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December 15, 2016
Northern States Conservation Center
Collections Caretaker eNewsletter
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Northern States Conservation Center in 2017
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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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In This Issue
Small Museum Pro!
Instructor Spotlight
Featured Course
January 2017 Online Courses
February 2017 Online Courses
Full 2017 Course List
Regional Workshops
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Small Museum Pro! Online Courses in 2017
Northern States Conservation Center is please to host three American Association for State and Local History's Small Museum Pro! online courses in 2017
Leadership and Administration in History Organizations
Instructor: Anne Ackerson
January 9, 2017 - March 6, 2017
During the eight weeks of this course, modules will cover governance and administrative structures, nonprofit status and the public trust, mission and vision, the relationship between board and staff, including their roles and responsibilities; strategic planning, human resource development and management, and leadership. The course includes a combination of topical reading assignments and related weekly assignments and online and telephone chats held at 7:30 pm eastern each Tuesday of the course. A course assignment is due the last week of class
Collections Management
Instructor:Dyani Feige
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Victoria & Albert Museum, London
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March 20, 2017 - May 15, 2017
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. By the end of the course, participants will:
- Develop a detailed draft of a Collections Policy
- Develop of identify a collection of objects
- Develop a standardized set of registration records and forms including inventory, catalog, accession, and loans
- Learn about various registration numbering systems and how to mark objects appropriately
- Discuss issues related to collections strategies, mission, purpose, and scope of collections
- Develop a broader understanding of legal and ethical concerns of managing collections
Museum Education and Outreach
Instructor: Tanya Brock
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Trowulan Museum, East Java
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June 5 to July 31, 2017
Details TBA
For more information check for the course posting on the AASLH website at:
http://learn.aaslh.org/calendar/category/online-course/
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Instructor Spotlight: Karin Hostetter
Karin Hostetter
has over thirty years experience with museum education. With a career that includes natural history museums, cultural history museums (including first person interpretation), nature centers, and zoos, Ms. Hostetter is experienced in interpretive writing, program and curriculum development, and staff and volunteer training. As a museum educator, she was Curator of Education for the Heard Natural Science Museum and Wildlife Sanctuary (McKinney, TX). Among her award-winning education curricula are several programs she developed for the education departments during her five years at the Heard Museum and her twelve years on staff at the Denver Zoo. As an interpretive writer, Ms. Hostetter has written text for exhibits, wayside exhibits, visitor brochures, and professional magazines. Her skill is in making technical information understandable and meaningful to visitors.
Karin has worked with volunteers throughout her career, becoming the first paid volunteer coordinator at the Denver Zoo. Ms. Hostetter taught the National Association for Interpretation's two-day volunteer management course for volunteer coordinators and served on their panel about volunteer programs. She authored a series of articles for the National Association for Interpretation's Legacy magazine, providing guidelines for developing and maintaining a volunteer organization. Ms. Hostetter now consults with organizations on structuring and improving volunteer programs.
Over the years, Ms. Hostetter has been responsible for small animal exhibits and animal care at both the Heard Museum and the Denver Zoo. She worked with wild animal rehabilitation and public education animals, work that included training volunteer animal handlers. Karin co-founded the Zoos, Wildlife Parks, and Aquaria special interest section of the National Association for Interpretation.
Karin Hostetter is owner of Interpret This, a consulting company specializing in interpretive writing, program and curriculum development, and volunteer program management. When she is not consulting with other museums, she likes to volunteer and contract teach at them with a special love for preschool and family programs.
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Early Bird Discounts Available for Full Length Courses
An Early Bird Discount is 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 save $100.00!
To take advantage of this discount, you must enter coupon code EARLYBIRD at checkout at
collectioncare.org
The Early Bird Discount deadline for February 2017 courses is January 7, 2017
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Featured Course: Scripting the Exhibition
So much to say and so little space in which to say it.
