Applying for the scholarship is worth it for anyone who would not otherwise be able to afford admission. What I learned from receiving my scholarship is that I am being financially supported because someone believes I belong there, that I belong in the conversation. And the same is true for you! If your museum is small, or if the scope of your collections does not align with the biggest most popular museums that is a good thing! It means your unique viewpoint will enrich the content of the conference for everyone.

The scholarship came with benefits even before I received my admission ticket. Through receiving the scholarship I was put in contact with knowledgeable people that are involved in the UMA who could answer my questions and provide helpful information about the conference. The first person I met the moment I walked into the conference hall was Ruth, the woman who arranged my scholarship that I had been in communication with. It was a great feeling to walk into a new place for the first time and meet someone I already knew.

Throughout the conference I was able to make connections to a wealth of resources from other Utah museums! I left the conference with new ideas on how to design inclusive exhibits and the contact information of the right people to help me execute it.

This is a great opportunity for anyone in the museum field to experience. I encourage you to take the time to apply for the scholarship and I hope to meet you there!

Coral O'Riley is a Ranger at Territorial Statehouse State Park and Museum. She was awarded a scholarship to attend the 2018 UMA Conference.

By: Maegan Wilberg

Maegan Wilburg participated in a recent Utah Humanities’ Collections Stewardship workshop. As Director of the Museum of the San Rafael, she had the opportunity to not only attend, but to also host the two-day workshop at her museum. Here are a few of her thoughts on the professional development opportunity in addition to hosting the workshop:

I am pleased to say that the training went very well and we learned so many things through our participation. It was our pleasure to be able to host a meeting like this. This meeting had so much information it was as if someone opened a fire hose and told us to drink from it. So much wonderful information that we can take and use for generations to come. It opened our eyes to the things that need to be changed. Helping staff, board members, and volunteers understand what needs to take place for the future of our museum. Here are some key points that stuck out in our minds that we learned:

-We are now able to look at an object and recognize the weak points in how they are displayed. What needs to be done to preserve and take better care of the objects we have.

-We also learned the importance of having strategic plans, exhibit, and artifact policies in place and are ready for action so we are not breaking any ethical or legal laws.

-Knowing about the different destructive elements that we have been using in the museum environment, will now help us be aware of what we need to do to preserve our artifacts while they are out on display. Collections documentation is extremely important in preserving the context of our artifacts for future generations.

-We learned that it is important to take the time to do things slowly and correctly rather than rushing through and having errors. It is okay to take baby steps, and ask for help.

-It is appropriate to de-accession artifacts that do not fit our mission statement. De-accessioning artifacts is a necessary process in any museum with limited space and staff abilities.

-Our storage space needs to be a separate clean and organized work space with appropriate tools to preserve and store our items that are not on display.

Thank you to Utah Humanities for this opportunity to learn; we always love to learn new things and you can always learn something new. Knowing now what we need to do, we are eager to get started. We know our limits and can now act accordingly.

Maegan Wilberg is the Director of the Museum of the San Rafael and Pioneer Museum in Castle Dale, Utah.

I went to a great professional development workshop, hosted by the Utah Museum of Natural History, a week ago.  It was a great workshop on applying the research done by the National Research Council...great news...Informal Environments (Museums!) lead to real science learning...we all knew that of course, but one of the great take aways was the book: "Surrounded by Science" by Marilyn Fenichel and Heidi A. Schweingurber...and the even better news...IT IS FREE IN PDF FORM...you can download it at: http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12614

Enjoy!

Blake Wigdahl

If you are interested in the future of the Museum field, the California Association of Museum (CAM) has a group that reports on museum trends. Here's Lisa Eriksen's description on how to participate - you don't need to be a member of CAM to join.

