Blog and Newsletter

The Scarborough Public Library continues to accept applications for a
Part-time Adult Services Assistant. The adult services assistant will help
patrons access the library’s print and digital collections, including
e-books, and provide reference and reader’s advisory assistance. The adult
services assistant will also help patrons use the public computers. The
successful candidate must be able to work independently in a busy
environment and be comfortable working with patrons of all ages, backgrounds
and abilities. This customer service position requires patience and
enthusiasm. Current schedule is 8 hours per week including each Sunday
afternoon. Summer schedule may include additional weekday hours since
weekend hours are reduced.

The job announcement, job description and application can be found at
http://www.scarboroughlibrary.org/jobs/jobs.html

The Maine State Museum Commission has named Bernard Fishman, former director of Rhode Island Historical Society, as the new director of the Maine State Museum in Augusta. A veteran museum director with 28 years of experience, Fishman replaces Joseph R. Phillips, who retired after twenty years at the helm of Maine's largest museum dedicated to the preservation of the state's natural and cultural history.

"We are delighted to welcome Bernard Fishman to the Maine State Museum," said Maine State Museum Commission Chair Charles J. Micoleau of Portland. "He was selected after a six month national search and brings important experience in strategic planning, museum operations, and capital campaigns. Without question, Bernard will continue and enhance the high standards established at the State Museum."

"I'm proud to have been selected to lead the Maine State Museum, one of the state's most important and meaningful organizations," commented Fishman. "I'm thrilled at the prospect of guiding the State Museum to an even more brilliant future of showing to ourselves and the world why Maine is such an important and distinctive place."

"My connections here are significant," continued Fishman. "For eleven years, I was a camper or counselor at two Maine summer camps, one in West Baldwin and another in Oakland. Under the name of M.H. Fishman Co. my family also owned small department stores in Calais and Biddeford. These associations were very formative in my life, and left me with a profound sense of always belonging to Maine in some elemental way. It's exciting for me to be returning here, in a job that is so much about forging similar links between people's pasts and Maine today."

A native of New York City, Fishman received a B.A. summa cum laude in American History from Columbia University and a M.A. with honors in Ancient History and Archaeology from the University of Pennsylvania. Trained initially as an Egyptologist, Fishman worked for three years recording and deciphering ancient texts in Luxor, Egypt. Subsequently he became the director of a small art museum in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He next became the founding director of the Jewish Museum of Maryland in Baltimore, where he worked for thirteen years. After a four-year directorship at the Lehigh County Historical Society in Allentown, Pennsylvania, Fishman moved to the position of executive director at Rhode Island Historical Society, where he worked for nine years.

Bernard Fishman has served as an advisor or consultant to museums nationwide. He has written and lectured widely on archaeology, architecture, art, historic preservation, education, vintage photography, scientific analysis of ancient materials, institutional development, and a variety of historical topics.

Fishman will begin his duties at the Maine State Museum on August 20, 2012. For more information, see the museum's website at www.mainestatemuseum.org<http://www.mainestatemuseum.org/.

Maine Archives and Museums (MAM) invites you to become a corporate sponsor and/or exhibitor at its 2012 Conference and Annual Meeting.  Whether you specialize in archival storage materials, consulting services, retail/gift shop items, or services and products that enhance visitor experiences, we welcome your participation.

 

This year’s theme is “Understanding Our Past, Re-envisioning Our Future.” This conference offers an opportunity for you to share your organization’s mission with professionals working in all aspects of Maine’s museums, historic sites, and archives.

• Find your target audience among professionals representing museums, archives, libraries, historical societies, historic sites, and more.
• Develop relationships with museum and archives professionals throughout Maine.
• Continue connections with your current customers.
• Hear what museum and archives professionals have to say about your products – and their future product needs.
• Increase your knowledge and understanding of the archives and museums professions.
• Enjoy 10 hours of conveniently scheduled exhibit time, of which a full 3½ hours is unopposed by professional development programming.
• Sell your products on site.

