Remote Recruiting During the Pandemic
Three Library/Museum Case Studies
Recruiting and interviewing in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic has required many of us to pivot to fully-remote approaches that test our creativity, patience and organizational skills. How can we retain some semblance of interpersonal interaction and engagement while acknowledging Zoom fatigue, personal distraction and overloaded schedules?
The presenters, from three different types of institutions, will discuss how their respective search committees filled open positions, from May 2020 onward, and reflect upon lessons learned.
A Q&A will follow.
Your Presenters
Pat Burdick, Assistant Director for Special Collections & Archives, has been working with Colby's rare and unique materials for over 20 years. She received her MLS degree with an archival concentration from Simmons College and continues to serve as an archival consultant and workshop presenter throughout the state of Maine. One of her professional passions involves exploration of the serendipitous intersections that occur between people, time periods and collections such as those captured in the History of Special Collections @ Colby website she created during a sabbatical in 2015. She lives on North Pond in the Belgrade Lakes area with her covivant, artist Kevin E James, and two lovely felines. She is a Master Gardener and an active volunteer in local and regional environmental and social justice organizations.
Joanna Robinson-Clarke is the Director of Operations at the Abbe Museum in Bar Harbor. She coordinates financial accounting and reporting, general office and facility management, vendor and contractor relations, property rentals, and human resources. She is also the Greening Champion for the museum, overseeing ongoing greening projects and facility improvements. A Mount Desert Island local, Joanna studied Anthropology and Sociology at Rochester Institute of Technology. As an avid volunteer in local communities, she realized her passion for community development and outreach, which she now brings to her role at the Abbe. In her free time, she is an active Rotarian, serves as Treasurer and Chair of the Marketing Committee for Acadia Community Theater, collects board games, and bakes for friends and family.
John Taylor is National History Day Coordinator and Museum Assistant at the Margaret Chase Smith Library in Skowhegan. He moved to Maine from Indiana in December 2011. The following February, he began volunteering at the library. That turned into a permanent position in April 2013. John brings extensive historical experience to the position. He earned his B.S. in History and Political Science from Indiana State University and holds a M.A. in American History and Popular Culture from Indiana University Indianapolis. John is the state coordinator for National History Day (NHD) in Maine and represents New England on the NHD Executive Council of Coordinators. He also assists in educational programming and the creation, installation, and maintenance of museum exhibits. John is currently on the board of directors for Maine Archives and Museums. Previously, he served as a docent at the James Whitcomb Riley Museum Home in Indianapolis and worked both at the Indiana Historical Society and Indiana Historical Bureau. His area of specialty is the Cold War with a particular interest in comedy and music of the 1950s and 60s.
Attending an Online Workshop
To participate in this online workshop you will need access to a computer or mobile device with an internet connection. We will be using Zoom to host this workshop as an online videoconference. Once you register, you will immediately be sent instructions for logging in via automatically sent email.
If you do not have access to a computer or mobile device with an internet connection, you will still be able to call in on a telephone, but you will unfortunately not be able to see any of the participants or visuals.
Online registration will be open through April 14. Attendance is limited to 40 people; register soon to save your spot!
Folks who register early will receive optional short readings and videos ahead of the event to maximize their learning experience during the workshop.
The fee for members is $15. Non-members pay $25.
Members of MAM enjoy discounted registration (MAM members please log in first). If you're not a MAM member, join today!
