Computer History Museum

CHM DECODES TECHNOLOGY - ITS COMPUTING PAST, DIGITAL PRESENT, AND FUTURE IMPACT ON HUMANITY.

COLLECTIONS AND RESEARCH - SEE SCHEDULE OCOLLECTIONS AND RESEARCH:CHM STEWARDS THE WORLD'S FOREMOST COLLECTION OF COMPUTING ARTIFACTS AND ORAL HISTORIES TO GENERATE PROFOUND INSIGHTS GROUNDED IN HISTORY. WE ADVANCE KNOWLEDGE AND THE EXCHANGE OF IDEAS THROUGH FOCUSED RESEARCH AND SCHOLARSHIP.CHM'S COMPREHENSIVE COLLECTION OF OVER A MILLION ARTIFACTS, DOCUMENTS, PHOTOGRAPHS, MOVING IMAGES, DIGITAL OBJECTS, AND ORAL HISTORIES LIES AT THE HEART OF EVERYTHING WE DO. THE COLLECTION COVERS A VAST ARRAY OF ICONIC COMPUTERS AND COMPANIES, FROM AN APPLE-1 COMPUTER TO THE LATEST TRILLION-TRANSISTOR AI COMPUTER-ON-A-CHIP. THE MUSEUM'S INVALUABLE COLLECTION OF 1,100 ORAL HISTORIES AND ARCHIVAL COLLECTIONS BRING CRITICAL HISTORIES AND PERSONAL STORIES TO LIGHT.AT THE CORE OF CHM'S PRESERVATION AND ACCESS EFFORTS IS THE SHUSTEK RESEARCH ARCHIVES, THE MUSEUM'S 25,000-SQUARE-FOOT RESEARCH AND STORAGE FACILITY. ESTABLISHED IN 2015 AND NAMED FOR MUSEUM FOUNDER LEN SHUSTEK, THE SHUSTEK RESEARCH ARCHIVES HOUSES THE MUSEUM'S ACQUISITIONS, ARCHIVAL COLLECTIONS, SOFTWARE PRESERVATION, AND RESEARCH OPERATIONS. THE FACILITY PROMOTES ACCESS TO AND PRESERVATION OF CHM'S WORLD-CLASS COLLECTIONS WITH ACQUISITIONS RECEIVING, DIGITIZATION WORKSTATIONS, AND STUDY SPACE FOR VISITING SCHOLARS. THE SHUSTEK RESEARCH ARCHIVES NORMALLY RECEIVES VISITS FROM RESEARCHERS BUT WAS CLOSED DURING MOST OF THE YEAR DUE TO THE PANDEMIC. HOWEVER, ITS ARCHIVAL STAFF FULFILLED APPROXIMATELY 400 ANNUAL RESEARCH AND COLLECTION QUERIES.CHM'S CENTERS OF EXPERTISE ADVANCE UNDERSTANDING OF TECHNOLOGY THROUGH RESEARCH, PUBLISHING, AND PROGRAMMING EFFORTS THAT BUILD COMMUNITY, DISSEMINATE KNOWLEDGE, AND OFFER UNIQUE INSIGHTS. CHM'S CENTERS AMPLIFY EXISTING WORK AND PROVIDE NEW LENSES INTO TECHNOLOGY THAT CONNECT THE DOTS FROM THE PAST WITH A VISION OF THE FUTURE. CHM'S EXPONENTIAL CENTER IS DEDICATED TO CAPTURING THE LEGACY AND ADVANCING THE FUTURE OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND INNOVATION, AND ITS SOFTWARE HISTORY CENTER IS DEDICATED TO INTERPRETING THE TRANSFORMATIONAL EFFECTS OF SOFTWARE ON THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE. BOTH WERE ESTABLISHED IN 2016.

