Blog and Newsletter

Small Museum Association

2014 Annual Conference Call for Proposals

The Small Museum Association (SMA) is planning its 30th Annual Conference, which will be held in Ocean City, Maryland, February 16 - 18, 2014. The most important part of that planning is assembling speakers for the 40+ concurrent program sessions that will be presented during the conference. Through this Call for Proposals we invite you to share your knowledge, experience, and lessons learned with hundreds of colleagues who – like you – are committed to small museums everywhere. The deadline for submitting all proposals is Friday, October 4, 2013.

As the only conference in the country dedicated specifically to small museums, the Annual Conference draws museum professionals from the Mid-Atlantic region and from across the country as our membership and attendee base continues to expand. The conference goal is to support and nurture the small museum community through a mix of invited speakers, contributed presentations, workshops, and engaging discussions. The conference provides a unique and comfortable learning environment for individuals and institutions with diverse experiences to meet and learn from each other, to share their expertise, build capacity, and increase professionalism. Conference sessions typically provide practical, relevant discussions and examples for small museums and institutions with limited budgets and staff.

This year, the Small Museum Conference would like to offer sessions that address the conference theme, 30 Years of SMA: Past, Present, and Future. Small museums have a long history of serving their communities and continue to provide inspiration and illumination. This year’s conference will explore the ways in which small museums have evolved over the past thirty years to meet the challenges brought on by changing economic, educational, and social conditions, and what may face them in the future. We invite proposals based on institutional experience or original research. Proposal topics should help attendees learn from your institutions’ successes and failures, and provide low or no-cost ideas for making an impact. The power of small museums should be a central theme to any presentation, whether it addresses fundraising, education, curatorial issues, museum boards or volunteers. Proposals should also indicate the level of the information that will be provided, whether it is most appropriate for a beginner who is new to museums, someone with intermediate experience, or an expert in the field. Possible session topics include community engagement, collaboration between organizations, volunteer management, the responsibilities of museum boards, exhibit development, and any other topic that would interest members of small museum staffs, boards, and volunteer corps. Proposals should be submitted using the form below no later than Friday, October 4, 2013.

The mission of the Small Museum Association is to develop and maintain a peer network among people who work for small museums, giving them opportunities to learn, share knowledge and support one another, so that they, in turn, can better serve their institutions, communities and profession.

Small Museum Association.

2014 Annual Conference Session Proposal Form

Name:

__________________________________________________________

Institution/Organization/Company:

__________________________________________________________

Address:

__________________________________________________________

Phone Number:

__________________________________________________________

Cell Number (needed for emergency purposes during the conference):

__________________________________________________________

Email Address:

__________________________________________________________

Preferred Session Date: ☐ Monday, Feb. 20 ☐ Tuesday, Feb. 21 ☐ Either

Preferred Session Length: ☐ 60 minutes ☐ 90 minutes ☐ Either

Audience Level: ☐ Beginner ☐Intermediate ☐Expert

Title of Proposed Session:

__________________________________________________________

Description of Proposed Session (use additional space as needed):

Contact SMA Speaker Coordinators Allison Titman (Allison@hammondharwoodhouse.org, 410-263-4683 x12) or Lindsey Baker (Director@laurelhistoricalsociety.org, 301-725-7975) with questions or completed forms. Forms must be submitted no later than Friday, October 4, 2013.

The Maine Historical Society (MHS) seeks an innovative and energetic
Education Coordinator to lead the development and implementation of our
statewide education program. The Education Coordinator is responsible for
on-site school and family programs; developing tours of the
Wadsworth-Longfellow House and Portland's historic Old Port, including
managing and training museum guides and volunteer docents; and developing
programs to support school use of our nationally-recognized Maine Memory
Network. The Education Coordinator also plays a critical role in building
and maintaining relationships with Maine teachers, schools, and community
partners through outreach, collaboration, special projects, and social
media. The successful candidate will provide leadership in the development
of engaging place- and collections-based programs that connect students with
Maine history and their communities. Minimum qualifications: Masters degree
in history, education, or museum studies; two years teaching experience in
museum and classroom settings; knowledge of museum and K-12 programs,
practices, and standards. Strong leadership and management skills. Send
cover letter, resume, and a list of three references to: Steve Bromage,
Maine Historical Society, 489 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101. EOE.
Electronic submissions are encouraged and should be sent to
lwebb@mainehistory.org. Rolling review; closing date: June 28, 2013. No
phone calls accepted.

When: Friday, May 31, 10:30-2:30pm
Where: USM Portland Campus, 7th floor Glickman Library

Sponsored by the University of Maine System Diversity Committee, hosted by the Jean Byers Sampson Center for Diversity in Maine, USM Libraries

A meeting of special collections in Maine who are collecting materials documenting Maine's African American, Jewish, and/or LGBT history to share collection strategies and programming ideas. Institutions involved include Colby, Bangor Public Library, Bates, Portland Public Library, and USM.

Free lunch and parking, and re-imbursement of travel costs (as long as funds hold out)

If you would lke to attend, please contact Susie R. Bock, bocks@usm.maine.edu.

Contact: Julie Rabinowitz, 207-621-5009

Classes added in Wilton, Bangor and Augusta

The Maine Department of Labor has added three more sessions of its popular free course that educates employers and the public about regulations governing the workplace.  The Laws Governing Workplace Rights classes are taught by staff of the Wage and Hour Division of the Bureau of Labor Standards.

