Reopening in a New World: Museums Facing New Regulations and Expectations
After spending months closed off to visitors, many museums face reopening in the coming weeks. While state requirements dictate certain procedures, many other choices must be made by museums. Traditional ways of operating must change and what used to be unimportant in day-to-day operations, such as a coat check or drinking fountain must be reimagined. The most pressing challenge facing museums as they reopen is the safety of their visitors and staff.
New Guidelines
At their core, museums are focused on providing visitors with an educational experience about the specific aspect of culture, history, or art featured by their institution. In the midst of a pandemic, being in the business of bringing people together presents difficulties and concerns that cannot be avoided. Many institutions must operate at suboptimal capacity, 10-25% in many cases, this also presents both logistical challenges and disappointment for the museum industry members who must turn visitors away. Requiring visitors to purchase tickets for specific time slots in advance eases the burden on museums created by turning people away or asking them to wait in long lines. With less physical capacity for visitors, now is the time to accelerate digital options for visitors. For example, creating virtual tours of exhibits helps visitors who cannot get tickets or those unwilling to spend time in public due to health concerns participate in the educational experiences offered by museums. For visitors in the building, it is important to direct them in a single direction and ask that visitors stand six feet apart while viewing exhibits or reading information; this can be accomplished with floor stickers as well as staff in the exhibit halls. In addition to moving visitors through exhibits efficiently, museums may have to consider spacing out collections to prevent crowding or staggering visitor access to cramped exhibits.
Making Visitors Comfortable
With visitors once again in the building, it is essential that they feel comfortable, and their safety must be the first priority of the museum. Transparency and visual confirmation of safety measures help visitors feel comfortable while in exhibits. Accomplishing these measures involves clearly communicating the steps being taken to ensure visitors’ safety (staff temperature checks, routine cleaning, masks being worn properly and at all times); these small, outward signs that your institution cares about safety make visitors feel assured of their safety and your hospitality. More significant steps toward safety and comfort include investing in automatic doors, sinks, paper towel dispensers, and contactless water bottle refill stations to reduce high-contact surfaces. With a shift in consumer behaviors and expectations due to the pandemic, visitors appreciate amenities like these as people are more cognizant of when they have to touch doorknobs, faucets, or other public surfaces. If visitors are required to wear masks when inside, have masks on hand and take the opportunity to brand them with your logo or even designs that represent pieces in the collection whether its art, impactful images, or anything else meaningful to the experience your institution offers. Finally, the best way to ensure a smooth and safe reopening is to test it. Have staff act as visitors and walk through the building. A walkthrough will expose high contact surfaces and points in the building where traffic occurs. It may seem tedious, but it is important to identify issues and formulate solutions before visitors enter. Preparedness will reduce the stress and risks posed to museum staff and visitors alike keeping museums the comfortable and enjoyable environment they ought to be. Finally, make sure you are posting these steps both online as well as onsite which allows visitors to both be prepared and reminded.
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