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Interpretation is about helping visitors connect with a site’s history, resources, and stories. To do this effectively, interpreters must offer multiple points of view and use different techniques so that visitors can form their own meaningful connections. There isn’t one “best” way to interpret. What matters is choosing techniques that match the theme, the goals, and the audience.
Being a successful interpreter is like being bilingual. You need to speak two languages fluently, the language of the resource and the language of the audience. Resources do not speak for themselves. Your knowledge of the history, context, and significance of the site is what allows visitors to understand and connect with it.
Know Your Resource
Know Your Resource
To tell a complete and accurate story, interpreters must know their resources well and recognize multiple perspectives. For example, a historical battle is not only a victory but can also represent loss, tragedy, or moral complexity. Presenting only one perspective limits how visitors experience and understand the site.
Ways to build knowledge of the resource:
Immerse yourself in the site and its history.
Read a wide variety of written materials about the site.
Talk to experts.
When using your knowledge:
Avoid exaggerating or pushing your personal viewpoint.
Don’t just recite “safe” facts.
Include stories of human values, conflict, tragedy, and achievement.
Know Your Audience
Know Your Audience
Knowing your audience is just as important as knowing the site. Understanding why people visit and what they hope to gain allows you to create meaningful experiences. This helps you:
Meet the needs of visitors.
Encourage engaging and enjoyable experiences.
Know when to let visitors explore on their own.
Help visitors discover the relevance and significance of the site.
Interpretation is about connecting tangible resources, like objects, sculptures, or architecture, to the ideas, emotions, and lessons they represent. Simply saying a resource is important isn’t enough. Using techniques like storytelling, asking questions, or making comparisons gives visitors opportunities to form their own personal connections. This can motivate them to care about and even protect the resources.
Choosing Techniques
Choosing Techniques
An interpretive technique is a skill that helps link a site’s physical resources to the meanings they represent.
Examples include:
Telling a story
Asking a thought-provoking question
Using an analogy or comparison
When choosing a technique, make sure it fits:
The resource (is it appropriate for the story or artifact?)
The audience (will it engage them?)
The interpreter (are you comfortable using it effectively?)
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