To participate in our museums future group and read the reports we are sharing with the field, you first have to sign up for CA Museum Community Online – camuseumcommunity.org - and then you can join the Leaders of the Future discussion group (in the Group section in the middle of the homepage).  Then visitors can access the Foresight Research Reports from the CAM Leaders of the Future training project, including Expanding Access & Changing Demographics, Museums as Third Places and Museums and Experience Design.  The discussion forum is where the reports are presented along with other information.  We hope some of you will join in the conversation or start a new discussion about the future of museums.

Great conference everyone and for those who attended the "It's not the failure that Matters!" workshop.  Since we didn't make enough copies,  here's a link to download the handouts: http://www.blakewigdahl.com/presentations

Cheers,

Blake

While this may be especially of interest to those who attended the lighting workshop this week, it's a great resource in general. See http://www.getty.edu/conservation/our_projects/science/lighting/lighting... for information on this resource, and how to get it. (You must email the author, Jim Druzik.) In addition to the Guidelines, Jim also sends along some case studies that are very helpful and interesting.

Thanks Cory and UMA for a great workshop! I know we learned a lot.

What a great way to recharge the museum battery! I was inspired by so many projects from our museum colleagues around the country. I suspended my jealous emotions at those with giant museum budgets and staffs, and listened for those ideas that might spark a direction or a project in my own current museum education work. What I heard at the conference is that museums need to look outward, to our communities, to tell an inclusive story. Listen to our visitors! Do they really actually want that fancy mobile app? How do they want to engage? And for me as a museum educator, I came away ready to find out how the museum I work at can truly assist our local schools. There was a great session about the Common Core, engaging Latino communities, partnerships with K-12 teachers, and leadership structure and qualities. There were wonderful nuts and bolts ideas, along with some big ideas to mull over. Implementing ideas gathered will take conversations and relationships. But that is what we are building in our museums—relationships with visitors, tourists, students, and community.

The keynote speaker, author Erik Larson, talked about telling stories. And isn’t that the business we are in, too, when we think about it? Telling and engaging others in the stories of our communities. This made me excited for our own Utah Museum’s Association Conference this fall in Cedar City—Storytelling for the Future.

One of the great things about AAM (and perhaps even more at smaller conferences such as UMA) are the networking opportunities. I tend to get a bit overwhelmed at AAM, but I was able to attend some outstanding museums for evening events where I met wonderful people. Most memorable was when we were touring wooden boats, located by the Museum of History and Industry. The passion and dedication of the folks preserving these boats and their history—volunteers and staff alike—made me remember why I am in the history museum field.

And it was great to reconnect with friends from around the country! When I walked into my George Washington University alumni reception, I saw Paul Stavast from the BYU Museum of Peoples and Cultures. What a small world! I didn’t know he had attended the GW Museum Studies program, and it was great to talk to a fellow Utah museum professional about Utah museums in a different setting. Just as museums build relationships with their communities, relationships between museum professionals are vitally important as well.

I am back to reality, but hopefully armed with some great ideas. I am looking forward to the UMA Conference in Cedar City this fall for more professional development with Utah friends and colleagues!

Jenette Purdy is the Director of Education at the Park City Museum. She recently joined the Utah Museums Association Board of Directors.

Photos: Views from Seattle by Jenette (And a few of her classmates from GW Museum Studies graduation class 2010 at the reception.)

Often capacity is viewed in terms of quantity, with the implication that more or larger is better. Are numbers really the important thing? We do look at numbers to assess improvement, but increasing capacity does not necessarily mean adding more objects to the collection, finding more space for more objects, using more technology, doing more things, getting more staff, or even getting more money. There is a qualitative aspect of capacity, which is ultimately the real issue - greater “ability” to do “better” things.

