Blog and Newsletter

The 2015 Library Instruction Round Table (LIRT) Awards nomination deadline is Thursday, January 15, 2015.   

The Library Instruction Round Table (LIRT) is currently accepting nominations for two awards created to recognize excellence in information literacy and instruction. 

The LIRT Librarian Recognition Award will be presented to an individual librarian in appreciation for her/his contributions to the field, while the LIRT Innovation in Instruction Award will be given to a Library that demonstrates innovation in support of information literacy and instruction.

The Pinkett Award was established in 1993 and recognizes and acknowledges minority graduate students, such as those of African, Asian, Latino or Native American descent, who, through scholastic and personal achievement, manifest an interest in becoming professional archivists and active members of the Society of American Archivists.
The recipients of the award will receive full complimentary registration to the SAA Annual Meeting and related expenses for hotel and travel for attending the Annual Meeting of the Society of American Archivists on August 16-22, 2015 in Cleveland, Ohio. In addition, each recipient receives a complimentary one-year membership in SAA. The Pinkett is awarded to minority students, with preference given to full-time students possessing a minimum scholastic grade point average of 3.5 while enrolled in a graduate program focusing on archival management during the academic year proceeding the date on which the award is given. For more details or to download the application form please visit: http://www2.archivists.org/governance/handbook/section12-pinkett.  The deadline to apply is February 28, 2015.

Live-In Caretaker/Farm Hand wanted at the Washburn-Norlands Living History Center, a 19th-century museum and farm in Livermore, Maine. This is a year-round position in exchange for housing in a 1-bedroom apartment, utilities included. The Caretaker is responsible for daily animal care, seasonal farm chores, weekly cleaning of buildings, general maintenance, assistance with program preparations, and overall site cleanliness and safety. Restrictions on the use of the buildings/grounds apply. No pets allowed. For more information, email norlands@norlands for a detailed job description. Email cover letter and resume to norlands@norlands.org.

The Washburn-Norlands Living History Center is a living museum and working farmstead operating under methods of the 1800s.   Our mission is to preserve the heritage and traditions of rural life in Maine's past, to celebrate the achievements of Livermore's Washburn family, and to use living history methods to make values, activities, and issues of the past relevant to present and future generations.

FMI: www.norlands.org

Director of Development, Maine Maritime Museum
Maine Maritime Museum, an internationally recognized cultural institution located on the Kennebec River in
Bath seeks a Director of Development who will play a key role in the leadership team and help the museum
continue to grow and excel.

The Museum

Maine Maritime Museum (MMM) is an independent, nonprofit institution dedicated to promoting an
understanding and appreciation of Maine’s maritime heritage and culture through gallery exhibits, an
historic shipyard, educational programs, a research Library, and narrated excursions along area waterways.
Founded in 1962, the Museum is located on a beautiful 20-acre campus on the banks of the Kennebec River
in Bath, “The City of Ships” and provides a unique experience to visitors of all ages from around the world.
The MMM experience includes indoor galleries with changing exhibits on historic and contemporary maritime
issues, the monumental evocation of the schooner Wyoming, an active boat shop that teaches traditional
skills to students and adults, and river and industry tours that help people gain an entirely new
understanding and perception of Maine’s maritime culture. More than 250 volunteers spend their time
working with the staff, the collections, and visitors to contribute to the enrichment of thousands of lives.
Engaged donors support the Museum in order to leave a lasting legacy that will inform – and transform –
future generations. MMM strives to enrich the lives of residents and visitors and be the fullest expression of
what a museum can be.

The Museum has a staff of 22 FTEs, 250+ volunteers, and an active board of trustees. MMM is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and adheres to the highest standards of the museum industry.

The Position

The Director of Development is responsible for the strategic development plan and oversees all aspects of
the Museum's fund raising activities to meet annual financial objectives. With assistance from a full-time
development associate and additional administrative and marketing support, the Director of Development
reports to the Executive Director and works closely with the board to ensure the museum raises the funds
necessary to fulfill its mission.

Specific Duties Include:

 Annual and Long-term Development Plan – Works with the Executive Director and Development
Committee to create the strategic development plan to meet specific financial goals that include annual
giving, major gifts, planned giving, individual and business membership programs, sponsorships,
foundation giving, grants, fundraising and cultivation events, restricted project support and campaigns.

 Donor Stewardship – Develops and implements a personal cultivation, solicitation and stewardship plan for prospects, major donors, and trustees. Supports the Director and Trustees in donor stewardship and cultivation. Keeps current supporters informed and involved and is creative in thanking and acknowledging donors.

 Annual Giving – Develops and implements an annual giving plan including a summer appeal and yearend
appeal, Trustee giving, Compass Circle (major gifts), prospect cultivation, and timely gift
acknowledgement. Works with trustees and staff on prospect identification and cultivation.

 Individual Membership – Leads development and visitor services staff to grow membership program through enrollment of new members, retention of current members, and to increase membership levels.

 Corporate Support – Works with development staff, Trustees, and other museum staff to identify
prospects and solicit and cultivate support from the corporate sector. Forms strong and mutually
beneficial relationships with business leaders that lead to annual giving, business memberships and
sponsorships.

