| Early Bird Discounts Available for Full Length Courses An Early Bird Discount will be available for anyone who signs up for a full length course from museumclasses.org 30 days prior to the start of that course. Sign up for a full length course up to 30 days prior to its start and pay only $399.00! For our course list or to sign up: http://www.collectioncare.org/course-list To take advantage of this discount, you must enter coupon code EARLYBIRD at checkout at collectioncare.org The Early Bird Discount deadline for March courses is February 6, 2016. |
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About Museums
There are over 850 million visits to American museums per year-more than attendees of all major sporting events and theme parks combined.
Museums directly contribute more than $21 billion to the national economy.
400,000 people nationwide are employed by museums.
Museums invest more than $2 billion a year in education.
Museums are wonderfully diverse. They are operated by nonprofits and for-profits, colleges, universities and every level of government. Some are managed by large staffs; others are run solely by volunteers. They include all types:
- Aquarium
- Anthropology
- Arboretum/Botanic Garden
- Art
- Children's
- Culturally Specific
- Hall of Fame
- Historic House
- Historic Site
- History
- Historical Society
- Military/Battlefield
- Nature Center
- Natural History
- Planetarium
- Presidential Library
- Science/Technology
- Specialized
- Transportation
- Visitor Center
- Zoo
From the American Alliance of Museums website: http://aam-us.org/about-museums
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Introduction to Museum Security
World events continually remind us just how important security is. The FBI and Interpol databases record thefts from small rural museums and world renowned art collections. The prevalence of collections lost to theft is brought home to us with regular sensational newspaper stories. And then there are the internal thefts, fires, and collection vandalism that also result in loss. Security must be a priority for every museum, regardless of size. Introduction to Security teaches basic, practical approaches to protecting against threats such as theft, vandalism, violent acts, natural disasters, fire and
environmental hazards. Topics include selecting security systems, determining security needs and how to build affordable security systems. Screening, hiring, firing, workplace violence, policies and procedures and emergency management planning are covered as well.
Join Steve Layne for this informative and practical course, MS107: Introduction to Security, beginning February 1, 2016.
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| Safeguarding Cultural Properties |
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Education in Museums
The world of museum education is as varied as the imagination. From school field trips to online blogs, from 2-year-olds to senior citizens, and from formal programs to volunteering, it
is all part of the educational delivery system of a museum. In Education in Museums, survey the education programs offered at your site. Determine what exhibits and collections need better representation through education. Develop a long term plan of education program development for your site that you can use to improve services to your community.
Join Karin Hostetter for this informative and practical course, MS235: Education in Museums, beginning February 1, 2016.
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Regional Workshops
Where you can find some of our instructors in 2015:
Stevan P. Layne
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Conferences and Meetings
California Association of Museums
Riverside, California
March 2-4, 2016
Museum Store Association
Atlanta, GA
April 15-18, 2016
Museums Association New York
Museums - Core to Communities
The Wild Center & Lake Placid, NY
April 17-19, 2016
Colorado-Wyoming Association of Museums
Casper, WY
April 28
-30, 2016
Association of Academic Museums and Galleries
Washington DC
May 24-25, 2016
American Alliance of Museums
Washington, DC
May 26-29, 2016
Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections
Berlin, Germany
June 20-25, 2016
Society of American Archivists
Joint Annual Meeting of the Council of State Archivists and Society of American Archivists
Atlanta, GA
July 31, 2016 - August 6, 2016
American Association of State and Local History
Detroit, Michigan
September 14-17, 2016
Western Museums Association
Phoenix, AZ
September 25-28, 2016.
