Museums are […..] Awesome! An ALHFAM 2017 Keynote Takeaway

I had great expectations for the keynote address at the ALHFAM conference in this year, and Dustin Growick, Audience Development Outreach Manager at Museum Hack did not disappoint. For those of you who could not be there or for those who might be in need of a reminder after returning to a desk piled with… Continue reading Museums are […..] Awesome! An ALHFAM 2017 Keynote Takeaway

Have You Ever Had a “White Hot?”

Photos courtesy of Genesee Country Village & Museum You can mark experiencing a “white hot” off your bucket list if you join us at the opening reception for the 2017 ALHFAM conference. But wait! Don’t dig in until you’ve taken the official tutorial on building a “garbage plate” or a “beef on weck” sandwich. ALHFAM… Continue reading Have You Ever Had a “White Hot?”

The Dreaded Performance Review

Is your institution still stuck in the cycle of the dreaded, annual performance review? I am afraid mine still is, and frankly it’s awful. (I am sure some of my coworkers reading this will rat me out. It’s okay the Boss knows how I feel.) I agree with a Washington Post business writer who called… Continue reading The Dreaded Performance Review

Livestock Care in Museums

Recently a dedicated group of ALHFAM members, primarily from the Farm Professional Interest Group, took the time to develop and/or revise three documents relating to the use of livestock in museum settings. They are: Position statement on the Use of Livestock in Museum Settings (2016) Adopted by the board in 2016, this document clarifies ALHFAM's official… Continue reading Livestock Care in Museums

#MuseumSelfieDay

It's #MuseumSelfie Day! Did you know? The times they have a-changed since I started working in museums 20 or so years ago. Back then, "No Photography" signs were the norm (copyright and preservation issues). Then came the "No Flash Photography" signs (preservation issues). Now many museums have abandoned the signs altogether and are holding Instameets… Continue reading #MuseumSelfieDay

Guerrilla Volunteer Appreciation

As 2017 starts afresh, many of us are in the position of tallying, tabulating, and filling out end of year reports for 2016. In particular, I’m working on making sure every single one of our volunteer’s hours were tracked and recorded. As I do so I’m also thinking about how we’re going to show our… Continue reading Guerrilla Volunteer Appreciation

A Chair No One Sits On

The article Honest Museum Audio Tour from The New Yorker is a quick read and quite funny.  Having worked in museums my entire adult life and visited countless others, I related to much of the commentary in the author's made-up audio tour: "Note this intricately carved chair, which was made in 1573. The first person… Continue reading A Chair No One Sits On