EXHIBITIONS - SEE SCHEDULE OEXHIBITIONS:THROUGH COMPREHENSIVE AND TIMELY EXHIBITS, INTERACTIVE LEARNING EXPERIENCES, DYNAMIC PROGRAMMING, THOUGHT-PROVOKING PUBLICATIONS, AND ORIGINAL MEDIA PRODUCTIONS, CHM FACILITATES LEARNING AND ENCOURAGES PERSONAL CONNECTIONS WITH THE HISTORY OF COMPUTING AND THE POSSIBILITIES OF TECHNOLOGY.THE MUSEUM HAS MORE THAN 40,000 SQUARE FEET OF EXHIBIT HALLS DESIGNED TO ENGAGE, EDUCATE, AND ENTERTAIN THE GENERAL PUBLIC. SIGNATURE EXHIBITS INCLUDE REVOLUTION: THE FIRST 2000 YEARS OF COMPUTING AND MAKE SOFTWARE: CHANGE THE WORLD. ADDITIONALLY, GUESTS EXPERIENCED A NEW TEMPORARY EXHIBIT SPACE, "THE STUDIO," WHICH FEATURES HISTORIC AND PRESENT-DAY ARTIFACTS AND EXPERIENCES AT THE INTERSECTION OF CREATIVITY AND TECHNOLOGY. FINALLY, VISITORS ENJOYED THE RESTORATIONS OF HISTORIC MACHINES IN ACTION IN THE IBM 1401 AND PDP-1 DEMO LABS.DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, THE MUSEUM CLOSED ITS DOORS FOR MOST OF THE FISCAL YEAR TO ALL ON-SITE ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS FOR THE SAFETY OF ITS GUESTS, STAFF, AND VOLUNTEERS. THE MUSEUM RE-OPENED IN FEBRUARY 2022 (INITIALLY ON WEEKENDS THROUGH MAY 2022) AND REMAINED OPEN THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE FISCAL YEAR. DURING THE MONTHS CHM WAS OPEN, ABOUT 17,000 VISITORS CAME TO THE MUSEUM, COMPARED TO THE 130,000 WHO WOULD VISIT ANNUALLY PRE-COVID. WHILE THE MUSEUM REMAINED CLOSED, CHM'S ONGOING GOAL OF ENGAGING WITH AUDIENCES BEYOND ITS WALLS WAS ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH A RICH SERIES OF EDITORIAL AND PUBLISHING ENDEAVORS THAT REACHED GLOBAL AUDIENCES. THE CHM WEBSITE, THE DIGITAL PORTAL TO ITS EXHIBITS, BLOGS, TIMELINES, EVENTS, AND MORE RECEIVED VISITS FROM PEOPLE IN MORE THAN 200 COUNTRIES AND TERRITORIES WORLDWIDE, WITH APPROXIMATELY 7 MILLION PAGE VIEWS IN FISCAL 2022. THE SITE HAS HAD MORE THAN 111 MILLION VIEWS SINCE ITS INCEPTION.CHM'S DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION AND SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS INCLUDED 167,000 FOLLOWERS FROM FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM, LINKEDIN, AND MEDIUM. THE CHM YOUTUBE CHANNEL, WHICH RECEIVED 3.4 MILLION ANNUAL VIEWS FOR ITS 1,656 PUBLISHED VIDEOS, HAS NOW GROWN TO APPROXIMATELY 125,000 SUBSCRIBERS AND 18 MILLION VIEWS SINCE IT DEBUTED IN 2007. THE INSTITUTION'S SUITE OF PUBLISHING PLATFORMS INCLUDES THE CHM BLOG, WHICH HAD MORE THAN 325,000 VIEWS IN FISCAL 2022, AND ITS DIGITAL MEDIUM AND CORE+ PLATFORMS. SINCE BEING INTRODUCED IN 2017, THESE TWO FORUMS HAVE PUBLISHED 100 STORIES AND HAVE 7,000 REGULAR FOLLOWERS. ALONG WITH THE MUSEUM'S SIGNATURE PUBLICATION CORE MAGAZINE, THESE EDITORIAL FORUMS PUBLISH THOUGHT PIECES, RESEARCH ESSAYS, AND ARTICLES ON COMPUTING HISTORY BY CHM'S COMMUNITY OF CURATORS, JOURNALISTS, AND ACADEMICS. PUBLISHED ON ISSUU, THE PAST SEVEN CORE MAGAZINES HAVE BEEN READ BY MORE THAN 70,000 PEOPLE.