Southeastern Museums Conference
Charlotte, NC
October 10-12, 2016
Mountain-Plains Museums Association
Oklahoma City
October 23-27, 2016
National Association for Interpretation
Corpus Christi, Texas
November 8-12, 2016
New England Museum Association
2016 Annual Conference
Mystic, CT
November 9-11, 2016
2017
Society of American Archivists
2017 Annual Meeting
Portland, OR
July 23 -
29, 2017
Southeastern Museums Conference
2017 Annual Meeting
New Orleans, LA
September 11-13, 2017
New England Museum Association
2017 Annual Conference
North Falmouth, MA
October 25-27, 2017
National Association for Interpretation
Spokane, Washington
November 14-18, 2017
2018
Society of American Archivists
2018 Annual Meeting
Washington, DC
August 12-
18, 2018
Southeastern Museums Conference
2018 Annual Meeting
Jackson, MS
October 8-10, 2018
National Association for Interpretation
Dates and location TBD
November 2018
2019
National Association for Interpretation
Denver, Colorado
November 12-16, 2019
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| Submissions and Comments How to submit an article or upcoming workshops for inclusion in the Newsletter: If you would like to submit an article, notice of an organizational meeting or upcoming workshop for an upcoming Collections Caretaker Newsletter, send your submission to [email protected]. We are always looking for contributions to this newsletter. Submission deadline is the 10th of each month. Have a comment or suggestion? Send it to [email protected] |
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Welcome to the Collections Caretaker e-Newsletter from Northern States Conservation Center. The newsletter is designed to bring you timely and helpful content that is pertinent to situations we all encounter in our museum and archives work. Feel free to let us know what topics you would like to see featured in Collections Caretaker or even contribute an article.
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Kim Kenney graduated summa cum laude from Wells College in Aurora, NY with a major in American history and minor in creative writing, where she became a member of Phi Beta Kappa. She earned her Master of Arts degree in History Museum Studies at the Cooperstown Graduate Program. Kim served as Curator of Collections at the Historical Society of Rockland County in New City, NY before taking the position of Curator at the McKinley Presidential Library & Museum in October 2001. She is the author of four books,
Canton: A Journey Through Time,
Canton's West Lawn Cemetery,
Canton's Pioneers in Flight and
Canton Entertainment. She has also published an exhibition review in
The Public Historian, the journal of the National Council for Public History. Her work has appeared in
The Repository,
The Boston Globe and the literary magazine
Mused. She serves as editor of the Museum's website at
BellaOnline.com, where she has authored several ebooks. The Association of Gravestone Studies recently awarded her the Oakley Certificate of Merit for her interpretive projects at West Lawn Cemetery, and she served as the Region 5 representative for the National Digital Newspaper Project in Ohio and is an adjunct faculty member at the University of Mount Union.
Welcome, Kim!
Introduction to Museums
The United States has more than 17,000 museums, we can only guess at the world's total. While most people think of a museum as a well-staffed, professionally run institution, the vast majority of museums are started and run by people with little or no basic training in museum studies or preservation. Introduction to Museums is designed to change that. The course introduces basic concepts, terminology and the role of various staff members, including curators, registrars and directors. Introduction to Museums is aimed at staff members, board members, interns, volunteers, as well as anyone interested in becoming a museum professional or learning more about the profession.
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What is a Museum Store?
By Karl Hoerig
How does a store fit into our organization?
The Dalai Lama has said, "Shopping is the museum of the twentieth century."[i] Reflecting this wisdom, most museums include some sort of retail operation. In contemporary American society, many visitors expect to have an opportunity to take something material home with them along with the experiences and knowledge that they gain. For better or worse, shopping is a key component of contemporary American recreation. When done correctly, a museum store can contribute in important ways to your overall organizational mission.
Almost anywhere you go for leisure, you will find opportunities to shop.
- Disneyland, California: 60 Attractions; 43 Retail Stores. About 1 Shopping Opportunity for every 1.3 rides! "Main Street U.S.A." shops remain open after the rest of the park closes each night, so you can continue shopping at the end of your day!
- Yellowstone National Park visitors spent nearly $17 million on souvenirs in the park in 2006.
Before deciding to add a retail shop to your museum, or to include retail in the museum that you are planning, think critically about why you should (or shouldn't) have a store.
- What are the demographics of your visitors?
- Will they want to shop at your museum?
- Will a retail store compete with other existing shops?
