The Anchorage Museum has advertised three professional positions over the
Museum-List over the past three or four years.  In each case WE DID NOT
have anyone in mind, no one waiting in the wings.  We also sent out
targeted notices, most recently the Registrar's group.  In each case the
closing date was determined by our Municipal Personnel Office (and I
suspect that this is common among civil service agencies.)  They are in
the business of two week notices, and place ads in the local newspaper --
we recognize that finding a trained registrar among the citizenry of
Anchorage is mimimal, and take things into our own hands.  Once the
notice is posted, we can announce however we like.
     To answer the question about "when does it start?" - this is always
negotiable with the successful applicant -- When they are honest up-front
-- "I have an exhibit that opens in two months" -- things can sometimes
be arranged.
     Diane Brenner, Anchorage Museum Archivist

On Fri, 16 Jan 1998, Ross Weeks wrote:

> The question is raised about why so many museum job postings allow very
> little time for someone to submit an application, and the anticipated
> "start date" for the successful applicant isn't mentioned.
>
> Are many, if not most, of these postings simply an effort by the museums to
> be able to verify that their openings were "advertised" widely in the
> effort to seek non-traditional applicants, i.e., to comply with affirmative
> action policies?
>
> In so many cases, I am afraid, the museum has already pre-selected someone
> for a job but either government regulation or museum policy requires that
> every vacancy be advertised.  I'd be curious how many museums really do
> open their best positions to all who might be qualified/interested....and
> then select from that pool without prior familiarity with the applicants.
>