Library
Library is collection of both digital and hardcopy information materials that can be used y registered users. Within a museum it’s important to have a library within it so that users can get access to those information materials. Library should be isolated from noisy areas so that visitors can get conducive environment for learning. British Museum has a room reserved next to drawings and prints gallery that is used as a library and users are provided with condusive environment.
Group visits
British museum provides room for those who would like to conduct class work or study in a group. Teachers who would like to take their students to this museum are normally given time and in fact a room has been reserved for this where they can come and conduct group study.
Object identification
There could be certain visitors who are having certain objects or artifacts that they would like to know more about. British museum is able to offer them this service of explaining what those artifacts are and again they can offer the room of preserving those materials if they contain useful information.
Photography
The Museum has taken the initiative of making their pictures public in that they can be accessed online. It makes it easier for users to download them. Onsite visitors are also allowed to capture some images or pictures unless those images have been restricted by the original source and do not allow public photography.
Borrowing
Visitors would wish to borrow certain artifacts for their research purposes. Before these artifacts are borrowed or loaned, the person has to organize with the department before borrowing those materials. It is important to keep records of borrowed materials to avoid instances of lost or missing materials.
Marketing strategies for British museum
Museum being an information resource centre should be marketed as a way of creating awareness to its users. Any people do not understand what museum entails and therefore throuth marketing, it will be much easier for information users or those intending to carry research for the dissertations can be able to understand the usefulness of a museum. Information is avery important thing that everyone has to be given access to. Through marketing it could be easy for people to understand much about museum. Marketing can be carried out using 4Ps of marketing that is: price, product, promotion and place. The use of 4Ps can create awareness and increase the rate at which museum is used, Philip (1998).
Product
Whenever am information centre is carrying out marketing it is very important to state some of its products that are in their custody. Many information users do not know the kind of materials that are found in the museum. The management of this institution therefore should take the initiative of creating awareness to their users. Historical artifacts can be very useful to those who are carrying out a research concerning the origin of human kind or other things.
Place.
The location of a museum is very important for easier accessibility. Not all people know the location of museums due to ignorance or lack of information about what museum is. It is also important to provide parking space to those who have come to the museum in order to inconveniency. The location of those artifacts within the museum is also important for easy accessibility. The use of labels showing direction to where those materials are placed is very important so that visitor’s time is not consumed when searching for search materials.
Price.
Most private museums normally charge their services a way of making profit. It is therefore upon the management of British museum to inform their users on how the chare their materials so that those who are intending to borrow materials can be aware.
Promotion
Creating awareness to customers about the collection of the museum is called promotion. Whenever visitors are informed and educated about the need of a museum, they will start making good use of it. The management should put in place strategies that they can use in promoting their products. Social sites have been used by many organizations in promoting products. This is because they give a room for all those that are accessing these social sites to know they really offer.
British museum therefore should ensure that they know who their customers are and lay down strategies of handling them. Despite the fact that they face stiff competition from other museums, they should continue carrying marketing. The need for information at this digital age is high and this is an advantage to the information centers.
Museum of London
Unlike British museum that has larger collection of artifacts from all around the worlds, Museum of London has collection of materials that are for that country. They comprise of pictures, models, diagrams and archeological discoveries. Mostly the information materials found under their custody are from within limiting visitors from other countries except those who would like to understand London.
Services offered at the museum of London
Library
Same to British museum that offers a space for library where researchers can do their work, museum of London also offer library services to their customers within the museum. Books and journals that are found within the library can be free accessed without restrictions. Books of various subjects are found within the library like biology, science technology and history are some of the subjects found within the library.
Special collections
These are materials that their rarely exist and therefore should be handled with a lot of care to avoid being worn out. Users have to book these materials in advance due to their limited number so that they can be informed when to pick them once they will be readily available.
Photocopying and printing
Mishandling of these materials can be very dangerous especially to those special collections that are very few I numbers. Photocopying these materials can be the best way users’ need can be met in time mostly if users are many. London museum being public museum have limited sources of income and therefore, through photocopying and printing they can get some cash which can help them carry out certain activities like microfilming as a way of prolonging the life of archival materials.
Security
It is very important to tighten the security within the museum to avoid cases of theft. Archival materials are very hard to get and once they are stolen or misplaced, unless copies of the same were produced, then that will be the end of those materials, Philip (1976).
Group visits
Same to British museum, museum of London also allow group visits whereby a group of people that are of the same interests can come and get access to the artifacts of this museum.
Marketing strategies of Museum of London
The fact that most of the collections of this museum are archeological and materials from and about London, it is still important to carry out marketing so that users or visitors from other countries can be aware about their collection. The best strategy that can be used by this museum is SWOT which stand for strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threat.
SWOT
Museum of London should be in a position to realize its strength so that they can use it to challenge their competitors. Once they have realized their strength it will be much easier to overcome some of their weakness which is as a result of lack of facilities. Overcoming weakness can be very hard but it’s upon the management to ensure that their competitors do not realize their weakness.
Many opportunities normally arise within the institution like when the number of users increases may be after they have realized the type of information under their custody. Taking advantage of the opportunity realized can be helpful in that they will be able to curb some of the threats that may arise such as theft.
British museum and museum of London offer almost the same services even if the types of their collections are different. Unlike museum of London which is not that big, British museum because of its size and the number of its collection, can put in restriction which will limit the access of their collection. This can help them limit cases of theft or misplacement of some artifacts.
Both museums should ensure that their customers are served in time so that they can meet their needs without any inconveniency. In many cases one will find that the materials within the museum are not labeled making it harder to trace the artifacts.
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