- Will a retail store serve your community?
- Will a retail store provide outreach opportunities?
Most museums operate on very limited budgets. Maintaining a retail operation can supplement the organization's bottom line. But retail is not a magic bullet. Very few museums, tribal or otherwise, enjoy operations revenues (shop profits, plus admissions, program fees, etc.) that are enough to support the entire organization. Retail has significant costs of its own in terms of facility space, staffing, and cost of sales.
It might be worthwhile to talk to an economic development expert, analyze your visitors, and create a business plan to determine whether it makes sense to open a store. If your visitor base includes wealthy tourists who enjoy collecting art or books about different lifeways, your plan will look very different than if most of your visitors are fourth-grade fieldtrippers. If there already exists an abundance of arts and crafts retailers in your community, do you want to compete with them?
Support for Traditional Arts
Tribal museum stores can provide valuable outlets for the sales of traditional (and contemporary) art produced by community members, thus encouraging the perpetuation of these arts and providing income for the artists. In the case of the White Mountain Apache community, our museum store provides essentially the only consistent local outlet for artists. Are there active or aspiring artists in your community that you might serve?
Education
This is probably the most important reason why museums should support retail operations: Museum stores contribute to museums' educational missions by providing visitors the opportunity to take home books, media, art, and other materials that they can use to continue learning and to share their museum experience with others. Your retail store can--and should--become an expansion of your exhibitions and public programs.
What makes Museum Stores different from other retail?
The primary purpose of commercial retail is to sell the most stuff and/or make the most money possible. On the most basic (and cynical) level, it doesn't really matter what the stuff is, so long as the people who come through the door will buy it. Museum stores should strive to be something more.
The Gift Shop
People often refer to stores in museums as "gift shops." Museum retail professionals cringe when they hear this, and for good reason. I encourage you to think of your retail outlet as a "museum store." Making this distinction is important, as it plays a role in changing your visitors' (and your staff's) understanding of the store's purpose.
When you think "gift shop," you probably think of souvenirs and trinkets. When you think "museum store," hopefully you think of things like knowledge, authenticity, or art. Obviously, museum stores want to carry merchandise that visitors will be attracted to and will purchase. But simply selling stuff is not adequate reason to dedicate valuable and limited space to sales. Unlike gift shops, we want to choose merchandise that visitors will like because it relates to their experience at the museum and will expand that experience in a meaningful way.
The Museum Store
The merchandise at a museum store is reflective of the museum's subject matter (including "related merchandise," which we'll cover in detail later). It provides opportunities for visitors to expand their understanding of the museum's themes.
Museum stores have an additional responsibility as representatives of the museum as an institution. Visitors expect that museums are sources of truth and knowledge. Museum stores must sell items that are authentic and of good quality. Museum stores must accurately and honestly identify their goods. If visitors perceive a museum store's goods to be shoddy--or worse, inauthentic or dishonest--it will cause them to think less of the museum as a whole. In other words, if you sell junk in your store, visitors will be less likely to trust your exhibits and educational programs.
Museum stores should only sell merchandise that promotes the mission of the museum. ("Big Lebowski" keychains and potato guns will likely not be appropriate in most Tribal museum stores!) Museum stores should try to emphasize merchandise that has educational value for visitors/customers. This doesn't mean that you can't sell some souvenirs. In some cases, souvenirs can promote your mission and be educational.
"Tribal Seal" merchandise is popular in many Tribal museum stores. Can you develop a handout that explains the seal, and offer it to purchasers of your Tribal Seal coffee mugs? T-shirts may not be directly educational, but a shirt that advertises your museum might encourage your visitors' friends to visit, too. It may also be appropriate to sell other merchandise, like batteries or disposable cameras, or beverages or some limited food items, especially if there are no convenience stores nearby. However, unless you specifically create a food service outlet, these should be only a small part of your inventory.
To determine what kind of store your museum wants, you need to step back and consider your institutional focus.