Toward the goal of “capacity building,” the MII provided training, mentors, resources, and equipment, in the expectation that capacity would be increased, yet there was frustration. A statement in the MII Report sums up issues that became apparent:

“Despite this success, the challenges faced by these small museums are monumental, and while the MII program provided transformational tools and support for participants, many capacity-related problems persist. In fact, some interviewees noted that their prevailing challenges were in some ways exacerbated by their newfound knowledge of best practices. They expressed a sense of feeling overwhelmed in meeting new, higher expectations learned at the MII in the face of consistently limited resources, including time, capable staff and volunteers, and funding. The positive feedback from interviewees suggests that the MII program has the potential to expand to meet the ongoing needs of small museums throughout the state.” Source: http://www.utahhumanities.org/files/MII-FinalReport-MP-00-09-0053-09%20web.pdf (page 10)

The following are capacity building blocks that museums should consider when embarking on “capacity building”. The reality, despite all well meaning intentions, might sometimes mirror the sentiments of the MII report above, as I experienced in a building project I was involved with. But these building blocks are crucial in thinking about what our museums are all about.

CAPACITY BUILDING BLOCKS

Commitment to a Higher Standard

The MII imposed upon participants a higher standard. No growth or progress or capacity building is possible without expanding or stretching. Yes, it does take effort - even more effort when resources are limited. But the first and essential component is desire. People don’t generally put forth the necessary effort when it is simply suggested or expected by someone else, but are more likely when they desire the result enough to make a commitment to make it happen. There are a number of programs promoting standards of excellence for museums. I think it is very significant that AAM begins with a “Commitment to Excellence.” Capacity is built not simply by taking on more, but by striving to do better.

A Foundation of Best Practice

State Performance Goals and similar programs can be a guide to create a solid foundation based on best practices. Assessment is a first step because it is necessary to know where we are as well as where we want to be. These programs provide a pattern and systematic approach to improvement. This is a process which can seem overwhelming unless approached gradually, but it is critical to do so as a foundation upon which to build.

Planning

Desire and commitment must work together in an organized way - according to a Plan. The Plan is the “blueprint” which shows not only what the end result should look like, but what steps must be taken to get there. The process of creating the plan, though it may seem time consuming and resource draining, is as essential as the plan itself. I recently taught some self-reliance classes and a big part of developing self-reliance is learning this process. It starts with identifying needs and setting goals; assessing what we have in terms of needed knowledge, skills, and resources; then with a specific plan we can approach others for help with the things that we need beyond our resources. This is essentially the same process of applying for grants or seeking funding for museum projects. Being able to clearly outline what you want to accomplish, the benefits hoped for, and demonstrating that you have put time and effort into planning, will go a long way in convincing those with money that it will be well spent. Developing skill in planning not only increases our capacity to produce quality programs, it can increase our ability to gain the increased funding or publicity we seek.

Knowledge & Training

Gaining knowledge is like acquiring the tools and materials needed to build capacity. Training is gaining the skill to use them effectively. Information can be offered or provided but must be accompanied by an attitude of willingness to learn and apply. Yes, education, training, books and resources do cost money and take time. Education is an investment and like any investment more is put into it in the beginning with the hope of a greater payout later on. Gaining knowledge first can save time and effort and even money in the long run because we become more efficient with training, it is easier the next time around, and there are fewer problems to have to fix.

Free and low cost educational and training opportunities are available through state and national organizations. Why do some take advantage of these and thereby build capacity, while others do not? Some may not feel they have the “capital” to make the initial investment. Maybe some lack the foresight and patience to wait for a payoff, wanting instead instant solutions. Some may actually not know enough to know that they have so much more to learn. Their experience with a small museum doing so little may limit their vision so they are unaware of possibilities or even expectations of what they should be doing. Gaining a little knowledge, like with the MII, may expand those horizons and become a first step toward something better. But it may also result in a retreat back to a minimal comfortable level, with some accompanying guilt.

Teamwork

It makes sense that combining the skills, knowledge, experience, resources - capacity - of individuals will in turn increase the capacity of the group or organization. Within an organization, capacity can be increased not only by educating and training ourselves, but by recruiting capable people with specific needed skills or knowledge to join the “team”, even if for one time-limited project. Workloads can be eased through sharing with others, but other issues may arise without clearly defined goals, roles and responsibilities. These kind of internal, organizational conflicts showed up with the MII experience. Good teamwork requires an atmosphere of trust, confidence, and good communication. It works best with the foundation of good written policy, job descriptions, and strategic plans - the outcome of striving for those professional standards. If those kinds of goals are worked on first, creating that solid foundation, capacity will build incrementally and gradually as teams are built, plans made, and projects undertaken.

