Exhibit Labels

Since 1979, Beverly Serrell has been an exhibit and evaluation consultant with art, history, natural history, and science museums, as well as zoos and aquariums. Before then, she was head of a museum education department for eight years, and had shorter stints as a high school science teacher and a research lab technician. Serrell holds an MA in science teaching in informal settings and a BS in biology. In 1995, she was a guest scholar at The J. Paul Getty Museum and has received two National Science Foundation grants to conduct research on visitor behavior in museum exhibitions. She has been a frequent museum visitor all her life.

Preface
Introduction
Part 1: Overview
1. Behind It All: The Big Idea
2. What are Interpretive Labels?
3. Types of Labels in Exhibitions

Part 2: Considering the Audience
4. Who is the Audience (and What Do They Want)?
5. Audience Fragmentation
6. Selecting the Right Reading Level
7. The Number of Words
8. Multilingual Labels
9. Writing Visitor-Friendly Labels

Chapter 10. The Label’s Voice: Who is Talking to Me?

Part 3: Exhancing the Visitor Experience
11.Hierarchies
12. Modalities
13. Making Words and Images Work Together
14. Labels That Ask Questions
15. Labels for Interactive Exhibits
16. Digital Interpretive Devices

Part 4: Tasks
17. Getting Started (and Getting It Done)
18. Evaluation During Development
19. Typographic Design
20. Production and Fabrication
21. Evaluation After Opening

Part 5: Conclusions
22. Findings from Research and Evaluation

Bibliography
Figure Credits
Index
About the Author