B.C.'s smallest bat is on display online at the Kelowna Museums Facebook page.
Image Credit: FACEBOOK/Kelowna Museums
April 07, 2020 - 4:45 PM
As Kelowna locals remain stuck at home, the Okanagan Heritage Museum is thinking of new ways to reach an online audience with their latest bat-themed exhibit.
Bats: Out of Darkness shines a light on the bats of British Columbia, and serves as a reminder of how essential bats are to the environment and the economy. It’s set to run until May 30.
But with recent COVID-19 regulations, the museum has closed and Linda Digby, executive director with Kelowna Museums, said staff will be rolling out an updated online strategy in the coming weeks while working from home.
“Families and seniors and individuals at home... need a lot of things... They need to have their mood lifted and we also know they need to connect with the stories from the past that may resonate with this, but we’ve made a decision that this isn’t the time to go completely down that road,” she said.
Digby said they’ll be telling some of those stories, and will be rolling out an online tour of the latest exhibit.
The "Going Batty" social media series is also focusing on interactive ways to get people engaged with facts and storytelling.
“We think that relates to maybe how some people are feeling so that family-friendly content will include some mini-tours of the exhibit and some activities that kids can do at home that help them learn more,” she said. “One of the big things we’re looking at is how people can interact with us online,” Digby said. Social media at-home challenges will also be shared online and viewers will be able to engage with their own posts. Our curators will be providing content on what they do and what families can do.”
She added as an example that a curator will be providing a workshop on how families can preserve their own memorabilia.
They’re also taking steps to provide virtual guided experiences in real-time, but will follow the lead from Central Okanagan Public Schools as the school district adjusts to online learning, Digby said.
READ MORE: Learning from home, through ZOOM and sometimes in class, Central Okanagan schools adapting fast
The Sncewips Heritage Museum in Westbank is also following a similar plan with online Facebook tours. In the videos, museum assistant Coralee Miller can be seen using sock puppets and memes to reach her audience, integrating facts about the museum’s many artifacts.
Kelowna Museums will also be posting content online though the Virtual Museum of Canada.
Roughly 2,500 museums and galleries around the world are showcasing their collections online through Google Arts and Culture.
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