Conference Presenter: PastPerfect Software

Small museums are constantly adapting and reusing what they have.  I know this from working as a curator and serving on the board of directors of small museums. I also talk to small organizations every day, helping PastPerfect users as a support technician at PastPerfect Software. That is why this year’s conference theme got me (and the rest of the PastPerfect team) thinking about how we can help small museums better use resources they already own -- PastPerfect and their data.

 

In support of SMA, PastPerfect Software is offering a Support Lab on Sunday, February 19 from 12-4 pm. Our entire support team will be available to answer any PastPerfect-related questions, whether you are just getting started or have used PastPerfect for years. Please stop by, and get free help with your software. Our museum and technical specialists will be on hand, as well as our conversion and PastPerfect-Online experts. We will also be available all day Monday, February 20 at the Resource Hall. We truly want to help you use one of your museum’s most valuable assets – information about your collections and contacts. 

Jennifer Whitfield, PastPerfect

Conference Presenter: Linda Stanek

Making Learning Fun

Kids today are a new breed. They’ve been called “digital natives” because they have grown up in a digital world. They learn differently, socialize differently, and connect with the world differently than previous generations. In our presentation, Jen and I will share with you new research that shows that puzzles (think crosswords and more) are an effective way to reach and teach this generation, as well as older generations. 

“People of all eras, all cultures, and all kinds of educational backgrounds have made and solved puzzles,” says Marcel Danesi, author of The Puzzle Instinct. Now, research shows that the disfluency of puzzles, as well as the emotional response people have to them, actually promotes the processing of information into long-term memory. In addition to learning about the scientific research, we’ll walk you through the puzzle making process, so that you will leave with a puzzle for your institution, and the ability to make more of them later.

At 1:30-3:00 on Monday, February 20^th, we (children’s authors and puzzle specialists, Jen Funk Weber and Linda Stanek) will present Make It Fun! Creating and Using Puzzles to Engage, Teach, and Reinforce the Learning of Your Visitors where we’ll explore this research and how you can harness the power of puzzles to further the mission of your museum. Hope to see you there!

Small Museum Sessions at the AAM Conference

Let’s Get Small! Celebrating Small Museums at the 2012 AAM Annual Meeting

2012 AAM Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo™

Minneapolis Saint Paul

April 29-May 2

The 2012 AAM Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo™ offers plenty for small museums. Don’t miss out. Register by January 31st to save 40% off the full registration rate.

The premier professional development and networking opportunity of the museum year, the AAM Annual Meeting has numerous offerings designed to help small museums. With the leadership of the Small Museums Administrators Committee, there will be numerous sessions devoted to the issues confronting smaller institutions of all types, including the following:

Your Turn: Answers About MAP, CAP, and StEPS National Assessment Programs

Monday, April 30, 9-10:15

Building Community: Addressing the Challenges and Achievements of University Museums

Monday, April 30, 2-3:15

Small Museum Successes: Creative Ideas and Helpful Hints for Small Institutions

Monday, April 30, 3:30-5:30

Learn more about the Annual Meeting, check out the hotel bargains and roommate options, explore fellowship opportunities (also due January 31!) and plan your learning opportunities at http://aam-us.org/am12/.

Conference Presenter: Douglas Horhota

Partnerships  (Monday Feb 20 3:30 -4:30)

We all are under increased pressure to raise our museum's visibility and vitality.  One way to accomplish this is to establish partnerships with outside organizations.  As museum professionals we typically speak the same language, but what happens when we set up partnerships with non-museum organizations?  Representatives from Jamestown/Yorktown and St Mary's City will lead a group discussion focusing on your experiences in developing partnerships and their background in building corporate and educational relationships.

Employment Opportunity with the Newlin Grist Mill

Newlin Grist Mill Site Manager

 

The Nicholas Newlin Foundation seeks a Site Manager. The private, non-profit foundation maintains a collection of ten historic buildings including the 1704 gristmill, working blacksmith shop, and a research archive situated on 160 acres. The organization has a dual mission of historical and environmental preservation and education.

 

The Site Manager is responsible for the preservation and maintenance of Newlin Grist Mill’s buildings, archaeological resources, grounds and all associated equipment. The Site Manager will oversee preservation planning, creation of historic structure reports, periodic inspections, project planning, and work with maintenance staff to complete maintenance projects for the various structures. The foundation’s structures include a working millrace with canals, dams and gates. Since water is critical to the operation of the site, the position is also responsible for conducting water quality monitoring and overseeing the fishing operations in the ponds and streams. Responsibilities include maintaining the 8.5 miles of trails, protecting the foundation’s environmental resources, overseeing public safety and site security, and completing all paperwork associated with these duties.

 

The Site Manager must be enthusiastic and possess the manual skills required for historic property maintenance. The Site Manager will be required to work well with other staff and oversee outside contractors. Extensive practical maintenance experience in historic structures or a Bachelor’s degree in Preservation, Museum Studies or a related field is required. Experience with project management, research, and landscape preservation is desired.

 

Application deadline is February 15, 2012.

Inquiries and resumes to:

            tshahan@newlingristmill.org or

            Director, Newlin Grist Mill, 219 S. Cheyney Road, Glen Mills, PA 19342

Conference Presenters: Rod Cofield & Mary Alexander:

Let's face it, working with visitors is hard. They demand a lot, they're always asking questions, they want to know everything about everything, and they don't often care if we're having a challenging day. But..., museums exist for visitors and thus we need to pay attention to our visitor experiences. This participatory session, Visitor Services Improv, will draw on real life examples to help us all become more attuned to how museums are sometimes not so visitor-friendly. (No one was actually hurt in this photo shoot.)

Historical Society Seeking Early 20th Century Schoolbooks

The Historical Society of Marshall County (Iowa) wants to buy texts for our 1913 country school reenactments:

 

Gordon Readers First Book, 1910 or 1912.

 

Gordon Readers Third Book, 1910 or 1912.

 

Brooks's Readers Second Year, 1907

 

Brooks's Readers Fourth and Fifth Years, 1907

 

Please take a few minutes to dig and see if you have any of these. The authenticity of our full day reenactments, for every fourth grader in our county, will be enhanced by using these texts.

 

Julie Lang, Volunteer Director

Taylor #4 Country School

605 Elmwood Drive

Marshalltown, IA 50158

 

jjlang@mediacombb.net