LIVE!Museum: visitor and institutional contexts for digital labelling and in-gallery connectivity

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Traditionally, printed labels and information panels have been the principal means by which museums have explained their exhibits and told their stories. This orthodoxy of 'labelling' owes much to the emblematic visual technologies of the Renaissance as well the classificatory systems of the Enlightenment - the historic moments when the idea of 'museum' was forged. The label, therefore, has become (and remains) a defining characteristic of the museum, and entrenched as much in visitor expectation as in curatorial practice.Although digital information technology is now widely used in museums and galleries, labels and information panels are generally printed, possibly because the range of available materials for the task - typically paper, plastic, composites, paint ... do not permit updating without much effort and expense. In 2006 the Department of Museum Studies, at the University of Leicester, received HEROBC (HEFCE) funding to develop and test flat, wireless, updateable, prototype digital labels for exhibitions - labels that looked like labels but could show 'live' content generated either by curators or visitors, triggered either by news, latest research, or the nature of the visiting group, or simply the time of day. This original small-scale pilot research considered the prospect (and the challenge) of a gallery of labels that were as adaptable (and 'live') as the content of our museum websites (Parry, Ortiz-Williams and Sawyer, 2007).This work highlighted a range of issues:- visitor interactions raised a range of questions about the use of digital signage- curators took different approaches to using digital signage- stable WiFi connectivity was challenging- the hardware (LCD screens) presented some difficulties- in practices, integration with wider IT systems would be significantSince the original research, there have been many changes:- museum staff are increasingly aware of digital media- new WiFi standards have emerged- complementary technologies (RFID) are now more common- electronic paper is on the cusp of viability- the retail sector is showing increasing interest in digital signage.The LIVE!Museum research network will - as a starting point - review the original research in the light of these changes and identify key areas for further research, development and knowledge exchange. These might include:- what are the implications of live digital content and media for the visitor?- what are the implications for exhibition design and maintenance?- what are the implications for curatorial practice and authorship?- what are the implications for associated IT systems?- and what can we learn from other sectors, especially retail?LIVE!Museum builds upon this initial work - but with more intellectual depth, more mindful of the substantial technological advances taking place, involving a broader range of partners, within a wider curatorial context of in-gallery 'live' provision, and with a more circumspect and strategic eye on what the sector needs and what visitors expect.