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SUMMERSIDE, P.E.I. – May 18 is International Museum Day and will be celebrated by museums throughout the world, including Culture Summerside.

The theme of this year’s Museum Day is “Hyperconnected museums: New approaches, new publics.”

In 2001 the word hyperconnectivity was invented to define the multiple means of communication that is now accessible and which will no doubt continue to grow with ever-changing technology.

Museums have long been connectors of their local communities, their cultural landscape, and their natural environment. Hyperconnectivity is allowing them to reach new audiences, be it through digitalization of collections, multimedia elements in exhibits, newspaper articles, or ghost walks, etc. Museums are also making more efforts to reach out to different community groups and find ways to become relevant to them. This means finding new ways to interpret and present their collections.

Culture Summerside, which oversees the City of Summerside’s three museums, archives, and Lefurgey Cultural Centre is taking part in International Museums Day which last year saw over 36,000 museums from 157 countries and territories participate.

Museums, as keepers of community and national heritage, play a vital role in Canadian culture. Culture Summerside, on Museum Day, plans to explore the use of technology in helping people feel at home in museum settings. Culture Summerside through the Journal Pioneer, as well as social media platforms is reaching out to interact with a wider audience.

The “Mystery Items” exhibit is being carried in the Journal and on Culture Summerside’s Facebook page. Culture Summerside museum staff is seeking feedback from the public in helping solve the mystery around a number of artifacts in the collections. The two main questions staff wish answered about the artifacts are, what are they and what their uses are. From there they can begin the more extensive research process around cataloging and displaying the artifacts.

Myster Item B – These heavy metal tools were found with wrenches and large screws.

Jean MacKay and Jessica Noonan are hoping a number of detectives will put on their investigative hats and help them reveal the sought-after answers. Anyone having information on these items, is asked to contact Jean at the MacNaught History Centre & Archives, 902-432-1332 or Jessica through the Culture Summerside Facebook page.

Mystery Item C – This metal object looks as if it was attached to something with adhesive at one point.

A small exhibit of artifacts, that are not often put on public display in the museums sites, will also be placed on Instagram for people’s enjoyment.

Items to be identified

This is what Culture Summerside museum staff know about the items in the pictures:

A – This ceramic flask has an odd shape. It is quite large and curves significantly.

B – These heavy metal tools were found with wrenches and large screws.

C – This metal object looks as if it was attached to something with adhesive at one point.

This “Mystery Item” D is a lantern, but the precise use of it is unknown. The bottom pole has wear which suggests it was often removed from a fitting.

D – While we know this is a lantern, the precise use of it is currently unknown. The bottom pole has wear which suggests it was often removed from a fitting.

Mystery Item E – This light metal object’s head is the size of a penny. The head has “S Co” embossed onto it.

E – This light metal object’s head is the size of a penny. The head has “S Co” embossed onto it.