Open Forum

It's been suggested to me by the director of our Foundation (we are an academic museum) that I try to recruit a PhD student as a member of our collections committee.  On the one hand, I find the idea intriguing, especially since one reason we need to recruit is that our existing members are aging and either literally dying or very, very infirm.  They have (and had) been the lions of curatorial and archives management in our region, but are having trouble keeping up with even our, very light (four regular agendae a year), requirements.  We went with digital "meetings" long before the pandemic to ensure that our frail members could comfortably participate, but even that has become burdensome.

It is such a shame because collectively, they had such deep knowledge of local and regional history and what objects were where.

It would be fabulous to have the perspective a much younger eye and opinion, but I see the possible drawbacks including getting someone to be fully engaged for a short time, only to have them get swamped with dissertation requirements or taking a new post that precludes extra-curriculars.  I am getting close to retirement myself and would like to find ways to engage the rising crop of museum pros and scholars.  Those in my generation volunteered for all sorts of advisory and leadership roles and now we need to cultivate the next generation.

Does any of you see the pitfalls I am not?  Had any of you tried this?  What's been your experience?  Thank you!  Vivian

------------------------------
Vivian Zoë
Executive Director
Slater Memorial Museum
Norwich CT
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 9/3/2020 1:14:00 PM
From: Vivian Zoë
Subject: Collections Committee recruitment

It's been suggested to me by the director of our Foundation (we are an academic museum) that I try to recruit a PhD student as a member of our collections committee.  On the one hand, I find the idea intriguing, especially since one reason we need to recruit is that our existing members are aging and either literally dying or very, very infirm.  They have (and had) been the lions of curatorial and archives management in our region, but are having trouble keeping up with even our, very light (four regular agendae a year), requirements.  We went with digital "meetings" long before the pandemic to ensure that our frail members could comfortably participate, but even that has become burdensome.

It is such a shame because collectively, they had such deep knowledge of local and regional history and what objects were where.

It would be fabulous to have the perspective a much younger eye and opinion, but I see the possible drawbacks including getting someone to be fully engaged for a short time, only to have them get swamped with dissertation requirements or taking a new post that precludes extra-curriculars.  I am getting close to retirement myself and would like to find ways to engage the rising crop of museum pros and scholars.  Those in my generation volunteered for all sorts of advisory and leadership roles and now we need to cultivate the next generation.

Does any of you see the pitfalls I am not?  Had any of you tried this?  What's been your experience?  Thank you!  Vivian

------------------------------
Vivian Zoë
Executive Director
Slater Memorial Museum
Norwich CT
------------------------------

Do you have a "manual" for the Collections Committee with its mission, goals & objectives? ​Are the "rules" that define the Committee rigid, flexible, or non-existent? It would be helpful to have more context - for example who makes up (or what qualifies someone to be on) the Committee? Institutional knowledge is critical, but as you point out, there must be a way to bring on new people to keep the knowledge from "retiring out" - especially if there are no written instructions that define what I said in my opening sentence. 

 Bringing on a PhD student is a good idea because a new person - even if for a one-year period - will both provide insight and be educational for all. He or she might ask questions that the "old guard" would not have thought of. Having a student on board, even if a non-voting member, would be good for the long-term health of the committee. On the other hand, if the Committee is politicized (not unusual), it may turn the student off from ever wanting to work in that field! So the dynamics of the board members should be part of the consideration.

My current position doesn't have a collections committee, but my previous one did.

------------------------------
Alan Goldstein
Interpretive Naturalist
Falls of the Ohio State Park / Interpretive Center
Clarksville IN
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 09-03-2020 01:14 PM
From: Vivian Zoë
Subject: Collections Committee recruitment

It's been suggested to me by the director of our Foundation (we are an academic museum) that I try to recruit a PhD student as a member of our collections committee.  On the one hand, I find the idea intriguing, especially since one reason we need to recruit is that our existing members are aging and either literally dying or very, very infirm.  They have (and had) been the lions of curatorial and archives management in our region, but are having trouble keeping up with even our, very light (four regular agendae a year), requirements.  We went with digital "meetings" long before the pandemic to ensure that our frail members could comfortably participate, but even that has become burdensome.

It is such a shame because collectively, they had such deep knowledge of local and regional history and what objects were where.

It would be fabulous to have the perspective a much younger eye and opinion, but I see the possible drawbacks including getting someone to be fully engaged for a short time, only to have them get swamped with dissertation requirements or taking a new post that precludes extra-curriculars.  I am getting close to retirement myself and would like to find ways to engage the rising crop of museum pros and scholars.  Those in my generation volunteered for all sorts of advisory and leadership roles and now we need to cultivate the next generation.

Does any of you see the pitfalls I am not?  Had any of you tried this?  What's been your experience?  Thank you!  Vivian

------------------------------
Vivian Zoë
Executive Director
Slater Memorial Museum
Norwich CT
------------------------------