Taking over @OpenGLAM – telling Twitter stories with open collections

In July, I was invited to do a takeover of the @OpenGLAM Twitter Account. That means that I was allowed to host that account and to send my tweets into the world speaking as @OpenGLAM (usually I’m @PSoemers). 

‘OpenGLAM’ stands for “Opening up Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums”. Their Twitter ‘bio’  states that they are a ‘Global network helping Galleries, Libraries, Archives & Museums open their data & content. Run by @okfn @creativecommons @wikimedia’.

The painting shown above comes from the collection of Statens Museum for Kunst (SMK) in Copenhagen. You can find it in Europeana Collections because SMK released the descriptive keywords (‘metadata’) in an appropriate format AND under the open licence, CC0, which means that there is no copyright on them. On top of that, the museum delivered the image in good quality ➜ OpenGLAM at its best!

In the 10 days of my #openglamPS takeover, I wanted to give people something helpful, inspirational  or simply fun, for their professional or their daily lives. In order to enable quick and permanent access to all tweets during my takeover I used the hashtag #openglamPS. I learned this ‘trick’ from Neal Stimler.

What did I tweet about?

I wanted my Twitter takeover to tell the story of the importance of open cultural heritage - what I love about it and why I think it’s important. Here are some of the things I tweeted about.

• I posted artworks with cows

• I posted my personal pictures from exhibition ‘Medieval Gardens’ @RM_Oudheden and linked to related images in #OpenGLAM Collections, in this way expanding the exhibition in the digital world

• I made statements about #OpenGLAM as an attitude and a way of life

• I recalled the moral obligations and potential societal impact GLAMs are having

• I presented examples of GLAMs partnering with creative industries

• I presented examples of GLAMs facilitating use and reuse of online collections

• I investigated whether ‘ordinary people’ are interested in open collections and artworks online – yes, they are!

• I presented examples of personal initiatives of ‘ordinary people’ creating great things on the web

• I paid attention to @Europeanaeu as a source, facilitator and online exhibitor

• I paid attention to @Wikimedia and @CreativeCommons, but not as much as I wanted ☹

• I didn’t mention things like hackathons using #OpenGLAM materials ➜ unforgivable! ☹☹

So, what did I learn? 

I discovered that people like cows and 3D. 

I used the cow painting in my opening tweet.  According to metrics like the amount of retweets, likes, impressions and engagement, this tweet eventually became the most successful of the whole takeover of about 150 tweets!

Good morning #OpenGLAM fans! For two weeks I will have the pleasure to tweet from this account (otherwise you'll find me as @PSoemers).
Follow #openglamPS!

"Two Cows in an Open Field", 1845, by Thomas Lundbye. CC0 @smkmuseum , via @Europeanaeu:https://t.co/SiQDSQ2SFvpic.twitter.com/WPDktPnIAM

— OpenGLAM (@OpenGLAM) July 8, 2019

And I was pleased to see answers from professionals in response to my tweet about 3D scanning projects as a community thing in Ireland: 

Why thank you. There is such a desire from groups to learn and create their own collections. We are just the facilitators the communities are the real power behind this.

— DigitalHeritageAge (@DH_Age) July 19, 2019

and

We would be nowhere without the ongoing support and facilitation of our local and national community of heritage enthusiasts. The best part of our work is getting to meet with the people who curate and promote their heritage, and define its true value on a daily basis. https://t.co/PjxQq7I43g

— Orla-Peach Power (@orlapeach) July 19, 2019

Using social media for storytelling and trying to connect with people is the work of a ‘Sower’. You plant the seeds, you can water them, but you can’t provide the sunshine. To give the tweets a chance to grow, you have to be personal and welcoming. Tell the truth (your personal truth) and give your utmost! If only one seed grows somewhere somehow, it was worth doing it. And what’s wonderful is that maybe something completely different than you expected will start to blossom!

Do you want to hear more about OpenGLAM-in-action? Watch Merete Sanderhoff's TedX-Talk.

Join us on Friday 13 September at 10:00 CEST, when Europeana Communicators, a specialist community of the Europeana Network Association, presents a ‘Solve-It Session’ on digital storytelling. This hour-long webinar helps participants promote digital cultural heritage by sharing knowledge, tools and best practices.