SMA Mad Libs: On Site vs. Facebook

We did SMA inspired mad libs here at the conference and also online on Facebook! Both are entitled "Night at the Small Museum." Words supplied are in UPPERCASE. Which story is best?

On-Site
At the BANANA museum one night, BUBBLES, the curator, was locking up when she encountered a DOG. FANCY, she jumped back and cried, "WOWZER!" Upon which, the DOG DEFENESTRATED. So the curator TRIMMED. Then, she heard THUNDER, and in rushed a FOX STOLE, shouting "ABSOLUTELY!" To which the curator thought, "Just another night at the small museum!"

Facebook
At the STAPLER museum one night, MARTHA, the curator, was locking up when she encountered a BANNER. GALLUMPING, she jumped back and cried, "CRUD!" Upon which, the BANNER ELECTRIFIED. So the curator POKED. Then, she heard BZZZZZZZZZZZT..., and in rushed an OINK, shouting "FUDGE!" To which the curator thought, "Just another night at the small museum!"

Day 1 Highlights!

Before the attendees arrived, some former board members and conference committee members grabbed breakfast at nearby Dumser's.

The pre-conference grant workshop was well attended - three breakout sessions were offered to cater to attendees' needs, such as first time grant proposal writers, collections care grant needs, and writing grant proposals for reaching audiences.

Wow! What a crowded resource hall for the wine and cheese opening evening event.

New this year: Eat and Engage opportunities. I joined the emerging museum professionals (even if I'm not sure that I qualify as one anymore) at Galaxy 66.

And so it begins...

We're only minutes away from opening registration at SMA this year. You can follow all of the activity at our facebook page, which includes links to this blog, our Twitter feed (join the conversation with hashtag #sma11), photos and more. To kick things off, here's a flip-through version of the final program to enjoy. Hope you'll be joining us - live or virtually. After the conference, we'll have information from presenters, podcasts, advocacy information, and much, much more.

Open publication - Free publishing - More program

Call to Advocacy from AASLH - History Funding in Jeopardy!

Dear Friends of History:

As I’m sure you know, President Obama released his FY 2012 budget on Monday, calling for significant cuts to history. At the same time, Congress is gearing up for funding cuts within the FY 2011 budget which is operating under a Continuing Resolution.

HISTORY NEEDS YOUR HELP! There are several agencies and programs at risk. AASLH has made it as easy for you as possible, but we need you to follow the steps below and let your Members of Congress know that you think history is essential to an educated and democratic society.

When you contact your Members, please be sure to let me know (davis@aaslh.org) so I can get a feel for how the field is responding to our request for assistance. And thank you so much for being actively involved in the fight for the future of public funding for history!

Here’s a summary of the battle. As you can see, it’s complicated and a huge hit for history. Below the summary are action steps AASLH is requesting from you!

• Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) – The President has requested $242,605,000 for FY 2012, of which $32,318,000 is for the museum side of the agency, or an 8% cut. In addition, Rep. Scott Garrett (R-NJ) has filed an amendment to strip all funding for IMLS (both libraries and museums) for the balance of the FY 2011 funding year. His proposal may come to the House floor this week. 
• Teaching American History Grants – The President has requested the elimination of TAH grants for FY 2012, just as he did for FY 2011—a $119 million loss.
• Save America’s Treasures – The President has proposed the elimination of the SAT program.
• National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) – The President has proposed a $22 million cut.  In addition, Rep. Scott Garrett (R-NJ) has filed an amendment to strip all funding for NEH for the balance of the FY 2011 funding year.  His proposal may come to the House floor this week. Also, Rep. Francisco Canseco (R-TX) has introduced an amendment to reduce NEH funding by $12.51 million for FY 2011.
• National Publications and Records Commission – The President has proposed a 50% cut, from $10 million to $5 million in funds to grant for FY 2012.
• National Archives and Records Administration – The President has proposed funding at $422,501,000, or an 8.2% decrease from his FY 2011 proposed budget.

Action Steps Requested. These steps are focused on FY 2011. Funding requests regarding FY 2012 will be the focus of future requests, but it’s imperative that funding for history in FY 2011 remain stable.

