Welcome to my first post reflecting on museum visits! I am starting with a fairly short post on the Toronto Zoo (my kid’s favorite “mooooooseum”).
Background
We have been to the zoo twice this year.
In January, we lucked out and got a free ticket to the Zoo through the Toronto Public Library’s Museum + Art Pass program (tpl:map). The cultural policy nerd in me wants know more about the origins and evolution of this program. Here is what I was able to find out with some internet sleuthing:
The Sun Life Financial Museum + Arts Pass program began in 2007 (TPL Annual Report 2010). A comment on a seven year old Reddit post claims the program was originally meant for lower income families then expanded to the population at large. Information on the program in the TPL 2011 Annual Report supports this assertion, stating Sun Life Financial’s support allows “families to borrow a pass and experience Toronto’s cultural treasures for free with their library card – especially in those neighbourhoods and communities where access to the arts and culture may be more limited” (10). Notably, the focus on particular communities and, therefore, the need to go to a branch in order to access the program no longer seems to exists as patrons can book passes online (since 2023).
I do not think tpl:map operated in the late 2010s. It is not mentioned in the TPL Annual Reports from the period and, in 2016, Sun Life Financial’s support shifted to a musical instrument lending program. Since 2019, tpl:map has operated with support from the Bennett Family Foundation.
Our second visit to the Zoo was, unfortunately, not free. However, we enjoyed the first visit so much that we bought a membership.
Visit Reflection
In our house, my toddler has declared the Toronto Zoo to be the best “moooseum.”
Personally, I am a little less convinced. Whenever I go to a museum with a living collection, I have a debate with myself about ethics. For now, I will continue to my kid’s favorite moooseum because ideas of conservation and animal welfare are seemingly the core of the Toronto Zoo’s work, which you can learn about here.
While I enjoy learning about the animals and conservation efforts at the Zoo, I do do not engage with the panels and information in the same way I do in a museum. As a result, I do not have a lot to say regarding the exhibits and information panels. That being said, it looks like there have been interesting collaborations and student involvement.
Instead of reading, my toddler and I spend our time observing the animals then talking to the Toronto Zoo’s amazing volunteers. They are so knowledgeable!!!!
Everytime I go to the Zoo, I am in awe of the number and quality of their volunteers. There are volunteers in most of the pavilions who are excited to share their knowledge and excitement about what we see. For example, during our January visit, a volunteer made sure to circulate and ensure people knew the sloth was on the move. I am so grateful for that experience. I had never seen a sloth in motion before!! Volunteers have answered questions, guided interactive activities, and helped us find out way when we’re lost.
This video does a great job at showing the volunteers’ enthusiasm:
If you’re interested in numbers and additional information on the volunteer program, the Zoo’s reports to the Board of Management are publicly available. Here is the 2021 volunteering and engagement report. Since I have yet to meet an unengaged volunteer and have had universally positive experiences, I find the scale of their program to be really impressive.
Questions
I want to know more about tpl:map! In particular, I am curious:
- How did the program start?
- Did the program operate from 2015 to 2018?
- How did the program target communities where access to arts and culture were more limited? Did different branches get a different number of passes?
- Why and how did the Bennett Family Foundation begin supporting the program?
I want to know more about the Toronto Zoo’s volunteer program.
- How do they keep so many volunteers so engaged?!
I am also reflecting on my experiences with volunteers. In many ways, the volunteers make our visits amazing. Without volunteers, I would never find my way out of one of the pavilions and I would know far less about gorillas.
- How, exactly, do volunteers make a museum experience either better or worse?
- What other institutions have great volunteer programs? Or, at least, programs that seem great from a visitor perspective?
Museoception 