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November 7, 2009
Raise Additional Funds for your Musuem with Online Technology
This is the first in a series of articles by Chris Ryland, Trustee of the Soldiers of Gloucestershire Museum, on the services they offer through their website that generate additional income.
The finances of The Soldiers of Gloucestershire Museum are extremely tight, as they are with virtually all Museums today. When the opportunity to re-design our website arose we had the twin objectives of raising additional incomes and improving the outreach of the Museum via the web.
It was clear from the outset that the subject of genealogy research was of particular interest and a service we could offer online quickly. We knew there was a demand as the majority of our postal enquiries were for information about past family members. A large number of these related to soldiers who served in the First World War Approximately 43,000 service men and women served with The Soldiers of Gloucestershire and if their children and subsequent descendants are taken into consideration, there could be approximately 10 million people alive today who could trace their family history using our website. This is potentially an enormous target market!
So we set up an index file which allows web-users to perform an initial check. Once a likely individual has been identified, an hour’s research can be commissioned (and paid for) on-line.
Typically an enquirer will receive specific information on that individual where we have it, together with abstracts from the War Diaries and any other relevant material from personal diaries and letters.
The positive response has been enormous. To date we have answered about 1,500 such enquiries and they are now coming in at around 2 a day – peaking to about 10 a day at key times of the year such as late October/early November.
Indeed the success has been such that we are now extending our on-line index files to include 18th/19th century records.
Learn more about web-based technology for Museums. Discover how modern websites can helpraise funds for a museum near you.
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