 Foundation Giving and Grants – Solicits gifts and grants from foundations and agencies for annual giving and specific project support. Where appropriate, works with other museum staff and outsidegrant writers to maximize funding opportunities.

 Planned Giving – Develops and implements plans to encourage bequests and deferred gifts to the museum. Stewards known bequest donors and cultivates estate attorneys.

 Capital Campaign – Working with the Executive Director, the Campaign Chair and Campaign Committee, provides leadership for campaign fundraising and support for all participants in their fundraising efforts. Assumes responsibility for a designated prospect pool, manages donor assignments,and ensures proper and timely gift acknowledgments are made.

 Special Events – Develops and works with museum facilities staff to implement special events for
fundraising and stewardship. Specifically, takes the lead on the annual Mariner’s Award event and
supports Compass Circle and other cultivation events throughout the year.

 Community Relations – Develops effective relationships in the community and actively share stories
of positive outcomes to build support for the Museum’s mission and activities.

 Finance and Data Integrity – Works with the Finance Office and administrative staff to ensure proper
record keeping in Raiser’s Edge and Financial Edge systems.

 Other duties and responsibilities as required.

Qualifications:
 Minimum of a B.A. or B.S. with at least five years of proven success in development.
 Adherence to the highest ethical standards and demonstrated ability to work effectively with donors,
board members, and leaders in the business and philanthropic community.
 Experience researching, cultivating and soliciting individual and corporate donors as well as grant
writing for foundation and agency support.
 Excellent oral and written communication and strong leadership and strategic project management
skills. Ability to work well with a wide variety of individuals.
 Ability to work occasional evenings and weekends for special events and travel.
 Experience with donor management software, especially Raiser’s Edge.

Salary commensurate with experience, competitive benefits, positive working environment.
Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

Please send a cover letter and resume to John Settelen, Maine Maritime Museum, 243 Washington Street,
Bath, ME 04530. Electronic submissions accepted at jsettelen@maritimeme.org. No phone inquiries.
This position is subject to background checks including sex offender, criminal and credit checks. EOE.

The Museum is open daily (except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day) from 9:30 am to 5 pm.
Visit www.mainemaritimemuseum.org for more information.

(PDF version for easy sharing)

The leadership of Maine Archives and Museums (MAM), the membership organization dedicated to “supporting and promoting Maine’s collecting institutions,” was distressed to read about Governor Paul LePage’s recent characterization of Maine’s nonprofits as “takers, not givers” who “don’t pay their fair share,” and to learn that he wants to consider ending these organizations’ tax exemptions. The governor expressed these opinions during a November 6, 2014 interview with WCSH 6, selections of which are available on the channel’s website.

The Maine Library Association has awarded the Outstanding Librarian of the Year award and the Journalism award for 2014.  The Outstanding Librarian of the Year for 2014 is Jennifer Alvino, director of the Windham Public Library.  Alvino was nominated by her staff as well as town manager Tony Plante and former American Library Association president Maureen Sullivan.

 

This year’s journalism award is given to Portland Press Herald staff writer Ray Routhier for his support of Maine libraries in general, and specifically for his piece entitled, “Maine Libraries Write New Chapter on Lending.”

 

The awards will be handed out at the MLA conference on Sunday, November 16^th at the annual banquet.

The Maine State Museum has long recognized that disaster planning is a bit of administrative housekeeping that cultural organizations all too frequently put off until disaster strikes, and in 2013 it took the lead in helping to address this situation by forming the Cultural Emergency Resource Coalition (CERC: Maine). CERC is a collaborative effort with the Maine Emergency Management Agency and several cultural agencies and conservators, including the Maine State Library, the Maine State Archives, the Maine Historic Preservation Commission, and the professional association Maine Archives and Museums. In its first year CERC focused on surveying Maine’s cultural community to evaluate the state of disaster planning, developing three levels of disaster planning benchmarks and resources to help streamline disaster planning for institutions of various sizes and complexity, and sponsoring disaster planning workshops. 

 

Through its work with a beta site, the Pejepscot Historical Society, CERC developed a guided process to work organizations through disaster planning. This fall, ten participating libraries, museums and historical societies are being guided through the process by a FEMA Corps team trained in using the guide and in issues facing cultural organizations. CERC is working with FEMA to arrange for a second team to come to Maine in early spring to conduct another round of facilitations.

Organizations interested in participating in the program may apply online through the CERC web site,www.cercmaine.org (under the Write Your Own Disaster Plan tab). Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Participants will be selected to represent a broad range of institutional sizes, geographical locations, collections types, and building construction, although we are particularly interested in hearing from town offices, all-volunteer organizations or institutions located inland. For more information about this project see the CERC web site or contact the CERC office at CERC.Maine@gmail.com or (207) 287-6696.

Executive Director

Boothbay Railway Village

The BRV is seeking an energetic, innovative individual to assume the role of Executive Director.  For the past 50 years the “BRV has served  Mid Coast Maine by operating a narrow gauge live-steam railroad , an antique car museum and hosting community oriented  events all set on the grounds of  a 12 acre period Maine village.

