In <[log in to unmask]> [log in to unmask] (Jim of oz) writes:
>
>What gets kinda annoying is when you're trying to be a volunteer and then
>just get blown off. While I don't have any specific "museum" skills, I am
>very computer literate, can write, handy with tools and stuff, etc. The
>local museum here has just kept saying call next week (for a month now)
>and today as the final straw, I got disconnected while on hold. For a
>place that needs as much work as they do, I would think they they'd be
>happy to get some help.
>
>Thanks for listening, just blowing off some frustrated steam..........

I had the same experience.  I worked on a project at our local museum, and then
called and called trying to get somebody to "let" me be a volunteer!  Finally,
I
got through, about a year ago, and now I'm the volunteer coordinator.  And the
first thing I found was that there were about three people shouldering all the
burdens of the musuem, and they didn't have time to stop and plan jobs for any
number of eager volunteers--they were too busy trying to keep things running.
I
suggest you go hang out at the museum, see what needs to be done, and propose a
plan of action which you will do yourself (or find your own help to do).
For instance, if you're computer literate, how about making up some
signs for the museum and its gift shop, etc.  Or draw up a plan for
computerizing the musuem collection.  Does the curator need some forms
designed?  If you can get the gist of an idea, and then do the
development on your own, when you bring the finished product in, be
prepared to have your feet kissed!
You can write?  Super--have you ever written a grant application?  Can
you do research?  How about taking oral histories from 'old-timers' in
your town? Your curator knows who they are, and can give you an
introduction, but has never had the time to actually conduct the
interviews.
They need volunteers, but they don't need people who need to be coddled
and babied along.  They need self-starters who will sieze the
initiative to do what needs to be done.  If they need people to move
stuff, you show up.  If they need people on committees, you volunteer.
And you don't do these things because you expect to be thanked--you do
them because they'll help your museum.

--
Nancy J. Gill ([log in to unmask])
Alameda, CA

The people I'm furious with are the women's
liberationists. They keep getting up on
soapboxes and proclaiming women are brighter
than men. That's true, but it should be kept
quiet or it ruins the whole racket.
Anita Loos (1893-1981)
American screenwriter