I was a volunteer board member in a local historical society in 1981, with
an interest in historical objects but professionally trained and working as
an archaeologist. I had to get out of the archaeological field work, which I
loved, when I learned that my sudden sluggishness and distorted vision was
due to MS. I stepped into research and writing, which was both cleaner and
warmer than leaping in and out of pits with giant bulldozers hovering, and
then my husband's "maiden" aunt died, leaving him sole heir of the family
collection of ten generations of family historical objects, documents,
photographs, textiles, art, tools, etc. etc. Because I had no idea how to
care for these things, I asked conservators at San Francisco museums what to
do, and they directed me to the Center for Museum Studies, a campus of JFKU.
I was smitten, continued through the MA program, and have been a Museum
Collections Manager and Collections Management Consultant ever since (with
some time shared as an archivist, which also required going back to yet
another school).

My first real museum job was for the historical society I had served as a
volunteer, who ran the county historical museum. I was preparing an exhibit
as a volunteer guest curator when the curator went on early maternity leave,
and I was hired temporarily until she could return (plus I still finished
and installed the exhibit!). I was still attending JFKU at this time, so
went to school at night after an 8 to 5 day at the museum-- and the school
was 1 1/2 hours away! The curator decided not to return, I convinced them
they actually needed a collections manager/archivist part time in addition
to a full time curator, and when they found someone to be curator I became
the collections manager.  I can't agree enough with the listers who advise
job-hunters to volunteer at museums while seeking work. You can train people
to do some museum tasks, but you cannot train people to have passion for
their work-- if that essential element is there, you will find a job in a
museum if you stay close to them.  The job notices on this list alone are
often terrific-- stay flexible, reach for the implausible if it reaches out
to you. I'm retired now, but still accepting temporary and part-time museum
and archives work.
Micki Ryan
Curator, Highline Historical Society
Burien WA

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