That is the dilemma when scripting an exhibition. How do you say what needs to be said in the space available? How do you even figure out how to limit the information in the first place? Discover the value of themes, tangibles, intangibles, and universals in writing exhibit text that visitors really want to read -- and remember. Additional resources provided on font size and colors as well as label layout.
Join Karin Hostetter for this interesting and very informative course MS235: Scripting the Exhibition beginning January 2, 2017.
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January 2017 Courses
January 2 to January 27, 2017
Instructor: Peggy Schaller
Description:
Collections management is a critical component of running a museum. Most museums have collections and these collections drive the public functions and activities of the institution. Collections management is the physical and intellectual management of these items. In this course we will examine how information is collected and recorded for each object brought into the collection - a process called registration. We will also examine the policies that govern what is brought into the collection, including the most important piece of institutional policy--the museum mission statement. These policies are assembled into the collections management 'bible'--the registration manual. At the end of this course you should have a clear understanding of how and why collections are documented in museums and the governing principles that drive daily museum activities.
January 9 to February 3, 2017
Instructor: Helen Alten
Description:
Prior to the invention of plastics, skin materials were the flexible covering used for most objects - from bellows to books, carriages to desktops. Furs and skins are in almost every museum's collection, be it Natural History, History or Art. Caring for leather and skin materials demands an understanding of how and why they deteriorate. Care of Leather and Skin Materials offers a simplified explanation of the origin, chemistry and structure of leathers and skins. Students learn to identify leathers and surface finishes, determine their extent of deterioration, write condition reports, and understand the agents of deterioration that are harmful to leather and skins both in storage and on exhibit. Topics include preparing hide and skin materials for storage and exhibit, the use of archival materials and which ones might harm skin proteins, housekeeping techniques for large objects or books on open display, and three-dimensional supports for leather and skin to keep them from distorting. Integrated pest management and historical treatments will be covered, with a unit on hazardous materials applied to older skins and leather that might prove a danger to staff.
January 2 to January 27, 2017
Instructor: Karin Hostetter
Description:
So much to say and so little space in which to say it. That is the dilemma when scripting an exhibition. How do you say what needs to be said in the space available? How do you even figure out how to limit the information in the first place? Discover the value of themes, tangibles, intangibles, and universals in writing exhibit text that visitors really want to read -- and remember. Additional resources provided on font size and colors as well as label layout.
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February 2017 Courses
February 6 to March 3, 2017
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.
MS 208: Applying Numbers to Collection Objects
February 6 to March 3, 2017
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.
February 6 to March 3, 2017
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.
February 6 to March 3, 2017
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 6 to March 3, 2017
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 6 to March 17, 2017
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.
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Complete 2017 Course Schedule
January
MS 103: The Basics of Museum Registration January 2 to January 27, 2017
MS 224: Care of Leather and Skin Materials January 9 to February 3, 2017
MS 235: Scripting the Exhibition January 2 to January 27, 2017
February
MS 101: Introduction to MuseumsFebruary 6 to March 3, 2017
MS 208: Applying Numbers to Collection Objects February 6 to March 3, 2017
MS 219: Opening and Closing A Seasonal Museum February 6 to March 3, 2017
MS 227: Care of Paintings February 6 to March 3, 2017
MS 236: Education in Museums February 6 to March 3, 2017
MS 238: Design and Construction of Exhibit Mounts February 6 to March 17, 2017
March
