I am currently setting up a work schedule in our community history museum
archives with a first-time intern who has coursework in museum studies under
her belt. I am looking forward to this relationship, but have some sensitive
questions to ask of those with more experience. I have trained interns
before, but under a contract with a school who had specific measurements for
each intern. Through our one-on-one close working relationship, this intern
is getting the hands-on practicum missing in her museum studies program. We
are primarily working in collections and archives management, but I am also
training her to do oral histories in the community in preparation for
interpretive exhibits.

This intern is eager and willing and will be a great asset, but I am
concerned about her insecurity in using English (her second language).  Way
back when I was an intern, I found the technique of keeping an intern
project journal to be very helpful. I kept it as more of a diary and entered
every question into it, and my museum studies supervisor would read through
it once or twice a month and would give specific feedback in those areas
where I was unsure. It was nearly instant feedback and took care of what
might have otherwise developed into problems, since my own intern experience
did not include direct museum supervision.

I will be meeting with this intern to define her project together on October
4th, and would like some feedback from this discussion group: would you
advise me to set up a similar intern journal system with this intern? She is
amenable to and requests correction of her misuse of the language, and I
thought it might be a good way to catch misinformation, misunderstandings
and misspellings fairly instantly (I would ask her to go over the week's
work with me, and to point out things she felt insecure about). The last
thing I want to imply is that she is incapable--she certainly is not. I
think of the working relationship as two-way communication, because one of
her extremely valuable assets is as an interpreter/translator for labels and
outreach. I need her world view as much as she needs to be able to write
catalog notes and labels correctly in her second language. I also want to
help her develop confidence in people skills, an area she already has well
under control but encounters some initial difficulty (with English speakers)
as she has hearing aids. We will be working together about eight hours a
week, and she will also work independently and with other volunteers. She
will be paid for this internship, so it behooves me to train her well and
quickly.

One other problem, or I think of it as a potential problem. The museum
manager thinks of the intern now as a Curator, which I am not comfortable
with because she lacks on-the-ground experience and even has some academic
gaps, and collections management is not her field of study (cross-cultural
museum education is). It's a bit awkward, I don't want her to think you can
take a course or two and get a paid job as a Curator of Collections-- and
everyone on this list knows that is pretty much a fantasy. How on earth am I
to handle this-- I want to increase her confidence, not belittle her lack of
experience or seem to conflict with another authority.  I noticed that the
museum manager already made a permanent badge for her that says Curator, not
Intern. Admittedly, I am thinking of my full year as a 20-hour a week unpaid
intern before I even graduated, and I need to get that undercurrent of
resentment out of the picture too!

Thank you all, my wonderful colleagues, for any responses you can provide.

Micki Ryan
Curator
Highline Historical Society
[log in to unmask]



-----Original Message-----
From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On
Behalf Of David Harvey
Sent: Wednesday, September 28, 2005 7:40 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Supervising Interns


Katie,

This is indeed a good topic.

I have supervised interns for years in a variety of situations - from
museum conservation labs to a university-based regional lab, to
private practice.

I have had interns who are either in a BA or BS program in college, in
a Masters program in conservation or museum studies, and
post-graduates as well.

I think that it is important to offer all interns, no matter their
experience or knowledge, a balance of both intellectual and physical
tasks, along with a project all their own if there is sufficient time.
I also encouraged interns to publish short articles or to do posters
on specific aspects of what they encountered that most interested them
during their time in the lab.

There may also be requirements in their educational institutions as to
developing a portfolio of projects or writing a comprehensive report
on their internship.

In return, you can have a very positive and energized young person who
can contribute and move projects ahead.I also made a point of getting
the interns out of the lab and encountering the collections in the
multitude of ways that they are used in interpretation, exhibits, etc.
And it is so beneficial to have an intern at work in the lab when you
have visits by the board or public tours - as it is an entry into a
conversation about the profession and how to get into our great field.

Like anyone in any position, I think that interns need a diversity of
experiences, and projects have to be chosen with the best likelihood
for success,  so that positive experiences build on top on one
another.

In conservation we are training the intellect, as well as the muscles,
eyes, and hands. So, even though much of this is about "doing" it is
equally important to cultivate and develop the ability to "see" and to
evolve the critical skills in intellectually aproaching objects and
treatments.

Even though some may not be in conservation or museum work anymore, I
am still in touch with many of my interns, some from now many years
ago.

Cheers!
Dave

David Harvey
Conservator
Los Angeles, California, USA

On 9/27/05, Katie Wadell <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Hi Museum-L-ers,
>
>  Would anyone be interested in discussing techniques and skills for
> supervising interns, either on-line or off-line? How do you train your
> interns, plan projects for them, etc?  How do they fit into the life of
your
> institution?  What do you expect from them, and does that line up with
what
> they expect from you?
>
>   I'm considering an article on managing interns and internships, and
would
> love to ask questions and collect real-life examples of effective
management
>  - and real-life problems or insecurities.  (I know I've been a lousy
intern
> supervisor at times!)  I recently got into a discussion on the  problems
of
> supervising and motivating interns,  and was encouraged to write on the
> topic by someone else who wanted advice.  I'd also love to hear from
former
> interns who benefited from good supervision- what did your supervisors do
> that was particularly effective?
>
>  Thanks so much,
>
>  Katie Wadell
>  =========================================================
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