The new times and locations are May 23 in Bangor from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., June 10 in Wilton from 9 a.m. to noon, and June 19 in Augusta from 9 a.m. to noon.  Although the courses are free, registration is required because seating is limited.

“I am glad to see business interest in these free classes,” said Governor Paul R. LePage. “Understanding the law prevents businesses from making costly mistakes.  The class helps Maine’s employers save time, money and aggravation when complying with state regulations.”

This course covers wage and hour laws, including minimum wage, overtime, youth employment, severance pay, equal pay, leave requirements (family medical leave, family sick leave, and domestic violence) and break requirements. It also addresses commonly asked employment-related questions and participants have an opportunity to ask questions.

Commissioner of Labor Jeanne Paquette said, “The department wants to help Maine employers by giving them the answers before we give them the test. This course is designed for small business owners or staff who handle human resources and payroll functions. This is about education, not investigation.”

To register, call the Maine Department of Labor at (207) 623-7900 or visit www.safetyworksmaine.com . Space is limited so reservations are required.

The Wage and Hour Division is Maine’s regulatory agency overseeing labor and employment law; it provides both consultation and enforcement services. The division promotes and achieves compliance with labor standards to protect and enhance the welfare of Maine’s workforce.

Did you know that May 18 is International Museum Day?  This event, organized by the International Council of Museums, encourages museums worldwide to offer events, programs, and exhibitions that day that focus on the 2013 theme: Museums (memory + creativity) = social change. For more information and to participate, click here.

The Maine Historical Society seeks a leader to manage all phases of its fundraising activity, including major, corporate and foundation gifts, annual giving, special events, grant writing, planned giving, donor cultivation, campaign planning, marketing, public relations and communications. Working closely with the Executive Director, Trustees and managing a staff of two, the successful candidate will help shape the continued growth of a nationally-recognized, statewide cultural institution. Founded in 1822, MHS is located in downtown Portland, Maine, and consists of the Brown Research Library, the MHS Museum, the Wadsworth-Longfellow House; and the Maine Memory Network (a collaborative online museum), among other programs and services.

Qualifications should include: superior personal and communication skills; five plus years of comparable development responsibility; a record of major gift fund-raising and grant writing accomplishment; Raiser’s Edge (or comparable) database experience; demonstrable interest in history and education; and a willingness to meet the challenges of the cultural sector. Highly self motivated and directed.   Send letter, resume, and list of four references to: Steve Bromage, Executive Director, Maine Historical Society, 489 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101. EOE. Electronic submissions should be sent to lwebb@mainehistory.org. Applications close June 15. No phone inquiries, please.

MAM members, you have a new discount that comes with your membership! This benefit has been arranged in cooperation with HistoryIT™, a Portland-based full-service information technology firm that specializes in the review, preservation, digitization, presentation, and electronic management of historical collections. Effective immediately, MAM members will receive $100 off of the annual fee for HistoryIT's digital collections management software, ArchivesTree™. The discount is available for both new and renewing subscriptions (regardless of the package level) every year that your MAM membership continues.

Building Community Through Oral History 

SUMMER LIBRARY CLERK - 2013
SWAN’S ISLAND EDUCATIONAL SOCIETY (SIES)

... SIES is seeking a mature, responsible, organized and friendly person to fill a summer clerk position. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Attending the needs of patrons: finding materials, gaining access to the wireless network, troubleshooting basic computer problems, and answering general questions
• Assisting our volunteers as necessary
• Re-shelving materials such as books, videos, and more
• Assisting with check-out when necessary
• Organizing and stocking the gift shop, keeping track of inventory
• Tidying library as needed
• Creating information sheet on how to use SIES equipment
• Keeping a regular schedule as decided by the Director and keeping a work log

Pay: $2500 stipend for mid-June/August 2013
Expectation of 10 weeks of work for 20 hours/week.

Qualifications: This position would be appropriate for a mature high school age student or older who is organized and friendly. Should enjoy the library environment and be interested in learning about working in a small non-profit organization.

To apply: Please fill out application (available at library) or submit resume and mail or deliver to SIES by May 18.

SIES
Attn: Candis Joyce, Director
PO Box 12
Swan’s Island, ME 04685

The Maine Arts Commission is currently seeking a full-time Visual Arts Director to develop and oversee the agency's visual arts programming for the state of Maine.

The Visual Arts Director will work in a strong team setting with other program directors and under the supervision of the agency's Executive Director to further the arts in Maine. This position is an exciting one with a great deal of scope to develop new partnerships and programs that are essential to Maine's cultural development.

The person selected will take the reins of some of the agency's ongoing programs, such as Arts in the Capitol, the Maine Youth Excellence in Art Project, and Maine's Congressional Art Awards Competition.

Beyond that the Visual Arts Director will collaborate and consult with state and national arts organizations and institutions to promote best practices, exemplary visual arts programming, and to implement professional development opportunities.

To be considered an applicant must have a bachelor's degree in an Arts or Humanities related field and two (2) years experience working with artists, art groups, and/or humanities organizations. Preference will be given to applicants with a master's degree or commensurate work experience preferably in the field of visual arts. Knowledge of Maine artists, galleries and museums is a benefit.

To view the full job posting and for details of how to apply, please visit http://www.maine.gov/bhr/state_jobs/direct_jobs.shtml