1. E-course for communicators of virtual museum 26 September 2008, Sofia

2. Goals of the course The e-course contains 29 slides, which aim to: Support the museum staff to identify, train and position an effective museum communicator. Lead the identification of skills, activities and expected results from the work of the museum communicator. Support the museum communicator in planning and implementation of communicational strategy Support the museum communicator in identifying and reaching target groups of communication Defining the virtual museum services and target groups Process research questions from academic researchers worldwide related to material, stored in the museum (i.e. Research questions related to archaeological, finds, stored in the museum); Process scientific questions related to school projects, students' works, etc.; On-line sale of scientific publications; On-line sale of post cards, souvenirs and official copies of finds, stored in the museum.; Accept on-line reservations for using museum space for events; Virtual walk in the museum, virtual walk in an exposition from a given period or geographic area;Games and other on-line activities for kids; on-line presentations of museum and science related professions;Tourism related services – providing contacts of tourist companies, cultural heritage sites, etc;Organizing volunteer participation in archaeological excavations;Providing on-line information for cultural heritage sites to local and international media

3. Introduction – the other way THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING CATCHY

4. Assumptions  All museums although different in size and collections can access Internet users  Museums are different in size, level of development, needs in terms of communication, preparedness to communicate

5. E-course structure Defining services and target groups of the virtual museum Assessing the level of development of the museum from the perspective of communication and public relations. - A course for museum communicators - Basic level - A course for museum communicators – Medium level - A course for museum communicators – Advanced level Further reading and useful links

6. Questions for feedback Do we need to include specific advices for virtual museum content – I.e. text layout, pictures format and choice, structure of the virtual museum, first page view and content? Should the e-course include more general tips about the communication of the museum? Are the topics of the course relevant for your situation? Are there topics you would like to see added to the e- course from your perspective?

7. Please send us feedback to: sofia@cultura-animi.org