For busy visitors with voracious visual appetites the label text can be Too Much Information

 Curiously, in Greek the root of the word “beauty” is similar to the word “calling,” to the words“kalon” and “kalein.” And one of the beautiful things about the Internet and digital versions of experience is the ability to "call" a person to engage with the material at any hour and from any location where Internet service is connected. In museums this means that visitors who cannot wait to enter the exhibit halls can see some of the material and its context online beforehand. And since time usually runs out before the person sees all the items that "call" their attention or catch their eyes, being able to revisit the material online after leaving the premises expands the arena for interacting with the ideas and artifacts.

Part of the Grand Rapids Public Museum's permanent exhibit - Anishinabek

These photos show part of the permanent exhibit, Anishinabek: People of this Place, at the Grand Rapids Public Museum (video overview linked from the caption). In the one of the displays there are panels of quotes from people who created the craft piece, but near the floor level are brief paragraphs in large type to give the context or connective tissue for the larger theme holding all the pieces together.

One of the panels of interpretive text from the above display.

This close-up shows the text from one of the panels, including a black and white photo that is part of the subject, too. Faced with three floors of permanent exhibits on nature, historical phases of the city and society, and displays about technology developments, a few visitors ignore all except their chosen interest area. But most visitors are "channel surfing" as they flit from scene to scene, not actually digesting the carefully composed panel texts.

One way to add value to the in-person experience is to put the text from the permanent exhibits online or to send them in booklet form upon request. This delivery before or after the actual visit complements the other forms of outreach at the museum (core exhibition videos, scavenger hunts, publicly visible database of collections not on view, and so) that extend the experience of engaging with content. Visitors in the age of Internet are not limited to business hours on-site when grappling with the subjects being presented.

This screenshot illustrates how the panel text and orienting display go together.

In sum, great care and precision go into the permanent exhibit text panels so that information will not go out of date. The context can add a lot of meaning to the display pieces filling the display space. It is true that patient, highly motivated, or repeat visitors may spend the time needed to fully read and reflect on the many elements of word and artifact in each case. But many more people will ebb and flow like the passing waves, briefly touching the subject matter before flowing into the next gallery. So for the sake of those wishing to explore the texts later on, but who only glimpse first impressions on their casual drift through the corridors of curiosity, this way of presenting full label text amplifies the reach and resonance of the curatorial work. It does not substitute for attending in person, for "being there," but it does expand the circle of engagement outside of the minutes spent stood close at hand to the display pieces. And for non-native speakers of English, and those whose reading experience is still young, being able to interact with the carefully composed written material is valuable as a reading tool, as well. Perhaps one day at all museums around the world this simple but effective matching of image and authentic text panels will make the full significance of the well-thought out displays better for one and all, young and old, local resident and distant traveler.