When:  Friday, October 26, 2012, 7:30am-5:00pm with evening reception to follow.  Set up:  7:00am

                               

Where:  The Collins Center for the Arts on the campus of the University of Maine at Orono is the location of this year’s conference and is convenient to both I-95 and the Bangor International Airport.  We are pleased to host this year’s sponsors in such a large, dynamic and flexible venue.  For more information on the Collins Center, visit:  www.CollinsCenterfortheArts.com.

 

Exhibit Area:  Exhibitor locations will be adjacent to beverage, snack and lunch areas to ensure high traffic to your display.  Time has been built into the schedule to allow attendees to meet with exhibitors throughout the conference. 

 

Deadline:  To be included in all print materials, the deadline to submit a sponsorship for the 2012 conference is Friday, August 31, 2012. 

 

Register Online Today!

Conference Sponsorship & Exhibitor Opportunities

 

Sponsorship Opportunities:  Maine Archives & Museums is pleased to offer a variety of sponsorship & exhibitor opportunities at varying levels:

 

Package #1: "Silver Sponsor"--$75

• Mention in promotional materials, including MAM’s website and Facebook page
• Promotional handout in conference packet (please provide a full-page handout or brochure)
• List of conference participants

Package #2: "Gold Sponsor"--$150

• All the benefits of “Silver Sponsorship,” plus:
• One (1) exhibit space of not more than a 6’ table
• One (1) admission to conferenceBottom of Form (includes lunch, keynote and evening reception) (a $50 value!)

                Package #3: “Host Sponsor"--$250

Get even more exposure for your organization!  Host one of our three main networking opportunities:  Coffee & Registration; Afternoon Coffee & Snack; Evening Reception 

• All the benefits of “Silver Sponsorship,” plus:
• Exclusive host listing in conference schedule (ex. Coffee & Registration hosted by Smith Consulting)
• Signage at event featuring organization name and/or logo
• Two (2) admissions to conference (includes lunch, keynote and evening reception) (a $100 value!)
• One (1) exhibit space of not more than a 6’ table

                Package #4:  “Key Note Sponsor”undefined$500

Maine Archives and Museums is pleased to announce Terri Garner, Director of the William J. Clinton Presidential Library, former Director for the Bangor History Center, and alumni of the University of Maine, Orono as our key note speaker.  We anticipate great interest in her presentation, not only for MAM members but the museum, archives and library community at large and the UMaine campus population.

•·         Organization name and/or logo in all promotional materials, including MAM’s website and Facebook page

•·         Promotional handout in conference packet (please provide a full-page handout or brochure)

•·         List of conference participants

•·         Exclusive Sponsor Listing in conference schedule and promotional materials (ex. Keynote Hosted by Smith Consulting)

•·         Special acknowledgment during keynote introduction

•·         Signage at event and on speaker podium featuring organization name and/or logo

•·         Four (4) admissions to conference (includes lunch, keynote and evening reception) (a $200 value!)

•·         One (1) exhibit space of not more than a 6’ table

 

For more information about Sponsorship and Exhibitor Packages or to begin customizing your own sponsorship, contact Erin Bishop at info@MaineMuseums.org or phone 207-400-6965

 

 

Register Online Today!

 

Conference Sponsorship & Exhibitor Opportunities

July 25, 2012

 

Dear Members of Maine Archives and Museums:

 

I am writing to invite you to participate in the American Association of Museums initiative called “Invite Congress to Visit Your Museum.” The main idea in our case is to invite the members of Maine’s congressional delegation, depending upon district, to visit your institution during the week of August 11 to 18. The purpose of the visit is not so much to give elected officials a platform for their views on related issues but rather to hear your story, see how you preserve and interpret key objects and other materials for the benefit of the public, and how your work and the work of your MAM-member colleagues makes Maine the special place it is.

