The Smithsonian Commons will do more than enable new discoveries. It will make possible whole new fields of discovery.

Tom Scheinfeldt, Center for History and New Media

Commons Prototype Playlist

Museum Visitor

Smithsonian museums are visited 30 million times a year. This story shows how the Smithsonian Commons helps people plan their Smithsonian visits and connect with the Institution and its mission, over time.

Play (alt formats: QuickTime | YouTube | Flickr | text )

Story #2: Teacher

Teacher

This story shows how the Smithsonian Commons makes it easy for a 4th grade teacher to include content from across the Smithsonian in her classroom instruction.

Play (alt formats: QuickTime | YouTube | Flickr | text )

Story #3: Millennial

Millennial

This story shows how the Smithsonian Commons helps our content flow through the Internet, where it can be used and re-used on the sites that people visit every day.

Play (alt formats: QuickTime | YouTube | Flickr | text )

Story #4: Enthusiast / Citizen Scientist

Enthusiast / Citizen Scientist

This story shows how the Smithsonian Commons helps our content flow through the Internet, where it can be used and re-used on the sites that people visit every day.

Play (alt formats: QuickTime | YouTube | Flickr | text )

The Smithsonian Commons Prototype

Four video stories exploring the impact and benefits of a Smithsonian Commons

In July, 2009 we completed a Smithsonian Web and New Media Strategy that describes an updated digital experience, a new learning model that helps people with their "lifelong learning journeys," and the creation of a Smithsonian Commons, a new part of our digital presence dedicated to stimulating learning, creation, and innovation through open access to Smithsonian research, collections and communities. The Smithsonian Commons will, in many ways, be the platform through which we accomplish the Four Grand Challenges articulated in the Smithsonian Institution Strategic Plan.

The purpose of this prototype is to help the Smithsonian community understand and discuss the attributes and benefits of the Smithsonian Commons in terms of its impact on real users.

What people are saying about the Smithsonian Commons

This project is an amazing example of the true capabilities of the web.
Vanessa Fox
O'Reilly Radar blog

Read more comments...

Vote, Comment, Discuss

Thank you to the over 1,200 people who gave us feedback on the Smithsonian Commons concept. A summary and listing of the responses we've received is on our wiki.

Do you like the Smithsonian Commons concept?

~~Simple vote and comment form~~ (comments are closed but results are on the wiki)
Dive in to the messy but deep Smithsonian Web and New Media Strategy wiki
Twitter ("Smithsonian Commons") hashtag
Send e-mail to edsonm [at] si.edu

Alternative Formats

Flickr. (See the Flickr captions and set descriptions for notes and narration.)
YouTube
Script (text only)
Quicktime download: Story 1, Story 2, Story 3, Story 4

Credits

Credits for non-Smithsonian resources used in this prototype are on the wiki. We're grateful to, and inspired by, the photographers, bloggers, thinkers, and doers who use and share Smithsonian resources.