02.26.2024 - By Ian Elsner
The Murney Tower Museum in Kingston, Ontario, Canada is a small museum. Open for only four months of the year and featuring only one full-time staff member, the museum is representative of the many small institutions that make up the majority of museums. With only a fraction of the resources of large institutions, this long tail distribution of small museums offers the full range of museum services: collection management, public programs, and curated exhibits.
Dr. Simge Erdogan-O'Connor has dedicated her studies to understanding the unique dynamics and challenges faced by small museums, and is also the Murney Tower Museum’s sole full-time employee.
In this episode, Dr. Erdogan-O'Connor describes the operation of The Murney Tower Museum, discusses the economic models of small museums, and muses on what small museums can teach larger ones.
Image: Murney Tower Museum
Topics and Notes
00:00 Intro
00:15 Understanding the Landscape of Small Museums
02:38 Dr. Simge Erdogan-O'Connor
03:00 Murney Tower Museum
08:29 Overcoming Challenges with Digital Solutions
09:46 What Big Institutions Can Learn from Small Museums
09:54 The Power of Local Connections in Small Museums
13:20 Outro | Join Club Archipelago