[i]
Faith Popcorn, in front matter to Paco Underhill's Why We Buy (Simon & Schuster, 2009).
Karl Hoerig is director of Nohwike' Bágowa (House of Our Footprints), the White Mountain Apache Cultural Center and Museum, in Fort Apache, Arizona. The position requires multifaceted involvement in the community, a mix of museum tasks, heritage promotion, cultural heritage resource protection and management, capacity building, economic development and enhancing sovereignty. Karl Hoerig has a PhD in anthropology from the University of Arizona.
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American Association for State and Local History's Small Museum Pro!
Upcoming Courses
Collections Management
March 21, 2016 - May 6, 2016
Instructor:
Dyani Feige
Description:
This eight week course will introduce participants to the professional principles and practices in the management of museum collections. Topics will include collections development, registration and record keeping with an emphasis on the development of Collection Policies and Procedures and what it means to be intellectually and physically responsible for museum objects.
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February Courses
February 1 to 26, 2016
Instructor: Kimberly Kenney
Description: The United States has more than 17,000 museums, we can only guess at the world's total. While most people think of a museum as a well-staffed, professionally run institution, the vast majority of museums are started and run by people with little or no basic training in museum studies or preservation. Introduction to Museums is designed to change that. The course introduces basic concepts, terminology and the role of various staff members, including curators, registrars and directors. Introduction to Museums is aimed at staff members, board members, interns, volunteers, as well as anyone interested in becoming a museum professional or learning more about the profession.
February 1 to 26, 2016
Instructor: Stevan Layne
Description:
World events continually remind us just how important security is. The FBI and Interpol databases record thefts from small rural museums and world renowned art collections. The prevalence of collections lost to theft is brought home to us with regular sensational newspaper stories. And then there are the internal thefts, fires, and collection vandalism that also result in loss. Security must be a priority for every museum, regardless of size. Introduction to Security teaches basic, practical approaches to protecting against threats such as theft, vandalism, violent acts, natural disasters, fire and environmental hazards. Topics include selecting security systems, determining security needs and how to build affordable security systems. Screening, hiring, firing, workplace violence, policies and procedures and emergency management planning are covered as well.
February 1 to 26, 2016
Instructor: Helen Alten
Description:
Applying Numbers to Collection Objects covers the materials and methods of object numbering: registration, handling, labeling and marking, number placement, documentation, health and safety, transponders and barcodes, surface marks, inks, paints and barrier coats. Each participant receives a Northern States Conservation Center collections labeling kit and performs experiments using its contents. Participants learn to determine what pen, ink, barrier coat or tag is appropriate for each object and storage or display situation.
MS 219: Opening and Closing Seasonal Museums
February 1 to 26, 2016
Instructor: Fiona Graham
Description:
The seasonal closure of a museum presents unique challenges and opportunities for collection preservation. This is an introductory-level conservation course exploring simple collection preservation methods for seasonal museums. The target Audience for the course is curators and other museum personnel, volunteers, site managers, maintenance personnel. No prior conservation training necessary. Participants will learn about the challenges and opportunities associated with caring for collections in seasonal facilities. They will learn about the risks to collections and how to mitigate them through closing and re-opening procedures, as well as throughout the winter season.
MS 227: Care of Paintings
February 1 to March 11, 2016
Instructor: Victoria Montana Ryan
Description:
Caring for paintings requires some knowledge of the component structure of paintings and the reaction of those components to both natural and man-made environments. This course looks at the painting structure, the effects of damaging environments, and proposes simple steps for basic care. Topics include the structure of paintings, proper condition reporting with standard damage vocabulary, and basic care and handling including environments, storage, and transport. The course is intended to help those entrusted with the care of paintings in any environment.
February 1 to 26, 2016
Instructor: Karin Hostetter
Description:
The world of museum education is as varied as the imagination. From school field trips to online blogs, from 2-year-olds to senior citizens, and from formal programs to volunteering, it is all part of the educational delivery system of a museum. In Education in Museums, survey the education programs offered at your site. Determine what exhibits and collections need better representation through education. Develop a long term plan of education program development for your site that you can use to improve services to your community.
