As an "emerging museum professional" I wouldn't necessarily argue with your statements, but I would add one more. Because of today's job market low pay for a job that, if you notice is actually two jobs in one, isn't completely uncommon although $10/hr. is a bit low. Today's job market isn't helped by the large amount of museum professionals who, ten years ago would have retired much earlier than they do today. There are, to quote your rhetoric "too d**m many" professionals not making room for the new and no new positions being added. In fact many being eliminated- hence the archivist/education manager. Although this isn't only the case in museums. On Fri, Dec 14, 2012 at 4:11 PM, Dan Bartlett <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > I've been watching this thread with growing amusement and frustration. > Here are my 2 cents: > > #1) The problem is in large part the fact there there are too d**n many > graduate training programs turning out too d**n many masters degrees into a > market that doesn't need them. The newest of these programs are nothing > more than cash cows for the schools that operate them as there is NO market > driven demand for more masters level museum professionals. It is > irresponsible and it is the biggest reason that a museum can offer a > master's level applicant $10/hour. And I guarantee they will get 50 or more > qualified applicants. "What else can I do?" one asks one young > professional. Ask the school that led you to believe there was a job with a > living wage out there for you and your master's degree for a refund. It > breaks my heart to see the perennial spring discussion on this list started > by some poor grad student who can't find a job. There is also no reasonable > argument that can be made that a master's degree is even necessary (or any > more valuable than an undergraduate museology degree) for the vast majority > of collections, education, or exhibit work being done in small to mid-sized > museums of all types across the USA. > > #2) If the number of museum applicants across the country was anywhere > near the number of available positions, you would not see $10 offered. To > suggest otherwise is wishful thinking. Ten dollars is being offered because > someone will work for that much. If they weren't guaranteed those 50+ > qualified applicants, the museum would either pay more or find another way > to get the work done if it's really all that important. And might I suggest > that some financially struggling museums should consider mergers or > closing their doors because their stewardship and interpretation must > suffer if they can't (or won't) value the professionals they think they > need to best get that work done. > > I suspect these comments will not be popular. > > Dan > > Dan Bartlett > Curator of Exhibits and Education > Instructor of Museum Studies > Logan Museum of Anthropology > Beloit College > > ------------------------------ > > To unsubscribe from the MUSEUM-L list, click the following link: > http://home.ease.lsoft.com/scripts/wa-HOME.exe?SUBED1=MUSEUM-L&A=1 > -- Amanda Paszek [log in to unmask] 331-223-1871 ========================================================= 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).