On the eve of International Museum Day, the evaluation results of the fifth batch of national first-level museums were announced, with a total of 123 museums across the country on the list. It is worth noting that there are many "small museums" in this list, such as the Qingdao German Governor's Building Site Museum, Pu Songling Memorial Hall, Changyu Wine Culture Museum, Linqu County Museum, Zoucheng Museum, Juye County Museum, etc. in Shandong. Some of them are special museums, and some are district and county museums.
People can’t help but wonder, why can the “small museum” become a first-class museum and become famous?
To answer this question, we need to understand how the first, second and third levels of the museum are determined. To put it simply, museum grading has a set of thousand-point scoring standards and is graded based on points. In terms of indicators, it is mainly divided into three major categories: comprehensive management and infrastructure (200 points), collection management and scientific research (300 points), and display and exhibition and social services (500 points). Among them, first-level museums have a comprehensive score of 800 points, while the standards for second- and third-level museums are 600 points and 400 points respectively. Therefore, all first-level museums must be "hexagonal warriors", and the competition is based on overall strength.
It can be seen that in this evaluation system, "small museums" may be smaller in size, staffing, collection resources, etc. than national and provincial museums, but it is not impossible to become a first-class museum. In fact, the social influence and reputation of many "small restaurants" have already gone beyond the local area and spread across the country, eclipsing many "big restaurants".
View the "most beautiful oriental smile" of Buddhist statues in the Northern Dynasties, and "the only surviving number one scholar in the Ming Dynasty"... Whether it is a working day or a holiday, there are always many tourists queuing up to enter the Qingzhou Museum before it opens. Since the opening of the new Qingzhou Museum on May 15, 2023, it has received a total of approximately 1.8 million tourists.
interactive + digital, six "4.0 black technologies", a 10-meter open space viewing platform, a super 6k resolution giant waterfall screen... Entering the Changyu Wine Culture Museum, through sensory interactive experience, visitors can understand the history of its establishment The 132-year history of Changyu Company's origin, development and growth, and experience of the wine-making process. Walking into a century-old wine cellar is a very immersive experience.
What is easily overlooked is that small but beautiful “small restaurants” frequently appear in the industry, and policy guidance plays an important role. In recent years, the industry's standards for measuring the performance of a museum have changed: in the past, we looked at "stock", which is closely related to the quantity and quality of collections. Now we rely more on "increment", that is, what kind of cultural products and services can be provided. . The "baton" role of evaluation standards is forcing museums to transform and upgrade. "Small museums" that are easy to turn around have the advantage of being latecomers.
This is particularly evident in this year’s International Museum Day theme of “Museums Committed to Education and Research.” The International Council of Museums' definition of "museum" has changed nine times so far. Since the second edition of the definition was released in 1951, "education" has been clearly included. The theme of this year’s International Museum Day juxtaposes education and research to remind the museum community that research is the foundation and education is the goal. At the same time, it also conveys an important signal that education will become a powerful engine in the next round of global museum upgrading and development.
In fact, there is no obvious competition between museums in nature. Regardless of classification, size, category, or theme, everyone can follow their own path. The classification is only to encourage everyone to do better. "Small restaurants" can play an important role and have unique advantages in education and research. This is why more and more "small restaurants" can be recognized in the ratings.
So, how can "small restaurants" make a " What about "big article"?
features are the foundation of "small restaurant". "Small restaurants" should clearly define their positioning, follow the path of "specialization, speciality and innovation", and explore and display their unique cultural characteristics or special collections. By focusing on a specific field or topic, a "small library" can become an authority in the field and attract specific researchers and learners. At the same time, we will make full use of local cultural resources and historical heritage to carry out education and research projects related to local characteristics to enhance the museum’s regional characteristics and attractiveness.
cooperation is the vitality of "Xiaoguan". "Small museums" can encourage local people to participate by organizing community activities, workshops, lectures, research studies, etc., and improve the social influence and educational value of the museum. The "small museum" establishes cooperative relationships with other museums, educational institutions, research institutions, etc., which is conducive to sharing resources. At the same time, participating in or establishing a museum alliance to jointly organize exhibitions, seminars and other activities can improve the quality of research and education.
Innovation is the charm of "small restaurant". Using digital technology, "small museums" can create online exhibitions, virtual tours, online educational resources, etc., to expand coverage. The "small pavilion" can also attract audiences through innovative exhibition design and educational programs, such as storytelling, interactive experiences, multimedia displays, etc., to make the exhibition more lively and interesting.
Shandong is a province rich in museums. Data released by the Shandong Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism shows that the total number of registered museums in the province has reached 812, and a museum system with diverse categories, full of vitality and rich in Shandong characteristics has been formed. In 2023, the province's museums will receive 87.5 million visitors, and this year's May Day holiday will receive 3.8 million visitors. "Museum fever" has become a trend.
From an international perspective, people in some countries and regions visit museums on average two or three times a year. Our museum industry still has a lot of room for development. Therefore, we must do a good job in museum construction, hold richer exhibitions, carry out more cultural activities, and use new technologies and new media to guide people into museums.
(Dazhong Daily·Dazhong News Client Reporter Zhang Jiulong)
