Blog and Newsletter

The Assistant to the Director for the Arctic Museum/Arctic Studies at Bowdoin College will provide budgetary and administrative support to the Director and other Arctic Museum/Arctic Studies staff, including assisting in the day-to-day operations of the Museum and Arctic programs, and supporting the Director’s academic duties.

Responsibilities include:

• Manages the Arctic Museum’s operating account and other special Arctic Museum/Arctic Studies accounts; approves routine budget expenditures; analyzes and generates reports regarding the Arctic program’s financial accounts.

• In consultation with the Director, manages the Museum’s administrative programs, including maintaining the Director’s calendar and the Museum’s communal calendar and web site, maintaining the Museum’s mailing list, and handling confidential correspondence.

• Arranges travel accommodations and housing for Museum staff and guest lecturers

• Arranges and helps coordinate Arctic Museum events, including dinners, receptions, lectures and symposia; reserves campus spaces for events; alerts Food Services of catering needs.

• In consultation with the Director, facilitates public relations initiatives including coordinating placement of exhibition and event announcements in print and on-line publications and sites, developing designs of invitations/posters/ads or arranging for their design by outside vendors, coordinating with the Mailroom and Development regarding mailings, and working with Communications and organizations outside the College.

• Assists in the development and preparation of Museum brochures, catalogues, and other publications.

Education/Skills:

Required: High school diploma or GED; Bachelor’s degree strongly preferred.

Also required: strong analytical and writing skills, basic accounting skills and ability to prepare financial analyses, strong computer skills (MS Word and Excel required; Photoshop, Publisher, and In-Design strongly preferred), excellent organizational skills and excellent customer service skills. 

Experience Requirements/Equivalents:

A minimum of 2 years of administrative experience in a busy office environment is required. Experience working in an academic setting preferred.

Applications:

Further details and instructions to apply can be found on our online application: 

http://careers.bowdoin.edu/postings/2477                                                            

For questions, please contact careers@bowdoin.edu.

Bowdoin College is committed to equality and is an equal opportunity employer. We encourage inquiries from candidates who will enrich and contribute to the cultural and ethnic diversity of our College. Bowdoin College does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, creed, color, religion, marital status, gender, sexual orientation, veteran status, national origin, or disability status in employment, or in our education programs. 

What it is: An informative and fun day, with a variety of workshops and attendee-driven conversations, covering all aspects of Teaching with Primary Sources. Join your colleagues and like-minded professionals from the Society of American Archivists (SAA), the Rare Books and Manuscripts Section of ACRL, and archivists across the profession. Hosted by the wonderful folks at Cleveland Public Library and organized by the SAA’s Reference, Access and Outreach Section’s Committee on Teaching with Primary Sources.

Date: Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Time: 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM

Location: Cleveland Public Library (Main Library, 325 Superior Ave., N.E.), a 5-minute walk from the Cleveland Convention Center (home of the SAA 2015 Conference) – MAP

To register, visit: bitly.com/SAA15TPS

Open to individuals from all institutions and with all levels of experience who use primary source material for instruction/classroom setting. Registration will be a separate process from the Society of American Archivists 2015 Conference registration — you can attend this event without attending the conference.  Want to lend your expertise to a session? Just let us know in your registration! 

The Maine State Museum in Augusta, Maine is advertising to fill a part-time (job-share) Museum Specialist I position in the museum's conservation lab.  The position provides collections care, maintenance, and conservation treatment through examination, restoration, and preservation of artifacts.  Work is performed in accordance with the Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice as promulgated by the American Institute of Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works. Work is performed under limited supervision in the Museum, State House, Blaine House, and two collections  care facilities.
A well-qualified candidate has knowledge of artifact handling and familiarity with conservation practices relating to paintings, paper, archaeological collections (terrestrial and marine), natural science collections, and decorative arts and historical pieces (wood products, textiles, metals, and ceramics).

 For information about the position, as well as additional representative tasks, knowledge, and skills required, visit the General Government Service Center website at http://www.maine.gov/fps/opportunities/<http://www.maine.gov/fps/opportunities/%20> and click on the position "Museum Specialist I- 20 hour job share."  Qualified candidates should send a resume, direct hire application, and letter of interest to Tammy Sturtevant, HR Generalist, General Gov. Service Center, 74 State House Station, Augusta, Maine 04333-0074, (207) 624-7415<tel:%28207%29%20624-7415> or email applications to dafsdirecthire@maine.gov<mailto:dafsdirecthire@maine.gov> by August 28, 2015. Direct Hire applications are available at the General Government Service Center in Augusta, all Maine Career Center Offices, and on the General Government Service Center website.

The Maine State Museum in Augusta, Maine is advertising to fill a part-time (job-share) Museum Specialist I position in the museum's conservation lab.  The position provides collections care, maintenance, and conservation treatment through examination, restoration, and preservation of artifacts.  Work is performed in accordance with the Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice as promulgated by the American Institute of Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works. Work is performed under limited supervision in the Museum, State House, Blaine House, and two collections  care facilities.
A well-qualified candidate has knowledge of artifact handling and familiarity with conservation practices relating to paintings, paper, archaeological collections (terrestrial and marine), natural science collections, and decorative arts and historical pieces (wood products, textiles, metals, and ceramics).

