Open Forum

Dear All

One interesting end of year question from a fellow member of AAM. 

What is the one book you would recommend to read as the most helpful preparation for what you have actually encountered in your museum career? For me the two books are Museum Education for today' Audiences by Potter and Cunningham and Change is Required by Decter, Semmel and Yelis. I find that these books have good advice and says things that need to be said about museums. I look forward to all responses and insight.

Thanks,

Rachel

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Rachel Alschuler
Museum Education/ Visitor Experience
San Francisco CA
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Hi Rachel,

Good question! For me, it's Material Culture Studies in America edited by Thomas J. Schlereth. It helped me to develop perspective and techniques for thinking about objects. It has also helped me teach Department of Defense historians about artifacts as primary sources and carriers of information. There are a few other excellent go-to books in the same vein, but Schlereth's is foundational for me.

Cheers,

Doug

------------------------------
Doug Lantry, PhD
Curator and Historian, Research Division
National Museum of the United States Air Force
Wright-Patterson AFB, OH
douglas.lantry.1@us.af.mil
nationalmuseum.af.mil
------------------------------

Dear Doug

Thanks, I am glad you enjoy the question. It is a good thing when a book helps you or changes you in someway. Also glad it helped to get Department of defense see the value in objects. I have a friend who manages a small veterans museum in Cider Rapids. I very mush understand the value of objects as a visiter experience person. 

Thanks again,

Rachel

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Rachel Alschuler
Museum Education/ Visitor Experience
San Francisco CA
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 12-31-2024 07:59 AM
From: Douglas Lantry
Subject: What is the one book you would recommend to read as the most helpful preparation for what you have actually encountered in your museum career?

Hi Rachel,

Good question! For me, it's Material Culture Studies in America edited by Thomas J. Schlereth. It helped me to develop perspective and techniques for thinking about objects. It has also helped me teach Department of Defense historians about artifacts as primary sources and carriers of information. There are a few other excellent go-to books in the same vein, but Schlereth's is foundational for me.

Cheers,

Doug

------------------------------
Doug Lantry, PhD
Curator and Historian, Research Division
National Museum of the United States Air Force
Wright-Patterson AFB, OH
douglas.lantry.1@us.af.mil
nationalmuseum.af.mil
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 12/31/2024 8:00:00 AM
From: Douglas Lantry
Subject: RE: What is the one book you would recommend to read as the most helpful preparation for what you have actually encountered in your museum career?

Hi Rachel,

Good question! For me, it's Material Culture Studies in America edited by Thomas J. Schlereth. It helped me to develop perspective and techniques for thinking about objects. It has also helped me teach Department of Defense historians about artifacts as primary sources and carriers of information. There are a few other excellent go-to books in the same vein, but Schlereth's is foundational for me.

Cheers,

Doug

------------------------------
Doug Lantry, PhD
Curator and Historian, Research Division
National Museum of the United States Air Force
Wright-Patterson AFB, OH
douglas.lantry.1@us.af.mil
nationalmuseum.af.mil
------------------------------

Dear Dave

Great such variety in books.

Thanks,

Rachel

------------------------------
Rachel Alschuler
Museum Education/ Visitor Experience
San Francisco CA
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 01-01-2025 06:31 AM
From: Dave Hanen
Subject: What is the one book you would recommend to read as the most helpful preparation for what you have actually encountered in your museum career?

James by Percival Everett. For the African American experience and understanding our African exhibit from an American point of view..

Original Message:
Sent: 12/31/2024 8:00:00 AM
From: Douglas Lantry
Subject: RE: What is the one book you would recommend to read as the most helpful preparation for what you have actually encountered in your museum career?

Hi Rachel,

Good question! For me, it's Material Culture Studies in America edited by Thomas J. Schlereth. It helped me to develop perspective and techniques for thinking about objects. It has also helped me teach Department of Defense historians about artifacts as primary sources and carriers of information. There are a few other excellent go-to books in the same vein, but Schlereth's is foundational for me.

Cheers,

Doug

------------------------------
Doug Lantry, PhD
Curator and Historian, Research Division
National Museum of the United States Air Force
Wright-Patterson AFB, OH
douglas.lantry.1@us.af.mil
nationalmuseum.af.mil
------------------------------

Dear colleagues:

I second the Schlereth reference & add another of my most important reads: 

Janes, Robert R. 2009. Museums in a Troubled World: Renewal, Irrelevance, or Collapse? New York: Routledge at https://www.google.ca/books/edition/Museums_in_a_Troubled_World/cNF9AgAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PA1&printsec=frontcover .

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Paul C.Thistle
Director/Curator (retired)
Stratford, Ontario
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 12-31-2024 07:59 AM
From: Douglas Lantry
Subject: What is the one book you would recommend to read as the most helpful preparation for what you have actually encountered in your museum career?

Hi Rachel,

Good question! For me, it's Material Culture Studies in America edited by Thomas J. Schlereth. It helped me to develop perspective and techniques for thinking about objects. It has also helped me teach Department of Defense historians about artifacts as primary sources and carriers of information. There are a few other excellent go-to books in the same vein, but Schlereth's is foundational for me.