To be considered for the position previous nonprofit employment is highly desirable including experience in managing the routine and special functions of a museum. Skill sets will include budget creation, personnel management and fund raising. The winning candidate must have strong leadership qualities, superior managerial, communication and team building qualities. Demonstrated effective public relations experience is a plus.

The Director reports to an active 17 member Board.  Together they work on policies and long & short-term goals for all aspects of the “BRV”. The Director’s primary responsibilities include overall planning, development, financial /operations management, and safety compliance ensuring on-going stability, growth, and visitor satisfaction.

Please submit cover letter and resume to BRV Executive Director Search Committee at: swilliams@mecoseal.com.com

Stephen C Williams

Board President BRV

320 Robinhood Rd

Georgetown, ME 04548

See us at www.railwayvillage.org/ and www.facebook.com/railwayvillage

The Foundation of the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (FAIC) seeks a part-time contract Coordinator for “Connecting to Collections Care,” an online community for information and training on caring for collections.  In addition to monitoring online discussions and posting appropriate links and documents, the Coordinator will oversee production and archiving of webinars.  See position description for full details:

 

http://www.conservation-us.org/docs/default-source/education/c2c-care-coordinator-position-announcement-2014.pdf?sfvrsn=2

 

This is a contract, fee-based position, with no benefits, renewable annually.  Total compensation not to exceed $20,800 in the first year.  The Coordinator will work from home or own office.  Telephone, email, and internet connections required.  The Coordinator will report to the FAIC Institutional Advancement Director.  A volunteer advisory group will help provide content support. 

 

Review of applications will begin November 1, 2014, with a start date of December 1desired.  Applications will be considered until the position is filled.  To apply, please send resume or c.v. and a cover letter to:

 

Eric Pourchot, PhD

Institutional Advancement Director

Foundation of the American Institute for Conservation

1156 15^th St, Suite 320

Washington, DC  20005

 

Electronic submissions are preferred, and should be sent to:

epourchot@conservation-us.org

Upcoming Webinars for State Cultural Heritage Disaster Networks   Heritage Preservation is proud to present the remaining three webinars in a series devoted to raising awareness about important emergency management programs offered at the state and federal levels. Ample time is built into each 90-minute webinar for Q&A.  Mitigation and Mitigation Planning Thursday, November 13, 2014 3:00 – 4:30 pm Eastern Presenter: Scott Baldwin, Mitigation Specialist with the Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management   Topics to be covered include: What organizations can do to mitigate damage and loss to the collections and holdings, beginning with hazard identification and risk assessment State and local hazard mitigation plans and how to include cultural resources in these plans Funding available to private nonprofits (PNPs) through FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grants Program  Communication strategies to engage with emergency managers and related professionals Register for this webinar. Click here for more information.   Disaster and Continuity Planning and Preparedness Thursday, November 20, 2014 3:00 – 4:30 pm Eastern Presenter: Kiran Dhanji, Section Administrator, Preparedness, Texas Division of Emergency Management Topics to be covered include: The link between disaster response and continuity of operations plans How to identify and plan to recover your essential functions, supported by the four core pillars of continuity planning: leadership, staff, communications, and facilities The planning process, including who to involve, when to bring stakeholder groups together, and how to develop useful and used plans Register for this webinar. Click here for more information.   Federal Disaster Recovery Assistance from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) for Private, Nonprofit Organizations Wednesday, December 3, 2014 3:00 – 4:30 pm Eastern Presenter: Mark Randle, SBA Public Information Officer Topics to be covered include: The SBA federal declaration process: How, When, Where Loans to help repair/replace property damage Loans to help meet working capital needs caused by the disaster Eligibility, terms, and conditions The application process and the processing of applications Disbursement of funds and the use of loan proceeds Register for this webinar. Click here for more information. Who Should Attend? Interested members of a state cultural heritage emergency network, including but not limited to: Representatives of state cultural agencies – State Library, State Museum, State Archives, State Arts Council, State Humanities Council, State Historic Preservation Office – who have an obligation (whether legal or moral) to assist their constituents following a disaster Representatives of local, county, state, and federal emergency management (EM) agencies Representatives of national, regional, or state museum, library, or archives associations Colleagues at other state agencies who would benefit from the webinars. Please pass this email along to them! Although the information is relevant to all cultural institutions, we’d like to keep participation in the live webinar down to a manageable number so the instructor can field questions that apply primarily to state cultural and EM agencies. Our aim is to provide information that's most useful to network members, who will then be better equipped to help their constituents. The webinar will be recorded, and once it's been posted to the State Heritage Emergency Partnership website, www.heritagepreservation.org/shep, we’ll remind you to notify your constituents of its availability. Registration Fee Thanks to funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the State Heritage Emergency Partnership 2014 Webinar Series is free. However, registration for each webinar is required for attendance. Questions? Contact Katelin Lee, Emergency Programs Assistant, 202-233-0835. Don't miss out on targeted training opportunities and announcements. Sign up to follow the State Heritage Emergency Partnership blog at www.heritagepreservation.org/shep.