I've been looking at recent posts in this thread, and want to throw in a
plug for the University of Washington's museology graduate program. The
program is interdisciplinary and I found that it provided a great blend of
theory and hands-on practice. As the administrator of a small museum, I
really need to know the theory and philosophy of the museum world in order
to participate in strategic planning and policy development. Likewise, I
also need the hands-on training we received.

We had a collections management class that took place in the Burke Museum,
where we not only learned the theory of how to maintain a collection, but
actually learned how to label things, store things, organize things, etc.
These are things that you can't count on anyone training you unless you move
on to a medium sized or large museum - and most of the grads from the UW
program that I know went on to very small museums where they were the ones
training the volunteers in collections management.

One thing we lacked was a hands-on exhibit design class, but I guess you
can't be all things to all people. There is also no way to prepare someone
for the realities of working with a board and volunteers - that has to be
learned in the trenches, I think. :)

Erica S. Maniez
Museum Director, Issaquah Historical Society
425/392-3500
[log in to unmask]
www.issaquahhistory.org

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