I agree with Michael's comments on the role of the small museum - there is a
lot more contact with the community, a lot more flexibility in programming,
and a variety of duties - from fundraising to PR to taking out the trash :).
It's very gratifying to be able to implement your own ideas, too.
One downside of the small museum is that you are frequently the only
employee! Depending on how knowledgeable and involved board members or
volunteers are, recent grads who lack experience might be better served by
working in a large or medium sized institute where they are part of a team
and have the opportunity to learn from others, and get regular feedback.
The program at UW depends a lot on practicums and internships. Volunteering
at a small museum prior to graduation is probably the best preparation there
is - you can see how a museum operates fairly easily, since it's small and
all the systems are tightly connected. The staff are also incredibly
grateful!
Erica Maniez
Museum Director, Issaquah Historical Society
-----Original Message-----
From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On
Behalf Of Michael Cahall
Sent: Monday, September 13, 1999 12:21 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Looking for Input
Dear Listers,
Erica's comments on placing museum students in small museums in
small
towns brought two thoughts to mind.
First, as the instructor in a graduate-level museum studies course,
I
often advise students to look at small institutions for a first job. This
is especially true, I think, for students who do not have much hands-on
experience yet or who have not decided on a particular branch of museum
work on which to focus. I know of no place that gives a museum profession
more exposure to all facets of museum work than a stint in a small
institution. Also, there might be less competition for jobs in small
institutions. As Erica says, many students want to head to the "big city"
and the big institutions or want to stay in their hometowns or places where
they have studied. The reality is that most museum professionals will move
from place to place in their careers. Someone once told me that the most
important thing about your first job is getting it; you can move up from
there.
Secondly, many small towns rely heavily on their local museums for
educational and social programming. In such places, workers get both
direct contact with the public and can make significant contributions to
public life in their community. During my museum career in small
institutions in small towns, I often envied my friends who worked in large
famous institutions. I was amazed to realize that they envied me
(somewhat, at least) because I got to do so many different things and to
have contact with visitors.
There is a lot to be said for working in a small institution in a
small
town. Keep the faith.
Mike Cahall
Michael Cahall, Ph.D.
Department of History
Duquesne University
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