In fact, MAM is strongly suggesting that interested members improve on the core AAM idea by extending invitations to their local state representatives and senators, as well as any candidates for any and all offices, state or national. It is those local folks, in particular, who need to hear your stories, and who are much more likely to be able to attend. Here are a few foundation ideas for you to build on:

• First, participating is entirely voluntary. How to participate is up to each institution.
  
  
• Second, MAM will provide you with a link to AAM’s guidelines and suggested materials (see below), but again, you may participate in any way you see fit. You do not need to use their prepared invitation, for example, but please use it, as revised to meet your needs, if that helps.
  
  
• Third, MAM asks that you let director, Erin Bishop, know if, how, and when you plan to participate. Please let her know by August 5. Erin will then publish the full schedule of member events on MAM's Web site, on Facebook, and via standard press release. Of course, you will want to do your own local publicity, too.

• Fourth, if your institution does participate in any way, we ask you to let Erin know which elected officials and candidates attended your event, and to send photos as well, if possible. This information and any photos will be posted as above, and will likely form the basis for an article in the next newsletter.

Here is the link to AAM’s suggested letter of invitation: http://www.congressweb.com/cweb2/index.cfm/siteid/AAM/action/TakeAction.Contact/lettergroupid/41.

 

Here is the link to AAM’s “How To” guide: http://www.speakupformuseums.org/invitecongresstovisit.htm.

 

Here is how to get in touch with Senators Snowe and Collins:

http://www.snowe.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact?p=email  http://www.collins.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/email

 

Here is how to get in touch with Representatives Michaud and Pingree:

https://michaud.house.gov/contact-me http://pingree.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=700&Itemid=8

 

Please check with your Democratic or Republican town or county contacts for the names and addresses of state senators,  representatives, and  candidates for those offices in your area. Don’t forget independent candidates, too.

 

Remember, AAM’s and MAM’s ideas/suggestions are just that. You and your institution are free to pursue this opportunity or not as you see fit, in any way you choose.

 

That said, I believe that Invite Congress to Your Museum week is an excellent example of how MAM and its members can work appropriately together to support, promote, and celebrate the great work you do.

 

Thanks.

Jay Adams

President

 

P.S. You can reach Erin at (207) 400-6965, info@mainemuseums.org or at  P.O. Box 46, Cumberland Center, Maine 04021.

The Saco Museum seeks an experienced museum professional to provide leadership and creative vision for this regional museum of history, art, and culture. The Director curates and coordinates exhibitions; generates revenue through grant funding, corporate sponsorships, donor cultivation, gift shop management, and assistance with the annual fund and fundraising events; provides public relations and publicity; manages the museum budget; and supervises and schedules a small staff, including an Education and Program Manager and a Collections Manager. The Museum Director plans for the museum’s ongoing sustainability (under the supervision of the Executive Director of the Dyer Library Association), including achieving and maintaining the high professional standards of the museum field.

Founded in 1866 and located in the heart of Saco's historic district, the Saco Museum welcomes 10,000 visitors per year. The collection includes important Federal furniture, major portraits by John Brewster, Jr,  the Moving Panorama of Pilgrim's Progress (currently on view) , the earliest known American camera, and other artifacts connected to southern Maine. The Dyer Library Association, operating the museum and a public library, is a private, non-profit 501(c)(3).

Requirements: 5 years leadership experience in a museum setting required; Master’s Degree in a related field desired. Salary commensurate with experience.  80% health insurance coverage, 10 paid holidays, 19 days personal time in the first year.

Send cover letter, resume, and names, phone numbers, and emails of three professional references by August 18 to Leslie Rounds, Executive Director, Dyer Library/Saco Museum, 371 Main Street, Saco, ME 04072, lrounds@dyer.lib.me.us.