• Please call or write your Representative now and urge them to oppose the Garrett and Canseco amendments to cut NEH and IMLS funding for FY 2011. AASLH is a proud member of the National Humanities Alliance that has provided you with the links below that make it simple for you to take immediate action against amendments that may be on the House floor this week. Act Now!
  
  Call your Representative – Click here
  Enter your contact information and follow prompts to call your Representative’s office. Talking points are provided regarding NEH, but please be sure to include IMLS in your conversation.
  
  Email your Representative – Click here
  Enter your contact information and follow prompts to send an email message to your Representative. Talking points are provided regarding NEH, but please be sure to include IMLS in your text, and you are encouraged to customize your message.
  
• Contact your Representative and Senators and let them know that history is important. Ask them to support current funding levels for FY 2011 for IMLS, the National Archives, NHPRC, and Save America’s Treasures. Tell them there is abundant evidence on the economic benefits of supporting the cultural sector. Make your own case for these programs. Let them know that history is important for an informed democratic society. AAM has provided an easy way to find your members of Congress at http://www.speakupformuseums.org/home.htm. Just type in your zip code, press go, and contact your Members of Congress.
  
• Teaching American History Grants – Contact your Senators now and ask them to save Teaching American History grants.  AASLH is a proud member of the National Coalition for History and they have provided this easy link for you to use: Save Teaching American History Grants. 

Thank your help with the urgent matter,


Terry Davis
AASLH President & CEO

Survey Request

Dear Members of the Small Museum Association,

I am a graduate student in the Museum Exhibition Planning and Design Program at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. My thesis is exploring the impact of traveling exhibitions on small communities, which I have defined as 50,000 people or less. While not all small museums are in smaller communities, there are certainly strong correlations between the two. To that end, I have created a front-end survey. If your museum has received a traveling exhibition in the last ten years and the community it is situated in is under 50,000 people, I would appreciate your feedback.

The link to the survey is: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/TYW3QVN

Thank you, in advance, for your participation!

Sincerely,

Rebecca Fell

Employment Opportunity with Dumbarton House

Position Announcement:  Facilities Manager                                                        

Dumbarton House, 200-year old historic site in Georgetown and headquarters for The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America, seeks a full-time Facilities Manager to serve as the primary maintenance staff person, and manage the security and maintenance systems of the historic house museum, offices, and 1.2 acre landscaped grounds.

Primary Duties & Responsibilities:

·        Coordinate site security

·        Manage site maintenance

·        Manage grounds care

·        Program/meeting setup

Full-time, non-exempt, position. 35 hours a week, typically 7:30am-3:30pm, Monday-Friday.  Periodic evening & weekend hours required.

Salary: Commensurate with experience. Benefits package includes 100% employer-paid individual health insurance; life insurance; paid holidays, vacation, sick, and personal leave; and access to retirement accounts, professional development opportunities, and tuition reimbursement.

Minimum Qualifications:

• 3 years of experience in a similar position
• Knowledge of HVAC, electrical, & plumbing systems, and fire, security, ADA requirements
• Excellent communication and customer service skills
• Ability to respond to alarms and emergency security & maintenance needs outside of regularly scheduled shifts, arriving to site within 10-15 minutes if required
• Proficient in Microsoft Outlook and Word
• Ability to lift and transfer a minimum of 50 pounds, climb ladders, and maneuver through a 200 year-old building via 4 flights of stairs
• Ability to use private vehicle to transport supplies periodically
• Ability to organize & prioritize work, maintain orderly assigned individual workspace, and meet deadlines
• Experience with/enthusiasm for working at a historic site and maintaining preservation standards
• Ability to effectively communicate in English
• Ability to pass complete background check

To Apply:

Please send cover letter & resume to KarenDaly@DumbartonHouse.org or fax to 202-337-0348.  No phone calls please.

SMA Book Club - Mary Alexander

I’m intrigued by the idea of getting kids to “use their senses” when visiting a museum (Chapter 7 of Connecting Kids to History with Museum Exhibitions). But, I’m not at all clear how to do that in a traditional historic house museum where visitors usually are guided by a docent. Somehow the authors suggest that this “sensing” should be more than simply having a basket of touchables that can be handed around to kids.

On a more general level, I don’t get the value of kids lying down in a giant hotdog bun pretending to the hotdog? What am I missing? How do we take that idea and apply it to a more traditional history museum experience? And, should we?

See you at the beach very soon; keep reading!