MS 008: Buy In: Getting All of Staff to Support Preservation March 6 to 10, 2017
MS 108: Fundamentals of Museum Volunteer Programs March 6 to 31, 2017
MS 203: Storage Techniques March 6 to 31, 2017
MS 215: Care of Archaeological Artifacts from the Field to the Lab March 6 to 31, 2017
April
MS 001: The Problem with Plastics April 10 to 14, 2017
MS 104: An Introduction to Collections Preservation April 3 to 28, 2017
MS 106: Exhibit Fundamentals: Ideas to Installation April 3 to May 12, 2017
MS 209: Collections Management Policies April 3 to May 12, 2017
MS 214: Collections Management Databases April 3 to 28, 2017
MS 223: Care of Metals April 3 to May 12, 2017 tentative
MS 237: Formative Evaluations for Exhibits and Public Programs April 3 to 28, 2017
May
MS 011: Gallery Guides May 1 to 12, 2017
MS 109: Museum Management May 1 to June 5, 2017
MS 211: Preservation Environments May 1 to June 9, 2017
MS 212: Care of Textiles May 1 to 26, 2017
MS 226: Care of Furniture May 1 to 26, 2017
MS 234: Archives Management May 1 to 26, 2017
June
MS 222: Care of Photographs June 19 to August 4, 2017
July
MS 205/206 Disaster Plan Research and Writing July 3 to August 25, 2017 tentative
MS 207: Cataloging Your Collection July 3 to 31, 2017
MS210: Integrated Pest Management July 3 to August 11, 2017 Not yet confirmed
MS 235: Scripting the Exhibition: Labels and Interpretive Panels July 3 to 31, 2017
MS 213: Museum Artifacts July 3 to August 11, 2017
MS 267: Museum Ethics July 3 to 31, 2017
August
MS 243: Making Museum Quality Mannequins August 7 to September 15, 2017
MS 233: Matting and Framing August 7 to September 1, 2017
MS 236: Education in Museums August 7 to September 1, 2017
September
MS 010: Condition Assessments September 11 to 15, 2017
MS 101: Introduction to MuseumsSeptember 4 to 29, 2017
MS 302: Fundraising and Grant Writing September 4 to 29, 2017
MS 227: Care of Paintings September 4 to 29, 2017
October
MS 001: The Problem with Plastics October 16 to 20, 2017
MS 014: Education Collections October 23 to 27, 2017
MS 109: Museum Management October 2 to November 3, 2017
MS 209: Collections Management Policies October 2 to November 10, 2017
MS 238: Design and Construction of Exhibit Mounts October 2 to November 10, 2017
MS 253: Disaster Recovery October 2 to November 27, 2017
November
MS 002: Collection Protection - Are you Prepared? November 6 to 10, 2017 tentative
MS 007: The Mission Statement: Is it really that important? November 6 to 10, 2017
MS 211: Preservation Environments November 6 to December 15, 2017
MS 212: Care of Textiles November 6 to December 6, 2017
MS 218: Collection Inventories November 6 to December 6, 2017
MS 259: The Volunteer Handbook November 6 to December 15, 2017
For More Information or to Sign up
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Regional Workshops
Where you can find some of our instructors in 2016:
Stevan P. Layne
- February 6-7, 2017, Palm Springs Art Museum, Palm Springs, CA
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Conferences and Meetings
California Association of Museums, Sacramento, CA
March 29-31, 2017
Texas Association of Museums, Abilene, TX
April 4-7, 2017
Museum Store Association, Pittsburgh, PA
April 21-24, 2017
Museums Association New York
Museums, Saratoga Springs, NY
April 2-4, 2017
Colorado-Wyoming Association of Museums, Boulder, CO
April 20-22, 2017
American Alliance of Museums, St. Louis, MO
Association for Living History, Farm and Agricultural Museums, Rochester, NY
June 9-13, 2017
Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections, Denver, CO
June 18-24, 2017
Association of Academic Museums and Galleries, Eugene, OR
Society of American Archivists, 2017 Annual Meeting, Portland, OR
American Association for State and Local History, Austin, TX
September 6-9, 2017
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Southeastern Museums Conference, 2017 Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA
September 11-13, 2017
International Foundation for Cultural Property Protection, New Haven, CT
September 17-20, 2017
Western Museums Association, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
September 20-23, 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
Western Museums Association, Tacoma, WA
Dates TBA
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]
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We are always looking for contributions to this newsletter. Submission deadline is the 10th of each month.
Have a comment or suggestion?
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Sincerely,
Helen Alten, Director
Peggy Schaller, Publications Manager
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