Carole DeFord wrote

>  I think that
>     we could all say that it would cheaper for us in time and staff
>     productivity not to have internships at all but that is not our way of
>     sharing so we accept and value our interns, we just can't seem to find
>     a sponsor to fund that line of our financial statement.


This echoed a sentiment that keeps nagging at me as I spend time,
materials, and money on advertising (we are not that aggressive to call
it recruiting) and supervisng unpaid interns.  It really costs the host
institution quite a bit in real money terms not to mention staff time.
Depending on the intern I have found that it can take more time and
effort to have one, than to do all ofthe work myself.  Interns are great
and I feel a certain amount of profesional obligation to not only host
them, but to also make sure they get a quality education experience, not
just menial tasks, as I knowsome mentors do, but when they become more
burdensome than helpful I will reevaluate them for my department at
least, I cannot speak for other depts.

  I thought Robin Panza was a bit harsh with his/her reply, but it also
made me want to echoe his/her sentiments by saying something equally
harsh that hit me as I read everyone complaining about unpaid
internships.   Interns need museums more than museums need Interns.  I
know this sounds rude, but all potential interns should keep this in mind
before they complain about whatever help a host institution can offer.

Paula Malloy later wrote:

>However, with an internship, the Museum DOES benefit directly from the
intern's work.  Many
>people posting to this thread have already eloquently testified to that
>fact.

And as others have pointed out some internship programs take more work
and money than is gained, even when unpaid.  I do not know if our
instituiton is one of them I was given the title and responsibilities of
internship coordinator only recently.  This job was given to me on top of
my regular job which was already taking 60+ hours per week. When am I
supposed to find the time to search for funding for these interns?     A
job that I may add that pays so little I have to take a part time retail
job to keep bills paid.   So interns are upset they have to go 6 or more
months unpaid or underpaid for their work?  Welcome to the profession.
(I am not really as bitter as I sound,  but if everybodey else gets to
make whine out of their sour grapes, so can I   :   }  )

Good Luck to all interns out there, paid and unpaid,  you have only begun
sacrificing for the most rewarding career I know!!

Matthew A. White
Director of Education
Baltimore Museum of Industry
1415 Key Highway
Baltimore, MD 21230
(410)727-4808
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