February 1 to March 11, 2016
Instructor: Tom Bennett
Description:
Sprucing up your exhibits with safe, effective, inexpensive mounts can be easier and more fun than you thought. With a few tools, good technique and a bit of practice, you will be well on the way to presenting your objects in their most interesting light, with an eye on long-term safety and security. Design and Construction of Exhibit Mounts presents the basics of mountmaking for the small to medium-sized museum including tools, techniques and materials. Be prepared to construct mounts during the course. Students will be sent a list of materials and tools to acquire before the course commences. Come along and exercise your creative side while doing the collection a world of good.
February 1 to 26, 2016
Instructor: Karl Hoerig
Description:
Retail stores play central roles in museum operations. Most museum managers and their boards or tribal councils recognize stores' revenue potential. But stores can also help serve the museum's educational mission, support perpetuation and revitalization of traditional arts, and impact audiences beyond the museum's doors. Utilizing expert perspectives and examples from diverse museum stores this course will explain why a museum store should not be just a "gift shop" and will present guidance on inventory management, buying and pricing, retail display, staff training and other administrative issues faced by museum store managers.
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March Courses
March 7 to 11, 2016
Instructor: Helen Alten
Description:
To get anything done in your museum, you often need to get other staff to support the idea. All too often, preservation is left to one or two staff members and others believe it doesn't apply to them. For example, it is hard to successfully implement a pest management plan without full staff support. Everyone must buy into the notion of preservation. But how? Readings will introduce some ideas and participants in this course will brainstorm with Helen about what works, what might work - and what doesn't.
March 7 to April 1, 2016
Instructor: Karin Hostetter
Description:
Volunteers are essential for most non-profit institutions. But good volunteers aren't born -- they are made. Even though they don't get paychecks, it takes time and money to have effective volunteers. Fundamentals of Museum Volunteer Programs teaches the basics of a strong volunteer program. Topics include recruiting, training and rewarding volunteers, as well as preparing staff. Instruction continues through firing and liabilities. Participants will end up with sound foundational knowledge for starting a new or strengthening an existing volunteer program based on a nine-step process.
March 7 to April 8, 2016
Instructor: Sue Near
Description:
Sound business practices are critical for a museum to fulfill its mission. Sounds like vegetables, right? Museum management is complex. A museum exists to preserve collections and educate, but it is also an institution that must employ sound business practices while being accountable to the public as a non-profit organization. Instructor Sue Near teaches participants how to administer a successful museum efficiently and effectively. Participants will engage in discussions about the changing cultural climate and its effect on museum operations.
March 7 to April 15, 2016
Instructor: Helen Alten
Description:
Every museum object is unique, but items made of similar materials share characteristics.
Museum Artifacts gives participants an understanding of the materials and processes used to make objects - knowledge that better prepares them to decide how to care for their collections. Participants study two objects that represent all materials found in our museums. Through an in-depth analysis of their components, participants explore all possible objects found in any museum.
March 7 to April 1, 2016
Instructor: Diana Komejan
Description:
Archaeological finds come out of the ground fragile - and they often stay that way. Yet archaeologists and museum professionals have few clear guidelines for handling, moving, storing and displaying such materials. Participants in Care of Archaeological Artifacts From the Field to the Lab learn techniques for safely lifting and packing artifacts, safe transportation and temporary and permanent storage. The course also covers a broad range of excavation environments, including the Arctic, wet sites, tropical and temperate. Though Care of Archaeological Artifactsis not intended to train archaeological conservators, it is designed to help participants understand what can and can't be done to save the artifacts they unearth.
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Northern States Conservation Center (NSCC) provides training, collection care, preservation and conservation treatment services. NSCC offers
online museum studies classes at
www.museumclasses.org in Collections Management & Care, Museum Administration & Management, Exhibit Practices and Museum Facilities Management.
Sincerely,
Helen Alten, Director
Peggy Schaller, Publications Manager
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