Museum organisers do not want to "overwhelm the visitor with lots of text" when the Toitu Otago Settlers Museum reopens to the public after its $40 million redevelopment.
Museum director Linda Wigley said information would be provided about artefacts in the usual way, but efforts were being made to avoid overloading visitors with too much text-based material when the complex reopened on December 8.
There would be eight screen-equipped "people posts" and three "information stations" throughout the redeveloped complex, as well as the museum's archives section, and a research centre.
The interactive "people posts" will be about 1.8m high and will enable visitors to view minute-long film clips in which Otago people talk about their ancestors.
At a museum board meeting this week, museum community liaison officer Philippa Keaney outlined her work in recording the film clips, as part of the museum's "Our Voices" programme.
Ms Keaney has completed more than 100 interviews with members of groups, including the Otago Polish community.
And the filming had been undertaken in collaboration with Aoraki Polytechnic.
Board member Richard Thomson asked if a theatrette could be set up for visitors to watch historical films longer than the minute-long clips.
Ms Wigley said later this was a good idea and a screen could be made available in the research centre area.
