Collecting Social Media in Museums

Collecting Social Media in Museums draws attention to the importance of collecting social media as museum objects and explores the role of rapid response and born-digital collecting in documenting social history as it happens.

Drawing on a range of case studies and facilitated conversations with museum professionals and technology experts, the book discusses different approaches to incorporating creator content from social media into museum practice. It highlights the need to bridge the gap between traditional museum practices that focus only on material aspects and what the authors argue is increasingly fundamental to human experience and identity formation: social media and digital cultural artefacts. Providing readers with the critical tools necessary for a rethinking of museum collecting practices in the digital age, the book highlights different projects that have navigated ethical, legal and copyright concerns for institutions. The book culminates with recommendations relating to the implementation of social media collecting strategies, ultimately calling for the museum to be more responsive to safeguarding the content that is generated online for future generations.

Collecting Social Media in Museums provides museum professionals around the world with valuable tools that will empower them to change their practices and respond to social media in real time, before it's too late to act. Scholars and students engaged in the study of museums, media and digital humanities will also find much to interest them within the pages of this book.

About the Authors

Craig Middleton is an Australian museum curator and creative producer whose research and practice centres LGBTIQA+ people, communities, and histories, while challenging traditional museological practices. Through his work, Craig champions digital engagement and collecting practices that prioritise the documentation of contemporary experience and that resonate with diverse communities.

Dr Caroline Wilson-Barnao is Director of Museum Studies at the University of Queensland where she teaches in theory and practical subjects. Her career spans two decades in communications and marketing in the cultural not-for profit sector. Caroline writes on the digital transformation of cultural practice, which she explores in her book 'Digital Access and Museums as Platforms’ (2022). She is a member of the Digital Cultures and Society group, the Museums Association of Critical Heritage Studies, and is an accredited HEA Fellow.