Volunteer-driven museums face significant headwinds as the result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Saying that historical societies, art collectives, and historic house museums have suffered enormous losses in the last eighteen months doesn’t begin to adequately capture the impact. Those that rely on docents and volunteers for program design and delivery, operations, and governance have felt especially challenged, as national headlines proclaim imminent closures across the arts and culture space. So what happens to the smallest museums, whose existence barely breaks a five-figure overall budget? 

Take for example the Robbins Museum of Archaeology in Middleborough, Massachusetts. Run by the statewide preservation and education nonprofit Massachusetts Archaeological Society, the Robbins faced significant pressures before pandemic: a rural location, rapidly declining membership and revenue streams, and an aging, overstretched board. With a specialty focus on the history of the Commonwealth and the STEM fields that inform archaeology, the Robbins’ exhibits and collections, along with its outreach programming, have stayed safely within an established formula for nearly thirty years: interpreting the themes and theories that dominate research journals and textbooks. 

Aside from tours, hosting guest scientists and historians for lengthy, in-person evening lectures was the mainstay of the programming calendar with many of the professional board members taking turns to fill the annual roster. Free lectures attracted small groups of local, amateur archaeologists, mostly long-time members willing to buy a few books in the gift shop to support the museum. Showcasing current research supported the Robbins for decades…until pandemic. 

Lockdown and quarantine closures severed all but the strongest ties to the Robbins’ community. Well-timed, emergency funding from the Massachusetts Cultural Council and Mass Humanities kept the basic functions going. But, public discourse about history and meaning, marginalized communities, racism, sexism, colonialism, and gender bias called into question tried-and-true outreach offerings. Staying “safe” didn’t seem to have enough gravitational pull to attract the existing speaker series audience under the circumstances. 

Taking up the task of developing new programs, we wondered: What if we did the opposite? 

As video conferencing exploded and ease with virtual platforms increased, the moment felt right for shifting this traditional museum into a tech-enabled and decolonizing mindset. At the urging of a senior colleague, Dr. Margaret Conkey, Professor of Anthropology at UC Berkeley, the Robbins and its partner, the Robert S. Peabody Institute of Archaeology in Andover, Massachusetts, set out to create an organizational experiment designed to adapt to novel forms of outreach and to forge connections with scholars and audiences considering difficult subjects. The Diggin’ In series emerged.   

Pandemic Adaptations. 

Reeling from the onset of the pandemic alongside the wrenching murders and attacks on people of color, we wondered what our immediate audience—and those we wanted to reach—would be willing to try. Adapting to the pandemic pace and need for mental respite necessitated a change in format toward energized, informative, and (most of all) short. We threw out hour-long, monthly lectures in the evening. Instead, Diggin’ In ran as a thirty-minute episode every two weeks during the afternoon, when people on lunch break might be looking for a bit of productive disruption. 

Respect for the time of our speakers was another important factor when planning Diggin’ In. We encouraged repurposing short-format conference talks. And, with no budget for honoraria, a thirty-minute window meant that participating would be less burdensome for our guests, who were already juggling professional and personal responsibilities.

Developing the roster was also part of the adaptive process for the museum. Video platforms meant speakers could come from anywhere, enlarging our options. Mustering from professional contacts and several referrals to start, Diggin’ In Season 1 launched in June 2020 with ten episodes, surveying everything from new theories on Paleolithic cave painting to building a decolonizing, community research project in Madagascar. 

From there, cold emails and a review of journals and social media from museum, archaeology, history, and social science fields generated new prospects across the United States. These leading-edge researchers and practitioners were invited to share work grounded in diversity and equity. 

Instead of formalizing yet another authoritative podium from which knowledge is disseminated, the Museum pivoted toward a warm and welcoming atmosphere for the speakers and attendees, who registered for a single event or the entire series. The audience interacted through the chat and raise-hand functions, while broadcasting in listen-only mode helped to avoid “Zoombombing.” As hosts, we observed kids and family groups (and the occasional family pet) gathering around the computer to listen to guest speakers, who were encouraged to engage all ages. 

Some scholars themselves became subscribers, cross-promoting the Robbins and Diggin’ In to larger professional and personal networks. Over two seasons, this mutual-aid effort significantly grew our reach to 3,000 live and streaming engagements and doubled our email marketing list to include regional, national, and international participants. For a museum that measured fewer than 800 visitors in a good year, this was a significant change in visibility and brand awareness. 

This proximity was important to speakers and guests alike. The cozy atmosphere was reflected in one speaker’s post-event communication. Dr. Kristina Douglass, assistant professor of Anthropology at Penn State University, noted how Diggin’ In provided her with a welcome outlet for research:

“I enjoyed the chance to share my work in Madagascar in a way that felt like sitting in a living room with a group of friends. In this kind of friendly and informal setting you can really communicate what is most important about the work you do. You are not there to put on a show or try to impress, you are just there to share.”

Building Connections.

Unfortunately, it isn’t a surprise to say that research fields and museum teams reflect a similar pattern: a professional corps that is overwhelmingly white. And, if you have any sense of either academic or applied archaeology, it is obvious that the field is overwhelmingly white and male. 

Not all of us look like Indiana Jones.

With the creation of the Diggin’ In speaker series, we consciously sought to counteract aspects of gender and racial bias prevalent in the field. Given the limited opportunities for emerging professionals to share their research on a broad scale, we wanted our program to be a platform that magnified their emerging expertise, while highlighting a few luminaries in the field, such as Dr. Whitney Battle-Baptiste, assistant professor of Anthropology at UMass Amherst, to expand the reach of our program. This also complemented our goal of placing archaeology in new spaces and with new audiences. 

Scholars and educators lament the fact that few of us are introduced to more than traditional political or military histories, limiting exposure to people, places, or topics outside this norm. When inviting speakers, we intentionally sought experts with very different lived experiences or scholarly perspectives on research and practice. Such distinctive pedagogical foundations ensured that each season presented a variety of topics—some controversial or difficult to discuss—in order to make connections with a diverse audience, giving archaeology, history, and science greater relevance to everyday lives.

The result? New connections built beyond the boundaries of our small museum. The Board of Trustees has noted a measurable uptick in new memberships, along with an increase in donations and online bookstore sales. Requests from scholars to speak and from attendees to subscribe have poured in, exceeding our capacity to write individual acknowledgements to each new Diggin’ In registrant from Japan to Denmark. Most satisfying is the positive feedback from these attendees. After a presentation by Dr. Kyera Singleton, Executive Director of the Royall House & Slave Quarters Museum, one participant, David Kirk, noted that the lecture was:  

“Right where I wanted to be. Dr. Singleton told the history and impact thoroughly and knowingly. So much more to learn and know about colonization and slavery. In the north and elsewhere. And archaeology supports credibly the documentation. All helpful and supporting a better understanding. Thank you very much!”  

Diggin’ In Deeper.

The Diggin’ In series has proved to be a lifeline for the Robbins Museum during the pandemic. Not only was it a pivot, it looks to become a staple of our outreach programming as we move toward producing two more seasons during 2021 and early 2022. Expected topics include queer archaeology and a discussion of the proposal in the May 2021 issue of Nature for an African American Graves Protection and Repatriation (AAGPRA) Act as an essential corollary to the federal Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation (NAGPRA) Act. 

Embracing new platforms and bold ideas wasn’t just a strategy for survival at this moment. It is becoming the foundation of a new approach to meeting our mission and expanding our reach even with our organizational limitations and specialty focus. Consistent delivery, a time-limited and approachable format, and the chance to get up close with emerging and established experts across fields has upended the traditional formulas and rebalanced the equation for one small museum leaning into big ideas.