March 17, 2011; Source: New York Times | The New York Times published a special section on museums yesterday, looking particularly at some of the more forward thinking uses of social media and other online strategies. This article from the Times (linked to above) is a profile of four museum execs who have tried innovative technology-aided strategies to attract and engage their audiences. The article is well worth a read for any nonprofit and there is a link to a Twitter conversation on the topic.

Shelley Bernstein of the Brooklyn Museum says, “It’s less about technology and more about what the visitor can bring to the equation . . . In the end, we want people to feel ownership of this museum. We ask them to tell us what they think. They can give us a bad review; when we make a mistake they can come to our rescue. We want to engage with our community.” Well said. And there is much more of value in the article and in fact the section as a whole – give it a read.—Ruth McCambridge