Bravo Ross!  Lori, we understand your plight.  You're in St. Louis -- right?
Perhaps within commuting distance is a smaller museum that needs one
fulltime professional at an acceptable salary range.  But that's a choice
you have to make -- a bigger, known museum in a low level job with barely a
living wage or a museum where you do everything at a salary that will fit
into your family's budget.  Also, are you in art or history,science, or a
generalist?  There are a lot of small history museums everywhere -- but not
a lot of small art museums (at least not one in every town -- like Tazewell,
VA or Pennsburg, PA!).  It makes a difference.  And once you get that first
job, put in a few tough years, you're likely to have all of the
opportunities you want and need.

Candace Perry
Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center
Pennsburg, PA

----- Original Message -----
From: Ross Weeks <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, June 29, 2001 1:40 PM
Subject: Summer staffing dilemma


> Is it time for the annual reminder to prospective museum professionals
that
> often the best entry level jobs are out there in grassroots America?
>
> I have no idea where Lori wants to "settle."  But every season, it seems
the
> best candidates want to be in the urban areas, usually the largest of
them.
> Those places are where jobs seem to be hardest to obtain.  Usually they
are
> quite specialized as well.
>
> In the small towns there are institutions begging for qualified people.
> Staffs may be one, two, five, ten -- it varies.  Hours are long.
> Compensation tends to be no higher than $20,000 for the Number One
staffer.
> It is a learning experience for anyone interested in a museum career, and
a
> good place to start networking.
>
> There -- the annual reminder.  Hurray for the small museums!  May we never
> be overwhelmed by the overstaffed monsters!
>
> Ross Weeks Jr.
> Historic Crab Orchard Museum & Pioneer Park
> Tazewell, Va.
> http://histcrab.netscope.net
>
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