Cheers,

Doug

------------------------------
Doug Lantry, PhD
Curator and Historian, Research Division
National Museum of the United States Air Force
Wright-Patterson AFB, OH
douglas.lantry.1@us.af.mil
nationalmuseum.af.mil
------------------------------

Hi Rachel,

The one book that I would recommend for anyone who is considering starting a museum is Starting Right - A Basic Guide to Museum Planning,

Gerald George and Cindy Sherrell-Leo offer 20 steps that, if followed, will help ensure a successful and perpetual museum. One of the big take-aways from the book is that one should allow three years to complete the 20 steps with actually opening the museum scheduled for late in the third year. I volunteer for a museum whose founder did not follow the steps, and the museum has struggled to survive from day one.

Peter H. Hames, BSME, MBA, Master's degree in Maritime and Naval Studies

Volunteer - Houston Maritime Center and Museum

maritime65102@gmail.com

------------------------------
Peter Hames MBA
Volunteer
Houston Maritime Museum
Houston TX
------------------------------

Dear Peter

Good to know, and sounds like the book is practical and that is a good thing.

Thanks,

Rachel

------------------------------
Rachel Alschuler
Museum Education/ Visitor Experience
San Francisco CA
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 01-01-2025 12:40 PM
From: Peter Hames
Subject: What is the one book you would recommend to read as the most helpful preparation for what you have actually encountered in your museum career?

Hi Rachel,

The one book that I would recommend for anyone who is considering starting a museum is Starting Right - A Basic Guide to Museum Planning,

Gerald George and Cindy Sherrell-Leo offer 20 steps that, if followed, will help ensure a successful and perpetual museum. One of the big take-aways from the book is that one should allow three years to complete the 20 steps with actually opening the museum scheduled for late in the third year. I volunteer for a museum whose founder did not follow the steps, and the museum has struggled to survive from day one.

Peter H. Hames, BSME, MBA, Master's degree in Maritime and Naval Studies

Volunteer - Houston Maritime Center and Museum

maritime65102@gmail.com

------------------------------
Peter Hames MBA
Volunteer
Houston Maritime Museum
Houston TX
------------------------------

I second the Schlereth book and add Museum Registration Methods 6

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Evelyn Fidler
Assistant Director of Heritage Resources
Kings Landing Corporation
New Brunswick, Canada
------------------------------

Thanks for the growing list. The go-to for me has been A Legal Primer On Managing Museum Collections (3rd edition) Malaro and DeAngelis. It helps to explain professional standards from legal and ethical perspectives in understandable language. Very helpful to both Boards and staffs (paid or volunteer) for understanding the "why" and "how" of decision-making.

------------------------------
Ellen Endslow
Director of Collections/Curator
Chester County History Center
West Chester PA
Chester County History Center
------------------------------

What a great question! The Museum Educator's Manual 2nd Edition by Anna Johnson, Kimberly Huber, Nancy Cutler, Melissa Bingmann, and Tim Grove was my go to when I first started in the field. I love the included case studies and applicable tips for execution. 

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Rayanna Hoeft
Museum Services Program Specialist
Texas Historical Commission
Austin TX
------------------------------

Dear Rayanna and Everyone

Thanks for all the books. I think I have read parts of the museum educator's manual in my graduate program. I always enjoy learning from all of you.

Thank you,

Rachel

------------------------------
Rachel Alschuler
Museum Education/ Visitor Experience
San Francisco CA
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 01-02-2025 10:12 AM
From: Rayanna Hoeft
Subject: What is the one book you would recommend to read as the most helpful preparation for what you have actually encountered in your museum career?

What a great question! The Museum Educator's Manual 2nd Edition by Anna Johnson, Kimberly Huber, Nancy Cutler, Melissa Bingmann, and Tim Grove was my go to when I first started in the field. I love the included case studies and applicable tips for execution. 

------------------------------
Rayanna Hoeft
Museum Services Program Specialist
Texas Historical Commission
Austin TX
------------------------------

Great list. Thank you!

When I started my museum many recommended to me Museum Administration 2.0 (from the American Association for State and Local History). This has been invaluable to me, making sure I know where to put my attention and when. 

And, if it's okay to make a plug, that's why I wrote Making Dinosaurs Dance: A Toolkit for Digital Design in Museums (American Alliance of Museums)
both as a toolkit for place-based designers but also as the career memoir I wish I'd had when I started, about what its like to work at a major museum, from hiring to firing (American Museum of Natural History). 

------------------------------
Barry Joseph
Founder
Brooklyn Seltzer Museum
Brooklyn NY
------------------------------

Dear Barry

Thanks for sharing. I would read that memoir because I like to learn about the be hind the scenes  workings of museums. 

Thanks again,

Rachel

------------------------------
Rachel Alschuler
Museum Education/ Visitor Experience
San Francisco CA
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 01-03-2025 07:03 AM
From: Barry Joseph
Subject: What is the one book you would recommend to read as the most helpful preparation for what you have actually encountered in your museum career?

Great list. Thank you!

When I started my museum many recommended to me Museum Administration 2.0 (from the American Association for State and Local History). This has been invaluable to me, making sure I know where to put my attention and when. 

And, if it's okay to make a plug, that's why I wrote Making Dinosaurs Dance: A Toolkit for Digital Design in Museums (American Alliance of Museums)
both as a toolkit for place-based designers but also as the career memoir I wish I'd had when I started, about what its like to work at a major museum, from hiring to firing (American Museum of Natural History). 

------------------------------
Barry Joseph
Founder
Brooklyn Seltzer Museum
Brooklyn NY
------------------------------