Speaking from the staff of a state museum association (Utah Museums
Association), I find this is a very good suggestion.
Don't forget your professional associations, we exist to serve your needs.
Let them know what kind of professional development opportunities that would be
beneficial.  Local or regional workshops are typically more economical than
national options.

Offering to assist in planning is always welcome!
Charlotte Reynolds
Executive Director, UMA

Quoting Janice Klein <[log in to unmask]>:

> On the other hand members of other professions are required to take
> continuing education courses  - that cost upwards of $100 an hour and are not
> paid for by their employers - if they want to keep their licenses (massage
> therapy and architecture are two widely different examples).   And on the
> same hand, many of these "out of pocket" costs (professional memberships,
> journal subscriptions, training courses) are tax deductable if you itemize.
>
> While museum funds are sometimes budgeted for "professional development" they
> are usually the first to go when money is tight.   There are, however, many
> scholarships available -- most of which are under-applied-for -- from a wide
> variety of professional organizations (and yes, even some for graduate
> students and interns).  Also, universities and colleges often have faculty
> development funds that staff at affiliated museums can draw on.   And don't
> forget government funding; e.g., NEH's Preservation Assistance Grants.
>
> If the workshops you want aren't offered in your state, why not join your
> regional museum association and offer to help organize one in your state?
> How about asking your state museum association about doing one in your area?
>  Contact one of the regional or national SPC's and let them know what you
> need.   (All the national Standing Professional Committees can be contacted
> through the AAM website -- www.aam-us.org)
>
> Climbing down off of the soapbox that Diane and I share,
>
> janice
>
> Janice Klein
> Interim Chair, Small Museum Administrators Committee
> Director, Mitchell Museum of the American Indian, Kendall College
> [log in to unmask]
>
>     -----Original Message-----
>     From: Shawn Weisser <[log in to unmask]>
>     To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
>     Date: Tuesday, April 16, 2002 3:01 PM
>     Subject: Re: Certificate from a community college worth it?
>
>
>     I agree that each individual must come to terms with the fact that
> museums don't (or won't) always pick up the tab for distance education for
> their employees and it is the employees responsibility to find alternative
> means. However, it is not always possible. I work in a special collections
> where they will give me the time to go, and actually pay my salary while I am
> gone, but most of the training/workshops are located outside of my state, are
> costly, and interfere with my class schedule and homelife. Personally, I
> cannot take a week (month or term) off from school, work, or my family and
> travel to another state. It is not always a matter of the cost of the
> workshop, but the housing, food and transportation that goes along with it.
>
>
>     How many museums set up a budget for the additional training of their
> staff?
>
>     Shawn M. Weisser
> ========================================================= Important
> Subscriber Information:
>     The Museum-L FAQ file is located at
> http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed
> information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message
> to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help"
> (without the quotes).
>
>     If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to
> [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff
> Museum-L" (without the quotes).
>
>
> =========================================================
> Important Subscriber Information:
>
> The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/
> . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending
> a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the
> message should read "help" (without the quotes).
>
> If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to
> [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff
> Museum-L" (without the quotes).
>

=========================================================
Important Subscriber Information:

The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes).

If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).