A year ago the American Association of Museums Museum News carried an article by James Chung and Tara May, “X Tended Family: Attracting the Post-Boomer Audience.” (Nov/Dec 2005) Their conclusion was: The desire to fortify families and community life isnt necessarily new or unique to Generation X. But what does differentiate Xer parents from the previous generation is their willingness to make more aggressive tradeoffs for family. & Museums have a unique opportunity to increase their share of that time by delivering an experience that connects families through intellectual and personal enlightenment.

In what ways have you and your museums changed your programming to accommodate Generation X-led families?

Are the times truly a-changing? One of the things I’ve noticed traveling the length and breadth of the State of Minnesota is a subtle shift in how the public uses local historical organizations. Many of you have noted not many visitors come to see exhibits any more. When people come it is for a personal reason such as genealogy, house histories, or civic programs. The shift is really telling at new buildings where the exhibit space is quite modest and the research library more robust.

What have you noticed in your visitors? Are they truly shifting their interests away from exhibits and objects? Is this a trend or a fad?