Updates & Upcoming Events

Hi All!

So its been a while - i've been swamped at work, as have the folks that i've lured in as semi-regular contributors to this blog space. But I read a couple of great articles today that I thought I would pass on, AND I have a few cheap-but-interesting webinars to promote.

So, first the articles:

Nina Simon's latest blog post: "Eight Other Ways to 'Connect with Community'" -- She critiques a recent article from the Christian Science Monitor (found here) that talks about museums engaging new audiences. Interesting points, and her bullets for connection at the end are worth a read.

"At Louvre, Many Stop to Snap but Few Stay to Focus" -- an article circulated on the RC-AAM listserv yesterday; talks about why people visit museums -- good food for thought.

And now, some opportunities for inquiring minds in the field with tight budgets. AAM is offering discounted webinars on "museum essentials" at a pretty good price ($25/each) to members. Two coming up in September deal with visitors & interpretation:

Sept. 9th -- Planning for Exemplary Visitor Experiences

Sept. 23rd -- Audience Research and Evaluation: Why it Matters Now More Than Ever

So if you or your institution is a member, you can register and invite all the other folks in your area to come and webinar together. For more info, you can visit the AAM site here.

Well, thats all for now. More on the way soon! And hopefully more CVG projects coming with the start of the new school year at USC.

New Leadership for CVG

After a year of dutiful service as Student Project Coordinator, Halie Brazier will be graduating this summer and moving on to the greener pastures of professional life! Thanks to Halie for all of her hard work this past year, putting together great projects and bringing volunteer opportunities to a new class of students at USC.

I'm pleased to announce that in the Fall of 2009 CVG will have not one, but two brand new Student Coordinators: Amanda Roddy and Sarah Scripps. Under their leadership, this group will move into its 3rd year of service to Columbia area museums -- and who knows what new directions they might pursue. Congrats to Amanda & Sarah for taking on this challenge!

In other news, a recap of the group's most recent project (at Historic Columbia Foundation) is coming shortly... so stay tuned for that and other updates on projects for this coming Fall semester. If you have questions or comments about the group please email ilikeeurope@hotmail.com or jllevinson@gmail.com.

Next Project: Return to HCF!

The Collections Volunteer Group will participate in Project #5 next Thursday, April 30th from 10am-3pm at the Historic Columbia Foundation! We will be doing an inventory of objects from the Woodrow Wilson home. Here's what Alexis (Collections Manager, HCF) has to say:

"The project that I have in mind is to help inventory artifacts that came out of the Woodrow Wilson Family Home. John (Sherrer) and I will be moving these artifacts from one storage area to another (to make way for our Chicora College/CFW period dorm room in Hampton-Preston). The inventory will include assessing each box's contents, updating the location on paper and in PastPerfect, and renumbering and rehousing any artifacts that may need it. I have not even gotten into some of these boxes, so it should be a good experience for all of us."

There will be a free pizza lunch included! Meet in front of the Hampton-Preston mansion on Blanding street. If you can only come for a little bit, then that's perfectly fine. We hope to see you there, and we appreciate any time you can spare for a good cause!

Calling All Ideas!

Greetings! So, the last few posts have recounted our volunteer efforts thus far and provided a summary of what this group is and what it hopes to accomplish. Now i'm opening up the floor for your thoughts & suggestions on new projects!

Some thoughts Halie & I have tossed around:

• Should the group broaden its focus and look for projects outside of collections work?
• If so, what kinds of projects would serve a need in the community & interest volunteers?
• Is there interest in planning a project outside of Columbia?

If you have comments on any of these, or other ideas/suggestions...let us know!

Business First - What is the CVG?

The Collections Volunteer Group (CVG) is an organization started in the fall of 2007 by graduate students in the Public History Program at the University of South Carolina with an interest in collections management. The goal of the group is to supply extra hands to museums located in or near Columbia, South Carolina for collections-based projects. As an independent student initiative, a designated student coordinator contacts local institutions, develops feasible projects, and schedules volunteers. Though still in its early stages, the group has enabled emerging museum professionals to gain more hands-on experience in their chosen field and to provide help for institutions in need.

What Can Volunteers & Participating Institutions Expect?
Volunteer members in the CVG participate in several projects every semester, each taking 1-2 days to complete. Projects range from conducting inventories to documenting collections with digital photography to assisting in re-housing and condition reporting. Tasks sometimes originate from an institution's desire to further an on-going project with a boost of man/woman power. In other instances volunteers will tackle small-scale projects that can be accomplished using 5-10 volunteers for a single day. The activities of each project are at the discretion of the hosting institution and their supervising staff members but will be negotiated by the student coordinator prior to the beginning of the project. Ultimately, volunteers work to accomplish the needs of their host within the established timeline.The collections staff from the hosting institution is always on-hand to supervise the activities of the project. If the institution does not have a professional/volunteer collecions staff member, the student coordinator will seek the participation of other local museum professionals. Each project, regardless of length, begins with a brief talk from the supervising professional. The individual provides information on how to execute the task at hand, how the project fits into the larger work of museums, and will provide resources on the activity for future reference. Additionally, the student coordinator will collaborate with the supervising professional to describe the activities accomplished in terms that will help students to strengthen their resumes and prepare for future interviews.

Our Larger Goals...
In the end these projects serve as both volunteer activities and learning experiences. They provide students with membership in a service organization and hands-on collections experience. Although not all volunteer activities will involve direct handling of collections, the activities will ensure an enhanced knowledge of collections stewardship and best practices that will benefit the students in their professional development.