Successful programs, such as MII and MoMS are collaborative efforts, combining the resources and expertise of multiple organizations and individuals to accomplish something that any one of them alone could not do. Sometimes it just makes sense to “sub-contract.” Collaborations and partnerships of small museums with stronger museums could also be very helpful in building capacity of small museums. Larger institutions might not see the benefit of a collaborative partnership with a small museum, but in the long run, the capacity building that can take place within small museums can be a huge benefit to the whole community.

Mentors were an important part of the MII experience and can be so valuable in building capacity. They become an added resource for information, but probably most important is the support and confidence-building potential. Alone, we tend to question our abilities and become discouraged as difficulties arise, but the added confidence of a mentor’s encouragement - “You can do this” - can make a huge difference.

Evaluation and elimination

How do we know if our efforts are indeed building capacity? The statement from the MII evaluation quoted above reminds us that even successful programs may bring to light other capacity-related issues. Continued evaluation of our efforts helps us see progress and problems for which adjustments can be made. Evaluation should be measured against those foundational best-practice standards and the Mission of the museum. As we determine which programs are effective in meeting our goals and which may be a waste of time and resources, we may need to consider eliminating things to free up time, space, and resources for other more important things. This may seem a very quantitative issue - a simple matter of math -removing something creates a place for something else. But it also needs to be qualitative - an opening created so that a well thought-out plan for something better can be implemented.

REALITY

A few years ago I was faced with a great challenge and opportunity for capacity building. The move and renovation of an old museum building provided an opportunity for increased capacity in a very literal, physical, quantitative way. A new larger foundation would be laid, creating additional basement space as well as improving previously dangerous conditions. Excited for this physical capacity increase, I also sought to use this as an opportunity to increase the capacity of the museum to do what museums should do - improve the care of the collection and through greater interpretation provide better experiences for the public. I had a vision of what this museum could become. I wanted to begin building upon a firm foundation of sound best-practice policy. I developed plans to utilize the increased space for better artifact storage, a large meeting room suitable for public programs and traveling exhibitions, and much needed office space. My plans included training in interpretation and proper care and handling of museum collections for all who would be involved. I recruited knowledgeable, skilled people - a retired museum director, recent museum studies graduates, University interns among them - to create teams to work on various aspects of the plan. I initiated a partnership with another historical organization to assist with plans to obtain more funding. I articulated the vision and specific plans to present to those who might provide funding.

What actually happened? The best-practice foundation was removed, the plans were discarded, available information and training was rejected, the teams were disbanded. What was left was a few untrained, uneducated people filling the expanded space with more random, meaningless, unsafe displays of artifacts which did nothing in the way of increasing the capacity of the museum to provide public value.

In this article, I present the value of Capacity Building Blocks without a necessarily glowing organizational success story. But sometimes it is these examples that can teach us why and how these Capacity Building Blocks can be so important. Capacity building is not necessarily about increasing the size or improving the condition of physical facilities. It is not even about acquiring more stuff - equipment, tools, or technology. Capacity, especially in small museums, really comes down to people. Capacity building is ultimately about empowering individuals. It requires making an investment in those individuals with the hope that they will stretch and grow, form committed teams, do productive planning, and build better upon a strong foundation.

Karen Stark works with the Utah Humanities Council as the Museum on Main Street Program Assistant. Karen is a member of the UMA Board and is a passionate advocate for small museums incorporating engaging and professional museum practices.

Schedule

Newsletters are published monthly on the 3rd Tuesday of the month. Submissions are due the 15th of the prior month for inclusion in the newsletter. 

