And I would say, as with any generalization, there is danger there. Our
museum hosts a number of interns each year, and without exception, they have
been eager to work and excited about the field. All were grateful for tips
and suggestions staff had for getting a job in the field, and none openly
indicate an expectation of "I am owed" in the field.
This from another gen Xer who spent many many years at the lowest of museum
salaries and paid those dues.
Nancy Pope
Nancy A. Pope
Historian
National Postal Museum
Smithsonian Institution
2 Massachusetts Ave., N.E.
PO Box 37012, MRC-570
Washington, DC 20013-7012
202-633-5526
202-633-9393 (fax)
[log in to unmask]
http://postalmuseum.si.edu
* * * * * * *
"If you don't get a letter, then you'll know I'm in jail."
Gus Kahn, US songwriter
>>> [log in to unmask] 08/25/05 10:59AM >>>
"In addition to lower than expected salaries, I've also known graduate
students who didn't think they had to have any experience to get a job.
In
fact, they expected upon graduation to walk right into a director's job
because they have a master's degree in museum studies. And the few that
did
"luck into" such a job ended up leaving the field within a year, because
reality didn't match classroom teachings."
I've never responded to a post on this list, but this one caught my eye.
In my experience of the last ten years, I have come to the conclusion
that this is what I call "Gen X arrogance" is a generational thing. I
encountered the very same thing with several recent MLS graduates in
that age group. I had several 'interns' who thought they should be able
to step right into a museum or art library director position right out
of graduate school. Needless to say, this didn't sit too well with
those of us in the baby boomer generation who worked for paltry salaries
for 10 years or more before getting that coveted yet still low-paying
head position. I had one intern about ten years ago tell me that he
wasn't happy with his starting salary of $36,500 annually for a two-year
internship he was taking. The rest of us raised our eyebrows and
concluded that he was in for a rude awakening down the line.
I don't gripe that much about my salary since "I" am the only one
responsible for it. I didn't go into the field with blinders on. I
'did' choose to get my MLS after my MA and it was the best decision for
me. I figured out the 'reality' of the jobs in the museum field and
walked across the park to apply for that MLS.
I tell people interested in the art library field that the current
demographics are actually in their favor since many library directors
will retire in the next 5-10 years. There has in fact been turnover
that did not exist in 1985 when I was trying to get my foot in the door.
Debbie
Deborah Barlow Smedstad
Head Librarian
William Morris Hunt Memorial Library
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
465 Huntington Avenue
Boston, MA 02115
[log in to unmask]
(617)369-3107
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