I've appreciated the remarks of Bayla Singer and Jack Thompson
on this thread. There are many rooms in the museum mansion, and
room for many backgrounds, perspectives, experiences, kinds of
training. Standards, not standardization.
 
Museums are all so different - when ever I go to a conference,
especially AAM, I'm astonished at the diversity and how little
I have in common with so many of the people there! I've worked
in a historic house museum, a museum of industry, a quilt
museum, and now a children's museum, and while they were
similar in being small, I've had to learn my job all over again
each time because of the differing needs and audiences of the institution.
 
The widest possible liberal and scientific training to start,
judicious use of courses in specific fields like accounting or
collections care, continuing professional education,
conferences, wide reading....it takes everything!
 
And every now and then, someone comes in from outside, and does
wonderful things. And then sometimes, you wonder what it is
Boards have against museum professionals when they keep hiring
people with no museum experience for the top jobs...
 
Carol Ely
Education and Exhibit Director
Virginia Discovery Museum
(and PhD. candidate in American History.....)