Exhibit Labels: An Interpretive Approach

Beverly Serrell presents the reader with excellent guidelines on the process of exhibit label planning, writing, design, and production. One of the museum field’s leading consultants and label writers, Serrell’s 1996 edition of Exhibit Labels has been a standard in the field since its initial publication. This new edition not only provides expert guidance on the art of label writing for diverse audiences and explores the theoretical and interpretive considerations of placing labels within an exhibition, it also features all new case studies and photographs and thoughts about interpretation in digital media. Exhibit Labels: An Interpretive Approach is a vital reference tool for all museum professionals.

Table of Contents:
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

About the Author :
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.

Review :
Do museum visitors even read wall labels anymore? And if they do, how can writers make these short texts engaging and educational at once? Exhibit Labels: An Interpretive Approach takes an optimistic approach to answering these questions, positing that wall text can indeed be effective when well written and smartly designed. . . .Throughout, author Beverly Serrell shares her insights from nearly four decades of providing advice on exhibits for all manner of museums. It is not hard to see why this book has remained popular for almost twenty years. Though lengthy, the author practices what she preaches: text is succinct and relevant; conclusions are evidence-based and often thought-provoking. Following Serrell’s guidelines, museums are capable of creating a multimedia experience for visitors akin to an interactive documentary. Anyone needing to write interpretive labels for an exhibit obviously will find this book immensely valuable, but even educators not involved in museum work might find this an interesting look at other ways of presenting information in a visual, verbal, and engaging way. The museum world owes a great debt to Ms. Serrell for her disciplined, passionate advocacy of excellence in exhibit writing. . . .Serrell’s book will always have an honored place on my bookshelf. Like all technical manuals—and this is one of the best I’ve seen—it must be studied and digested, added to the internal toolkit, then forgotten in the joy of crafting sentences that sing, and in the deep satisfaction of finding the right word in the right place, for the right reasons. Serrell has published her finest work in this second edition of Exhibit Labels. Even the most casual reader will be impressed with: the comprehensive treatment of exhibit labels, the expansive inclusion of literature, and the excellent description of best practices in museum exhibition development. The first edition of Exhibit Labels is still considered the authority on designing labels; this new edition goes well beyond this accomplishment and will no doubt be considered far-and-away the best standard for exhibit label design. Any serious reader will find a plethora of primary source references to explore, an easy-to-read manual for exhibit label development, and an optimistic philosophy that includes the belief that visitors do read labels if they are well designed, and that labels do really make a difference for the visitor experience. Improving a classic seems a contradiction in terms, but Beverly Serrell has done it with this revised edition of Exhibit Labels. Her chapters on audience in particular are informed by the nearly two decades of visitor research published since the first version, providing robust support for her recommendations. And the new and varied case studies offer practical examples of how museums are creating and utilizing contemporary approaches such as multilingual labels and digital interpretive devices. This second edition of the long-standing museum classic, Exhibit Labels, is full of great new examples and insights, including more consideration of digital media. Beverly Serrell’s life-long career in museums, focused on improving the quality and experience of museum exhibitions, continues to inspire and enlighten. Previous edition praise: This book is not merely about choosing words to put on exhibit labels; it is about attracting, communicating, inspiring, and helping visitors get what they are seeking....Once you have read this book, it is impossible to ignore it. I find that Serrell's commentary comes to mind during all of my writing activities. One of the most notable qualities that gives the book its lingering nature is Serrell's personable voice throughout the text. . . .This is an important text for anyone who is involved with the creation of exhibitions.