Connecting to Collections Care Online Community

Pokemon Go

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    • #134832
      Grant Briscoe
      Participant

      I did not know if this would be the proper place to discuss this, but I was wondering how others are responding.

      Our museum is not only a Pokemon stop for Pokemon Go, but we also are a Pokemon gym. So far we have not had any issues arise from the traffic or carelessness of visitors with heads stuck to their phones.

      However, I was wondering how others are addressing this phenomenon. How best can we encourage the extra visitors to feel at home in our museum and enjoy their visit (regardless the reason), but still protect our exhibits and collections from distracted guests?

    • #134833
      Heather Brown
      Participant

      Hi Grant,

      I think your question is on everyone’s minds. Having extra–and more diverse–visitors is a good problem to have, but could be an accident waiting to happen.

      I haven’t downloaded the game so I’m not exactly sure how it works. Can you tell where in the museum the Pokemon and gym are? Would it be possible to increase security/crowd control in just those areas…at least until the hype wears off?

      In an ideal world, the creators of the game would have worked with institutions to develop a mutually beneficial program before implementing it. I’m curious to hear how others have responded to the craze.

      Best,
      Heather

    • #134845
      Heather Brown
      Participant

      I just found this article about Pokemon Go by Alexandra Rasic on the AASLH website and thought you’d be interested to see her perspective on the phenomenon. It’s more about engaging audiences than protecting collections, but presents some interesting approaches.

    • #134850
      Sharon McCullar
      Participant

      I haven’t seen any significant difficulties associated with PokemonGo from a collections management standpoint. Most players are just playing the game and not doing any harm. We have, however, our Programming Department tried to engage them with a “Lure”, they set that up and had a children’s activity set up at the spot to try and get people to put down the game and look at some hands on use objects. We have a living history park, five historic structures and a main museum and haven’t yet had any trespassing problems or damage.
      I figure the players will have to look up sometime and see where they actually are and we will be ready to engage them with exhibits and programs.
      Has anyone experienced a problem with Pokemon being in non-public spaces? This might pose a problem if a guest goes through a door or gate and finds themselves in a behind-the-scenes area, surprising curators at work or getting locked in.

    • #134852
      Grant Briscoe
      Participant

      Our gym is geo-located within our Print Shop (thank goodness we block off the presses there with a plexiglass door) and our stop is at a statue on our grounds. Our museum is 40 acres though, and has a 1920s crossroads town set up outside, some very uneven ground (even near the stop and gym) and a nature trail.

      I know that the player only has to be within roughly 15-20 feet to catch one, so we have not had anybody in a behind the scenes situation yet.

      I love the lure idea.

      Thanks for the conversation!

    • #134865
      Susan-1
      Member

      The AASLH has published this item, PokéWHAT?! National Trust for Historic Preservation Staff Provide a Pokémon Go Primer that might also be helpful: http://blogs.aaslh.org/pokewhat-national-trust-for-historic-preservation-staff-provide-a-pokemon-primer/

      and Angela Kipp has an interesting item in her Registrar Trek Blog: New Unknown Pest Detected – Have Your IPM in Place!

      and finally, a long explanatory blog from Museum Hack: Pokémon GO in Museums: Gotta visit ’em all

    • #134876
      Susan-1
      Member

      Lori Benson adds another point about Pokemon Go – security. AR Games, a new wrinkle in surveillance…

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