Top 10 posts of 2008

I’m a sucker for year-end wrap-ups. Sometimes roundup lists serve as shortcuts, helping us plan for the year ahead. For example, I’ll browse through the New York Times “Top 10 Books of 2008” for ideas on what to read in 2009. Other times the summaries provide a way to reflect on the critical events of the past 12 months. Time magazine’s “The Top 10 Everything of 2008” might fit this bill with its review of museum exhibits, medical breakthroughs, and campaign video moments. I’m sure you have your favorite lists—the most influential people, best songs, top sports moments, most exciting emerging technologies, key world events, etc.

What many of these lists have in common is an expert who has taken the time to review a large pool of contenders and culled together the best, worst, and most interesting for you. Well, this list is different. To come up with the top ten “O Say Can You See?” blog posts of 2008 I relied on you, our readers, to tell me what should make the cut. Since the blog’s launch in July of this year, the museum’s team of bloggers has been busy publishing more than 60 posts. The ten most-read posts were:

 1. A real national treasure?
 2. The unexpected impact of opening weekend
 3. A picture within a picture
 4. Photo gallery: Closing in on our reopening
 5. Sneak peek at the new Star-Spangled Banner gallery
 6. The return of the ruby slippers
 7. The famous flying elephant
 8. The First Ladies at the Smithsonian: more than dresses
 9. Wag more, bark less
10. Now we’re really rolling

What do you think about this list? Do you have a favorite post that didn’t make the cut? The feedback we’ve received from our readers this year has been both encouraging and helpful in shaping what we cover and how. We hope that in 2009 you will continue to comment on the blog and spread the word to your friends.

Why not get started now? Leave a comment with your suggestions on topics you’d like to see covered on the blog in the future. What artifact, era, historical character, or behind-the-scenes museum topic are you most interested in hearing about?

Dana Allen-Greil is the new media project manager at the National Museum of American History.