>Date: Fri, 17 May 1996 03:33:05 -0400 >From: CinqD <[log in to unmask]> >Subject: Re: I want to know about smll museum. > >Hitoshi Yamamura, > >I work at a small museum, Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society, >Buffalo, New York, USA. The museum was established in 1863, our >collection has approximately 100 thousand artifacts and 150 thousand >library items. We have 14 full time staff members (40-50 hours per week), >4 part timers (17 hours) and 50-75 well trained volunteers. We get >approximately 40% of our funding from city/county government, 20% from >grants (state/federal/private) and 20% from earned income (admissions, >programs, memberships etc.). In a small museum we all do many tasks in >addition to our primary fuction. Computers can help make the work load >easier to manage. We depend on our volunteers, so we train them well and >treat them like gold. They add greatly to what you can accomplish and >some have expertise in areas of what museums do (business, typing, >exhibit/facility maintenance, public relations etc.). If you are >resouceful and not afraid to ask for help, I think you will find people to >be interested and willing to help. Good Luck, I wish you much success. >If you would like to talk more please send e-mail. > >David >Administrator, Dept. of Research and Interpretation Hello all, my question is this... What is the general consensus as to the criteria for calling yourself a "small" museum, a "medium" museum, or a "large" museum? We have 3,000 artifacts (including books and documents), one full-time permanent staff member, 1 full-time temporary staff member, 2 temporary half-time staff members, and occasionally a university student will volunteer a few hours. We have a one room gallery of 1,324 sq.ft. Compared to the Erie County Historical Society I guess we'd be classified as "tiny!" Is the distinction between size purely subjective, depending on personal experience? Or are there actual criteria with which to classify museums by size? (assuming a common definition of the term museum). Cris Wolf Collections Manager UIHC Medical Museum 8024A JCP/200 Hawkins Dr. Iowa City, IA 52242 (319) 356-8475 FAX (319) 356-3862 [log in to unmask]