 For information about the position, as well as additional representative tasks, knowledge, and skills required, visit the General Government Service Center website at http://www.maine.gov/fps/opportunities/<http://www.maine.gov/fps/opportunities/%20> and click on the position "Museum Specialist I- 20 hour job share."  Qualified candidates should send a resume, direct hire application, and letter of interest to Tammy Sturtevant, HR Generalist, General Gov. Service Center, 74 State House Station, Augusta, Maine 04333-0074, (207) 624-7415<tel:%28207%29%20624-7415> or email applications to dafsdirecthire@maine.gov<mailto:dafsdirecthire@maine.gov> by August 28, 2015. Direct Hire applications are available at the General Government Service Center in Augusta, all Maine Career Center Offices, and on the General Government Service Center website.

The Maine State Museum, working with the Maine Emergency Management Agency has secured another year of funding for the Cultural Emergency Resource Coalition: Maine (CERC: Maine) through a Homeland Security grant. A collaboration of several state and private cultural agencies, including Maine Archives and Museums, CERC: Maine has just completed a project using FEMA Corps teams to facilitate the creation of disaster plans at 26 museums, libraries and historical societies around the state. In the coming year CERC: Maine will promote the creation of communication networks to help get appropriate volunteer aid, information and other resources to cultural institutions experiencing a disaster. FMI: cercmaine.org.

Picture:  McArthur Public Library and their FEMA Corps team show off their completed disaster plan.

A new website for the Center for the Preservation of Painted Walls, www.pwpcenter.org, has been created for use as a resource for owners of painted plaster walls in New England.  It will also serve as a clearing house for artists, conservators and preservationists to document their research into the history and care of these extraordinary art treasures found in homes and taverns throughout New England dating to the 18^th and early 19^th century.

 

Art historians began to unravel the mysteries of who painted murals on walls in the early 1920s when folk art was first recognized as an American art form.  Nina Fletcher Little and Jean Lipman were among those who identified the most famous muralist, Rufus Porter, in the 1930s, which culminated in Lipman’s 1968 biography Rufus Porter, Yankee Pioneer in which she lamented the continued loss of the walls whose importance was not recognized.

 

Since then, walls continue to be destroyed through excess moisture, fire or simply by homeowners not realizing their historical value.  Painted walls still continue to be discovered under paint, wallpaper or plaster used to cover them, and each of these requires a special conservation treatment to remove the covering while minimizing the disruption to the original paint.

 

The Center has been organized by Linda Lefko and Jane Radcliffe, whose 30 years of documenting and studying painted plaster walls culminated in their 2011 book, Folk Art Murals of the Rufus Porter School – New England Landscapes 1825-45.

They are joined by David Ottinger, best known for extracting more than 100 walls for preservation since the 1980s, and Jennifer Mass, Senior Scientist at the Winterthur Museum who has been analyzing paints used by these artists for many years.

 

Mission Statement:

PWP is dedicated to the research and preservation of eighteenth and early nineteenth century American paint-decorated plaster walls. Our goal is to survey and document these walls, in situ or in collections to further the appreciation of this rare and highly vulnerable art form, and to help conserve painted plaster walls for future generations.

The Center has embarked on discovering the best techniques for repairing and restoring walls by consulting with conservators  nationwide, and is organizing a symposium to discuss the various methods now utilized and to identify the best practice.

Homeowners of walls are encouraged to contact the Center to document their walls or request advice on how to preserve them.  Anyone wishing to become an active member of the Center may contact it through the new website www.pwpcenter.org or by writing to PO Box 187, Hallowell, Maine 04347.

Museum Interpretive Guide Job Description

Penobscot Marine Museum is seeking Museum Guides for the end of the 2015 season, mid-August to late October. Guides greet visitors, answer questions, monitor museum galleries to ensure the safety of the collection, give tours, and provide a friendly knowledgeable presence in the galleries and on the museum campus; research and prepare interpretive materials; assist with daily museum operations including admissions, museum shop and membership sales, light housekeeping, and opening and closing the museum. Some Guides will work primarily in the Main St Gallery; others will conduct tours of the historic buildings and interact with visitors in the outdoor exhibit areas.

Position Description and Responsibilities include:
• Assist in researching and developing interpretive tours
• Conduct tours through the historic structures
• Prepare supplementary information for distribution to museum visitors
• Assist in creating content for the Museum's website based on tours, artifacts, and hands-on programming
• Participate in formal curriculum-based education programs, informal education programs and presentations tailored to school-age and adult audiences
• Assist with special events and family programs throughout the season. 
• Monitor the visitor experience to meet visitor needs and requests, provide direction, and help visitors have an enjoyable and thoughtful experience
• Resolve visitor issues quickly and effectively, ensuring visitor security and safety
• Take particular care of visitors with special needs (handicap access, etc.). 
• Help maintain clean and organized public spaces and report equipment malfunctions and maintenance needs.

