Chicago Historical Society earns award with Silver Oaks display

Silver Oaks Communications, Moline, has earned a national 2005 MUSE Award for developing an interactive touch-screen display for the Chicago Historical Society.

Silver Oaks and the Chicago Historical Society accepted the award May 2 at the MUSE Awards ceremonies in the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis.The award recognizes the “Clubs, Bedrooms, and Work” interactive kiosks in the “Interpretation and Education in History and Culture” category. The Media and Technology Committee, a standing professional committee of the American Association of Museums, announced the winners that include the White House Historical Association, the Smithsonian National Museum of American History and the Oregon Historical Society.

Silver Oaks designed, animated and programmed three interactive touch-screen interpretives for the Chicago Historical Society's “Teen Chicago” exhibit. The content explores the responsibilities and pastimes of generations of Chicago teenagers and provides glimpses of their working, school and home lives. Visitors can select a photo of a teenager or group of teenagers to match with the appropriate job, school club or bedroom. Once a match is made, a description highlighting the relationship appears. The display features 42-inch plasma screens with touch-screen overlays that interface with DVD players.

“We are proud that our staff has been recognized for developing interactive content for museums such as the Chicago Historical Society,” said Greg Scott, president of Silver Oaks.

“This is a simple, straightforward production (that is) informative with a good blend of images and text, giving a well-balanced picture of past and present, and different social strata,” judges said. “Varieties of topics were included, focusing on the personal and contemporary (bedrooms), as well as the broader social/historical context (jobs), and a glimpse into history of education (clubs). 'Clubs, Bedrooms, and Work' deserves special recognition as a program dedicated to teen audiences in a very direct way — a claim that few museum programs can make.”

“This program builds a sense of community with viewers and trust with an age group that might be skeptical of 'traditional' educational directives,” the judges said. “The content was oriented toward and has most meaning for users, and thus functions as a model for builders of sites on local or micro-historical material.”

Silver Oaks, in its 22nd year of business in the communications industry, is nationally recognized for creativity and technical excellence in print, video, interactive media and Web services.