For this blog post I focused on the hyperlinked environments in the Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums (aka GLAM) space. As spaces that increasingly desire to involve the community as much as possible, one of the major ways that institutions do this is through their social media.
Social media can allow many GLAM institutions to connect with a wider scope of audiences outside of their direct community. One of my favorite GLAM social media accounts is the Getty’s. They have an astrology series where they post at the start of every zodiac season. They utilize a popular topic (astrology) and use it as a means to connect objects in their collection to the topic. For example, this post is dedicated to Leo season, which begins July 23rd to August 22nd; they include several lion related elements from their collections on the post and cite each one for reference. This strategy mirrors the one the Met uses where they tie in their collection and base their social media on the interests of the general public (Titlow, 2016). I think that following social media trends and topics can help GLAM institutions encourage engagement on their accounts, which hopefully translate to more active patrons or visitors.
One thing that was highlighted in these articles was the need to stay digitally relevant and maintaining a significant presence online. Although some people may doubt that some visitors are truly appreciating the art they post on Instagram, it does positively reflect attendance numbers to a number of institutions (Daily Bruin Staff, 2016). Hopefully some can look through the superficiality of posting about an exhibit and instead meaningfully engage with it.
References
Daily Bruin Staff. (2016, January 20). The impact of social media on museums, art. Daily Bruin. https://dailybruin.com/2016/01/20/the-impact-of-social-media-on-museums-art
Getty Museum [@gettymuseum]. (2026, July 23). Happy Leo season! [Photograph]. Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/p/DbJxDObj34k/
Titlow, J. P. (2016, February 29). How A 145-Year-Old Art Museum Stays Relevant In The Smartphone Age. Fast Company. https://www.fastcompany.com/3057236/how-a-145-year-old-art-museum-stays-relevant-in-the-smartphone-age
@jmevange you make a good point about what the GLAM sector should be doing with digital outreach. I am most drawn to the engaging posts from museums, etc. that ask me to respond or ask me to explore something that is interesting and quirky and that it tells a story.