Qualifications
Ideal candidates possess: 
• excellent public speaking skills and a flair for the dramatic 
• mature and outgoing personality; must love talking with people! 
• interest in education, history, or museums 
• outstanding customer service skills 
• ability to work in a fast-paced team environment and manage several tasks simultaneously 
• reliability and professional appearance 

The position requires climbing steep stairs, navigating narrow passageways, opening and closing heavy barn doors, setting up and operating nautical equipment replicas, and working in both indoor and outdoor conditions during the New England spring, summer, and fall. Previous experience in education/interpretation, customer service, or theatre preferred but not required. The position is part time seasonal. The work schedule will vary in accordance with the program schedule and will include weekends and holidays.

PMM is dedicated to preserving, interpreting and celebrating the maritime culture of the Penobscot Bay Region and beyond through collections, education and community engagement. The Museum houses superb collections of marine art, historic boats, scrimshaw, ship models and 19th export items as well as over 100,000 historic photographs. Our seaport village campus comprises a National Register of Historic Places district along with modern purpose-built exhibit and storage facilities. Museum programs take place year round, with the busiest time being mid-May to Mid-October when the campus is open to the public. 


To apply for this position, please submit a cover letter, resume, and a list of three
professional references to, Museum Guide Search, Penobscot Marine Museum, PO Box 498, Searsport, ME 04974 or via email to skettell@pmm-maine.org.

 

The Boothbay Railway Village is searching for a creative and energetic individual to join its team as Education Director & Curator. The Museum’s extensive campus is located in the beautiful coastal community of Boothbay, Maine.  The Board and staff have just completed a strategic planning process that describes a new and vibrant vision for the museum. The plan defines public education as the museum’s principle deliverable and envisions a living village museum that engages visitors in a story that has multiple threads about how technologies like steam trains, automobiles, and electricity impacted life for Mainers from the mid-18th to mid-19th centuries. 

This exciting new professional museum position of Education Director & Curator will have responsibility for the interpretation program at the Museum, as well as the management and maintenance of the extensive artifact collections. A full job description is available on the Museum’s website at www.RailwayVillage.org. This is a full-time, year-round position with full employer paid health benefits, a generous retirement program as well as paid vacation and sick leave.

Interested candidates should send a cover letter, résumé, and the names of 3 references (indicating relation to the candidate, phone number, and e-mail address) to Margaret Hoffman, Executive Director, at margaret@railwayvillage.org.  Paper copies may be sent to Boothbay Railway Village, PO Box 123, Boothbay, ME 04537, but electronic submissions of material are preferred.  No phone inquiries, please.  Review of applications will begin on June 26, 2015. 

 

The Washburn-Norlands Living History Center in Livermore is seeking additional paid staff to train as historical interpreters.

Teachers, actors, history lovers or anyone interested in dressing up in period clothes and pretending to be someone else should apply. Interpreters share history in a fun, humorous yet thought-provoking way with visitors of all ages, creating a memorable museum and farm experience.

The ideal candidate has an outgoing personality, with the ability to engage all types of audiences, especially school groups.  Norlands’ interpreters teach history by doing, using living history techniques to share accurate information about the historical buildings, the Washburn family, agricultural methods and the way people lived in the 1800s.

We are seeking people who are curious about the world, especially the 19th century and the remarkable Washburn family. All training is provided. This is an ideal position for someone looking for a flexible schedule.  This is a part-time position.  Hours worked per week depend on the season and as programs are scheduled.  April – June and September-October are the heavier-scheduled months.

To learn more or to apply, email a letter of interest and resume to Sheri Leahan, director, at norlands@norlands.org.  FMI: visit www.norlands.org.

Pejepscot Historical Society is seeking an experienced, energetic, and creative individual to serve as Museum Services Manager for the Pejepscot Museum and Research Center, the Joshua L. Chamberlain Museum, and the Skolfield-Whittier House, all located in historic downtown Brunswick, Maine.

The Museum Services manager will assist with day-to-day operations of the museums, including opening and closing, greeting and assisting guests, providing assistance to researchers, managing volunteer tour guides, managing summer walking tour program, scheduling and coordinating group tours, and other duties as assigned by the Executive Director.

Strong written, verbal, interpersonal, and technological skills are required. A background in historical research is also required; a bachelor’s and/or advanced degree in the humanities, along with a strong interest in the questions and issues involved in local history, is highly desirable. A willingness to serve as needed in a small organization is essential.

This position is roughly 35 hours per week from Memorial Day weekend through Columbus Day weekend and roughly 24 hours per week in the off season of October through May.

During the museum season, the Museum Services Manager will work Tuesdays through Saturdays. In the off season, s/he will work Wednesdays through Fridays. Some additional evening and weekend hours will be required.

To apply, please send a cover letter, resume, and the names of three professional references to director@pejepscothistorical.org by June 5, 2015.