The idea of “object stories” has gained prominence in the museum world. It is thus important not only to explore its potential and applicability to HSTM museums, but also to discuss its relevance to curators, archivists, and historians of science working in other collections-based settings. While there seems to be a tacit consensus around the belief that storytelling can unlock museum collections, this idea raises several questions that become even more challenging when extended to the wider collecting ecosystem. How are the growth, development, and management of collections affected by an emphasis on object stories? What does it mean to tell stories with museum objects, and how does it differ from the narratives one can construct with rare books or archival documents? Are there new technologies or interpretative tools that have proven useful with one set of objects that could be applicable in other contexts? How does social media fit into efforts to construct narratives using objects? Ultimately, how does collections-based storytelling relate to history as an intellectual endeavor, and how can it promote public engagement with our field? This is the first of two roundtables devoted to exploring these issues. This first part will focus specifically on the experiences of historians and curators engaged in new and creative approaches toward exhibit design.
