability– They may become inactive when the final version is

released– Just save often and plan extra time in schedule– Developers like constructive feedback and often

provide means of contact

Last Words

● Be vigilant about Malware● Use your searches to find names of software and

then check for reviews from reputable sources such as computer industry magazines and website

● Never download software from sources you don't know; discuss with others if they know anything about the source

● But above all. . .

Don't be Intimidated and

have FUN WITH TECHNOLOGY!!

Thank You for Coming!

Heather Marie WellsCollections Assistant and Podcast Producer

hmwells@springdaleark.orghttp:www.springdaleark.org/shiloh

479-750-8165

Shiloh Museum of Ozark HistorySpringdale, Arkansas