Abstract

In April 2020 thousands of museums across the United States shut down as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many museums opted to utilize social media as a participatory space to engage online visitors. This qualitative study recounts a thematic analysis of how online visitors interacted with museums’ social media during these closures. The results of this study drive recommendations on social media best practices for encouraging dynamic engagement and educational opportunities for museums.

Presenters

Victoria Eudy
Manager, Institutional Evaluation, Missouri Historical Society, Missouri, United States

Clare Tobin
Student, Museum Studies, Western Illinois University, Illinois, United States

Abby Klug
Student, Master's, Western Illinois University - Quad Cities, Illinois, United States

Brad Jorgensen
Museum Studies, Western Illinois University

Details

Presentation Type

Paper Presentation in a Themed Session

Theme

2021 Special Focus - Transcending Social Distance: Emerging Practices in e-Learning

KEYWORDS

Museums, Social Media, Digital Engagement, Qualitative

Digital Media

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