San Diego Author Stephanie Weaver Publishes First How-To Book Creating Great Visitor Experiences: A Guide for Museums, Parks, Zoos, Gardens, and Libraries

San Diego, CA – April 26, 2007 - Stephanie Weaver (http://www.experienceology.com), a consultant to commercial and non-profit organizations on the design and flow of the overall customer experience, and creator of the concept EXPERIENCEology™, announced today the publication of her first book Creating Great Visitor Experiences: A Guide for Museums, Parks, Zoos, Gardens, and Libraries. Designed for museum and library managers as well as staff members, this how-to book itemizes the many aspects of a visitor’s experience and helps readers see their venue through fresh eyes. “Museums, libraries, parks and other cultural institutions today face the daunting task of attracting visitors who have almost limitless choices for education and enjoyment,” stated Weaver. “Facilities need to evaluate what gets visitors through their doors and keeps them coming back,” Weaver added.

Using narratives, real-life examples, and statistics, Weaver provides an eight-step process – beginning with an invitation and ending with a finale - to evaluate how visitors view a site. Exercises are provided for each chapter so the institution can put this self-examination into practice and find new ways of attracting and retaining visitors. “Museums and small businesses striving for excellence on limited resources can rarely afford a consultant to work with them on refining their visitor experience. I created this book so that museum or business managers can break down each step of a customer’s visit and see where their experience can be improved, “Weaver added. For an example of the publication, download a chapter here http://www.experienceology.com/resourcebookshelf.htm.

Weaver applies over 20 years of writing experience in both the healthcare and museum fields to distilling complex content into easy-to-use chunks, putting theory or research into useful practice. The book incorporates research in museum studies, consumer psychology, hospitality, branding, leisure studies, economics and retail anthropology. “I envision it as a go-to handbook on the shelf of museum, zoo, or garden managers, heritage tourism site officers, park service staffers, and librarians, as well as finding a place in university curriculum,” Weaver added.

According to Marjorie Schwarzer, Museum Studies Chair at John F. Kennedy University, San Francisco, “Building on years of experience in the field as well as cutting-edge economic and customer research, Stephanie Weaver has crafted a practical, friendly process to help institutions improve their visitors' experiences. This book is valuable for training emerging professionals and students on the importance of the visitor experience.” Schwarzer added, “Every public service professional who cares about doing a better job should keep a copy of this book handy.”

Creating Great Visitor Experiences: A Guide for Museums, Parks, Zoos, Gardens, and Libraries by Stephanie Weaver (April 2007) is priced at US $29.95 (paperback), US $65.00 (cloth) and can be ordered by visiting Left Coast Press website at http://www.lcoastpress.com/book.php?id=88. ISBN: 978-1-59874-169-8 (p), 978-1-59874-168-1 ©, publication date: 2007. Weaver is scheduled to formally announce the books’ publication at the American Association of Museum’s annual meeting and MuseumExpo in Chicago, May 14. Visit http://www.aam-us.org/am07 for details.

About Stephanie Weaver

Stephanie Weaver has been creating experiences in healthcare, museums, and related fields for over 20 years. She holds professional degrees in film and design and health education. Weaver coined and trademarked the term EXPERIENCEology to describe her process, which includes art, science, and common sense. Weaver is currently part of a team designing the largest ever exhibition of the Dead Sea Scrolls at the San Diego Natural History Museum, due to open June 29, 2007. Visit http://www.sdnhm.org/scrolls/ for details.

For more information on Stephanie Weaver, her clients and philosophy, visit http://www.experienceology.com.

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