I intend this posting to go to the computer professionals who are interested and/or employed in the museum profession. I am a young museum professional with about five years experience. I started at my current site as a part time archival assistant, then doubled as a part time docent, was assistant curator for a stretch, and am now the director of education in charge of a hands on education program that serves 100,000 people a year including about 45,000 school children. I head a department that employs over 30 people, most on a part time basis. I have a Masters in the History of Science from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and a Masters of Arts in Teaching from Johns Hopkins. I have taught at the College and High School levels, specializing in making complex concepts, ideas, and theories understandable to children and young adults. My question is this. How would I go about pursuing a career or position as a computer professional in a Museum environment. I have been working with computers for only three years , and I have never programed anything since my BASIC days as an undergraduate. I have however provided some small help in my and other institutions by instructing staff in applications, designing relational and flat file data bases and spread sheets, etc. and bubble gumming out dated hardware together, since we have exactly zero budget for office machines and only use others' cast offs. (We still use a Wang) I am a novice to computers to be sure, but I am very interested in shifting my career aliitle to the left and help museums, especially small poor museums, join the proverbial information superhighway. (am I the only person tired of that metaphor and all of its stupid spinoffs?) Again what do I need to do to attain this goal. If I must have _more_ college education, I am afraid I am drained for the time being. I might be willing to take night classes etc., but so far I have learned most of what I know on my own. SO. Any advice? Please E-Mail me privately just in case you are going to tell me I am whistling up the wrong tree. MATThew A. White Director of Education Baltimore Museum of Industry 1415 Key Highway Baltimore, MD 21230 (410)727-4808 FAX(410)727-4869 e-mail [log in to unmask]