PUBLIC PROGRAMMING - SEE SCHEDULE OPUBLIC PROGRAMMING:CHM CONVENES DIALOGUE AND STIMULATES DEBATE THROUGH PUBLIC AND COMMUNITY PROGRAMMING TO ENCOURAGE CIVIC DISCOURSE ABOUT CRITICAL ISSUES AND TO INSPIRE THE NEXT GENERATION OF CREATORS AND INNOVATORS.LIVE PROGRAMMING AND PUBLIC EVENTS CONVENE TODAY'S THOUGHT LEADERS, ENTREPRENEURS, HISTORIANS, SCHOLARS, AUTHORS, COMPANY FOUNDERS, AND JOURNALISTS FROM A WIDE VARIETY OF FIELDS AND DISCIPLINES. CHM'S LIVE PROGRAMMING SERIES CONNECTS ITS COMMUNITY WITH DIVERSE VIEWPOINTS AND UNIQUE PERSPECTIVES AT THE INTERSECTION OF TECHNOLOGY AND HUMANITY. IN FISCAL 2022, CHM PRODUCED 22 HYBRID EVENTS WITH 9,657 ATTENDEES. NOTABLE PROGRAMS INCLUDED "EDUCATING THE PLANET WITH SOCIAL ENTREPRENEUR SAL KHAN; EVENTS FOCUSING ON INCLUSION, DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND ACCESS (IDEA), INCLUDING A FORUM FOR BAY AREA MUSEUM PROFESSIONALS ON DRIVING SOCIAL CHANGE AND "REVEALING LOST WOMAN OF SCIENCE KLARI DAN VON NEUMANN; "BUILDING GREAT THINGS" WITH INNOVATOR AND ENTREPRENEUR TONY FADELL; A SPECIAL SCREENING AND PANEL DISCUSSION OF THE DOCUMENTARY SPRINGBOARD; "THE POWER LAW OF VENTURE CAPITAL" WITH NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR SEBASTIAN MALLABY AND LEADING VENTURE CAPITALISTS ROELOF BOTHA AND AILEEN LEE; AND "AI 2041" WITH LEADING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE EXPERT KAI-FU LEE. THE 2022 PROGRAMMING CALENDAR ALSO HONORED CHM FELLOW AWARD RECIPIENTS ANDY VAN DAM AND LILLIAN SCHWARTZ THROUGH AN INTERACTIVE DIGITAL PLATFORM ACCESSIBLE BY A GLOBAL AUDIENCE.IN FY22, THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC DID NOT ALLOW THE MUSEUM TO HOLD ITS ON-SITE PROGRAMS FOR SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY GROUPS, INCLUDING FIELD TRIP DAYS FOR STUDENTS FROM TITLE I SCHOOLS AND K-12 WORKSHOPS. WITH THE DOORS CLOSED, CHM SUPPORTED A SUITE OF VIRTUAL EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AND RESOURCES TO MEET THE NEEDS OF LEARNERS OF ALL AGES. THESE INCLUDED: #MYCHMEXHIBIT CHALLENGE WHERE YOUTH PARTICIPANTS CAN CREATE THEIR VERY OWN EXHIBIT AT HOME. INSTRUCTION, ADVICE, AND RESOURCES ARE MADE AVAILABLE TO LET PARTICIPANTS LEARN TO BE CURATORS, REGISTRARS, EXPERIENCE DESIGNERS, AND FILMMAKERS. "REVOLUTION: VIRTUAL SCAVENGER HUNT" ENGAGES A TARGET AUDIENCE OF STUDENTS IN GRADES 6 THROUGH 12 ON A VIRTUAL EDUCATIONAL JOURNEY THROUGH THE MUSEUM'S SIGNATURE REVOLUTION EXHIBIT; AND "RESOURCES ON INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP" SERVES COLLEGE AND ADULT AUDIENCES WITH UNIQUE CURRICULA ON TOPICS SUCH AS INNOVATION, ENTREPRENEURSHIP, AND THE SILICON VALLEY ECOSYSTEM MODEL. IN LATE 2021, CHM ALSO LAUNCHED "THE GREAT TECH STORY, THE WORLD IN MINECRAFT: EDUCATION EDITION". "THE GREAT TECH STORY" INSPIRES STUDENTS AGES 8-18 AS THEY EXPLORE THE AMAZING STORY OF COMPUTING HISTORY AND INVITES THEM TO INTERACT WITH TECH PEOPLE AND IDEAS THAT ARE CHANGING THE WORLD TODAY. "THE GREAT TECH STORY" WAS PLAYED FOR MORE THAN 83,000 HOURS IN MORE THAN 235,000 UNIQUE SESSIONS IN FY22. THE GAME HAS REACHED PLAYERS AROUND THE WORLD, INCLUDING AUSTRALIA, NORWAY, CANADA, AND THE UK. IN ADDITION, CHM HOSTED THREE WEBINARS TO ORIENT EDUCATORS TO "THE GREAT TECH STORY". EACH WEBINAR WAS RECORDED TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO FUTURE VIEWERS.