I haven’t updated my site in a while as been busy doing things (MuseumSelfie was brilliant, WhyILoveMuseums was at the right time and now there will be continuous hashtags to sink our teeth into).

However, now that everyone is using social media again I felt it was important to share something. I’m really struggling not to be smug and remind people of all the times I reminded you to use social to be social so that when you need the community they would support you! I see many brands struggling because they always just scheduled and push out information and never responded or cared.

Ok, I feel better.

How are museums, art galleries, libraries and others surviving? We’ll we’re all pulling together. There are lots of list going around but these are the key ones for Virtual tours, resources, e-learning and kids resources. I will also add that MuseumNext has been adding A LOT of great and useful content!

For CultureThemes – I am taking a different approach and will be updating hashtags people/GLAM are using. It’s also Citizen Science Month so lots to choose from. It would be really great if we go back to basics and start talking to their communities and indeed each other! If you are a social media manager – strongly suggest you look at #MuseSocial and request to join the Museum Social Media Manager group on Facebook.

Top hashtags for me are #MuseumFromHome, #MuseumAtHome, #MuseumGames (we have Crosswords, Bingo, puzzles and trivia coming soon!).

There are A LOT more people using online conferences so I did a poll around this with the pros and cons – read the responses if you are still unsure what you can/should use. I will politely remind people that not everything has to be a conference call – sometimes a quick text or email works and saves on bandwidth for those that do need it (I say this as I live in a town that has throttled bandwidth and it’s really gone down since everyone working from home).

I would like to remind everyone working from home – take good care of your mental health! Talk to us if you are feeling low – or even happy! We don’t always have to talk about museums or collections or work. This is a long ride and we have to respect self-isolating but it’s going to be a long ride. Please please please know I am here as are so many. My whatsapp is +4407800539065 or DM me on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.

Right now it’s early days in what can be a long road. I know a lot of the work from home right now is about how to survive but once the procedures are in place, ask if the conference is really needed.

And be kind to yourself – it’s ok to say no if someone wants you to do something and you just homeschooled your children and still have food to make.

One last thing – if your museums has gloves or cleaning products they aren’t using, can they be donated to hospitals or nursing homes?

And finally, many of us are working on creating online hacks, conferences and games (see #MuseumGames and look out for our #pubquiz coming soon!). If you would like to get involved, just let me know!

Stay safe, be safe and wash your hands!