Content

We are interested in seeing features, how-to articles, book reviews, case studies, tips and tricks, instructions, motivational articles and other articles that will help Utah museum employees, volunteers and students gain knowledge that will help them succeed.

Instructions

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• Completed articles are accepted, though you may query first if you would like our suggestions or themes for upcoming issues.
• Send your article as a MS Word or Open Office attachment or in the body of an email to Jenette Purdy.
• Article length can be short (1-2 pages) or longer, depending on the complexity of the topic. 
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Pinpointing Murray City Museum as our partner for CSI: Registrars came with the help of Ruth White at the Utah Museums Association. Ruth provided much needed assistance and intel on museums within the Salt Lake City region who would need collections help, and Murray City Museum was a great choice; diversity of collections, short-term needs which could be handled in a day, and dedicated staff and volunteers willing to roll up their sleeves and help. Mary Ann Kirk and Bunny Ankeny of Murray were enthusiastic to host and assist with preparations.

Groundwork for the tasks at hand began with conversations with Murray staff on their highest priorities and how they hoped to benefit from the concentration of people on site. Having a full spectrum of experience embodied in the volunteers ranging from art handlers to natural history, and military history to textile professionals provided a wealth of resources for Murray’s needs. Accounting for this experience and the needs of the museum we began with studying images of the current interpretive installation, which featured much of the collection, as well as gauging the supplies on hand. From this research, we determined what general supplies for rehousing and protection of objects on exhibit would be needed. With supplies and lunch generously provided through the generosity of Hollinger Metal Edge, the registrars and museum volunteers and staff descended upon Murray Museum.

As the day on site began, we started with an overall walkthrough of the exhibition spaces and objects on display. Dioramas and glass cases throughout Murray City Hall show the history and objects interpreting the history of Murray. As the registrars and staff examined the exhibitions we came up with a list of priorities and a plan of attack.

Exhibition cases needed barrier layers protecting objects from each other. Textiles needed extra padding and support. Some objects needed to simply be removed from display; they had been on exhibit for nearly 10 years, and had been subjected to light and the stressors of being on view. Books and documents needed support structures and Mylar page holders. Refreshing, rehousing, and assessing were the goals and making use of simple, straightforward, and economical solutions were the means.

A request from Murray staff was to provide instruction and hands-on demonstrations of how to complete a condition report. Focusing on textiles for the reports, registrars worked directly with Murray volunteers and staff addressing why these types of reports are necessary, then working step-by-step through the process, tips, and terminology. At the end of the day a core group of Murray volunteers had the skills and confidence necessary to complete condition reports on all types and kinds of materials.

In addition to the space in Murray City Hall the museum physically occupies, glass cases in the hallways feature objects from the collection, illustrating additional stories around Murray history. Volunteers focused on the “Arlington School” case, removing objects from display which needed a “rest,” creating mounts which both support and protect the objects and the display, and determining the highest and best use of objects to tell the story of Murray.

Wendy Niles, a participant, describes the work she and Murray volunteers performed, “…we made a circular paper padded support for the hat to mitigate the creasing.  This also raised the hat so the brim was no longer resting on the metal artifacts and was now supported only by the padding and Plexiglas form.  We then cut out Mylar shapes for barrier layers between the large metal artifacts and the fabric or base surfaces.  There was rust debris under the rail cross section so we brushed that off of the fabric and also brushed the cross section to remove the lose particles.  We also did slight rearranging in the display to align the labels more closely with the associated artifacts.”

CSI: Registrars provides a great opportunity to directly connect with local museums and staff, help fill a need for technical assistance, and assist on special projects which oftentimes would require contracted services. Visible changes and measureable results at the end of a single day are huge motivations not only for site staff, but those of us helping out. Experience and knowledge are for sharing and create camaraderie within the collections world—something that helps the entire museum profession.

Thanks again to everyone who participated, provided expertise, supplies, and people power to Murray City Museum!

- Nicole Nathan
Claret Associates / RCWR

See more photos of this event at http://flic.kr/s/aHsjLdsC6H