Steve, I'd hazard to suggest that your experience is unique to your situation, or at least unique to someone specializing in public programmes. In many smaller museums (and smaller museums--less than four full-time paid staff--make up the majority of North American museums), the public programmer may also be the registrar, exhibits technician, marketing director and bookkeeper! There are many areas within museum work where a lot of talented people have spent decades defining "the box" (ie., parameters for environmental controls, how to design and maintain an integrated pest management system, loans documentation, size, language, font and colour of exhibit labels--the list is practically endless), and a major way that museum generalists, or specialists in the more technical aspects of museum work, learn that information is through museums studies programmes. After all, just as you wouldn't want your bookkeeper to come up with "outside the box" means of financial reporting, you also wouldn't want "creative thinking" that's going to put the Collections at risk, or make exhibits intellectually inaccessible to your audience. ------------------------------------------------------------ Tim McShane, Assistant--Cultural History Medicine Hat Museum and Art Gallery 1302 Bomford Crescent S.W. Medicine Hat, AB T1A 5E6 (403) 502-8587 [log in to unmask] >>> [log in to unmask] 5/25/2004 9:49:59 AM >>> For what it's worth, I do not have a degree in museum studies (BA-Comparative Religion/MFA--Poetry) and had not one minute's worth of experience working in a museum before being hired for my first museum job in 1999 at the Museum of the City of New York. I did have a lot of experience planning events, especially literary events for many years prior to getting the job. But if there's a phrase I've heard more than any other since working in museums (now in my 3rd) it is "outside the box" and I've had the very clear impression that people hiring think of museum studies programs (at least as regards public programs) as very much "the box." I have no way of knowing if my experience is unique or widespread. Best,, Steve Turtell Director of Public Programs New-York Historical Society Two West 77th Street New York, NY 10024 212.485.9233 212.595.5707 fax [log in to unmask] Disclaimer: The information transmitted is intended only for the addressee and may contain confidential, proprietary and/or privileged material. Any unauthorized review, distribution or other use of or the taking of any action in reliance upon this information is prohibited. If you received this in error, please contact the sender and delete or destroy this message and any copies ========================================================= 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).