My own feeling is that Interns and volunteers should follow the same
dress code as any staff they are working alongside.  After all we are
all working as part of a team and the public see us all as working for
the same institution.

In our organisation we don't have a formal dress code apart from our
uniformed front of house staff.  For everyone else the code is "we will
dress smartly and appropriately when meeting the public." 

Trevor Reynolds
Collections Registrar, English Heritage, Room 530, 23 Savile Row, London
W1S 2ET, United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7973 3482  Fax: +44 (0) 20 7973 3209

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
> Behalf Of Julia S Hickey
> Sent: 29 November 2005 06:54
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: intern dress question
> 
> As a past intern of the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, I found the
> uniforms
> to be more professional. For a first internship, the dress code, while
yes
> important, was one less item to worry about. This allowed me to
> concentrate on
> working on my daily tasks, with staff, visitors, and for the Museum in
> general.
> I do believe that all of us, having seen the regular staff in
professional
> attire daily, realize that professional attire is much more the norm.
On
> a
> practical note, having to stay in a dorm during the summer, it would
have
> been
> an inconvenience to wash, and properly dry professional attire.
> 
> I also agree with the gentlemen who stated, that the professional
attire
> would
> create a 'stuffy' atmosphere. The town is small, and I believe I got
to
> know a
> few people outside the Hall because of my uniform. These people could
pick
> me
> out and it made the time away from home much more comfortable.
> 
> Credit your visitor services for making the institution so visible and
> friendly.
> Why is this, you ask, because of the subject matter. Don't take away
from
> these
> interns to be part of the visitor services (by removing the uniforms),
it
> is an
> incredibly important aspect of the Museum - one that makes the
visitors
> enjoy
> their time spent in Cooperstown.  Had we worn professional attire, I
> suspect
> many of us would not have felt a responsibility to work for the
visitor,
> as we
> wouldn't be as recognizable.
> 
> 
> Kind regards,
> Julia Hickey
> University Wisconsin - Milwaukee
> Public History MA
> Museum Studies Certification
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Quoting "(562)Librarian" <[log in to unmask]>:
> 
> > PLEASE tell me this is a paid internship.  I think the concept of
> 'teaching'
> > interns to dress professionally is a good idea.  However, you may be
> making
> > an unrealistic request for someone who has already given up time and
is
> > incurring the cost of transportation and other miscellaneous
expenses
> > involved in working for free.  Professional clothes have
professional
> > prices.
> >
> > I have a term for "the staff who have to monitor the interns'
clothing,"
> > Fashion Police.  Will this person be annoyed by the extra duty and
say
> > anything is fine?  Will they take it too seriously and possibly
> humiliate an
> > already financialy embarrassed student?
> >
> > I think your intern will learn about professional dress by being in
the
> > environment.  It would be a good topic to discuss over lunch or on a
> lazy
> > Friday afternoon.  I'd also recommend a healthy dose of opinions and
> > suggestions from both genders.
> >
> > I was in this situation not too long ago.  After explaining that I
ate
> once
> > a day and had no elastic in my underwear - I'm not sure who was more
> > embarrassed.
> >
> > If it's really important, a 'sign-on bonus' from the gift shop 'this
is
> what
> > we'd like you to wear while you're here' could go over quite well.
> >
> > JC
> >
> >
> >
> > On 11/28/05, Marietta, Melissa <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:
> > >
> > > For those of you with interns, do you require a uniform or
business
> > > professional dress?
> > > We currently have all of our interns wear a uniform that consists
of a
> > > polo and khakis but are considering changing to professional
attire.
> I'd
> > > like to know what issues have arisen for those of you who require
> > > professional dress.  The uniform is certainly an easy way to go
for
> > > everyone, but does it teach students about dressing for the
> professional
> > > world?  And is the lesson worth it for the staff who have to
monitor
> the
> > > interns' clothing?
> > > Thanks.
> > > Melissa Marietta
> > >
> > >
> > > Melissa Marietta
> > > Manager, Educational Leadership Programs
> > > National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum
> > > 25 Main Street, Cooperstown, NY, 13326
> > > [log in to unmask]
> > > 607.547.0313 (p)
> > > 607.547.4094 (f)
> > > Experience  http://www.baseballhalloffame.org  today , your online
> home
> > > for everything Cooperstown:
> > >
> > > * Participate in our  Hall of Fame Fantasy Camp;
> > > * Shop in our  Online Museum Store  24 hours a day, 7 days a week;
> > > * Receive Inside Pitch, our free E-Newsletter;
> > > * and much more
> > >
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