A crystal clear mountain lake, an American Indian cliff dwelling, a railway crossroad, a farmstead, your home. Each evokes an emotional response; each stirs the human spirit; and each reminds us that history is, at its core, about the powerful connections between people and place. The 2012 Annual Meeting of the American Association for State and Local History will consider the sometimes empowering, sometimes challenging, but always special connection between people and place.  Follow link for more information.  http://www.aaslh.org/conference12_registration.htm

 

New England Archivists announces an educational workshop for Summer 2012:

Disaster Planning
(co-sponsored with Harvard University Archives)
July 27, 2012 – Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
http://www.newenglandarchivists.org/education/education.html

---

Disaster Planning
(co-sponsored with Harvard University Archives)
Friday, July 27, 2012
10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Cost: $85 for NEA Members and Harvard University Archives Staff; $110.00 for Nonmembers
Includes morning refreshments
Registration deadline: July 16, 2012
Register here

Instructor:
Donia Conn, Education and Outreach Coordinator, Northeast Document Conservation Center

Donia Conn presents workshops throughout the Northeast on preservation and emergency preparedness topics for NEDCC, and also teaches Preservation Management and Collection Maintenance at Simmons Graduate School of Library and Information Science. She earned an MLIS with an Advanced Certificate in Conservation from University of Texas-Austin, and worked as a rare book and paper conservator in academic institutions across the U.S. prior to joining NEDCC.

Workshop Description:
Disaster planning is an essential component of preserving your institution’s collections. An efficient and effective response depends upon how well prepared you are. Ms. Conn will discuss how you can get started with a disaster plan that can reduce the risk of an event and minimize your losses.

Attendance limited to 16 participants

Posting on behalf of our colleagues in the University of Maine New Media
program. This opportunity to earn a graduate certificate in Digital
Curation begins this fall --

Who needs digital curation?

* An archivist in a photographer's studio wants to put a database of
vintage sailing photos online but doesn't know where to start.
* A town official is feeling pressure to keep digital records but isn't
sure what formats will be accessible in the long term.
* A curator in a museum is worried that her recordings of stories will be
lost once the audio cassettes are no longer playable.

There is a growing need in many areas of the public and private sector for
better understanding of and training in the selection, preservation,
maintenance, and archiving of digital resources. This program will provide
an important and innovative skill-set for employees and employers that
prepares them to address pressing data and material management issues while
positioning them and their business or institution for the future.

This innovative distance learning program should appeal to anyone working
in an archive, museum, library, studio, business, or government office
where the management of digital assets is important. Students will learn
how to digitize, make accessible via database and Web site, and preserve
digital assets ranging from videotapes to photographs to textual records.
Although taught entirely online, all classes in the program make use of an
innovative Virtual Collection to teach hands-on skills along with broader
knowledge about the field.

Learn more at [ http://DigitalCuration.UMaine.edu ]
http://DigitalCuration.UMaine.edu or 207 581-4477. Apply at [
http://umaineonline.umaine.edu/registration-forms-2/ ]
http://umaineonline.umaine.edu/registration-forms-2/.

Position: Curatorial Assistant
Department: Curatorial

Department/Division: Curatorial
Reports To: Curatorial
Posted: June 4, 2012

GENERAL SUMMARY:
Under the general supervision of the Curatorial Coordinator and in collaboration with the Curatorial and Registrar’s staff, provides administrative support for the Curatorial Department to ensure successful execution of curatorial and exhibition programs in support of the Museum’s mission.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

• Provides effective support for exhibition scheduling and production, including preparing loan and photography requests, corresponding with artists and lenders, creating and distributing checklists, producing exhibition labels, and generating project evaluation forms.
• Assists with the development and coordination of scholarly publications and other exhibition-related research and projects as assigned.
• Fields and responds to inquiries regarding the collection, artists, conservation, appraisals, and exhibitions. Assists with maintenance of the Curatorial files.
• Assists with processing expenditure, personnel, and purchasing documents related to the revenue and expense accounts for the Collections Division.
• Assist with preparation and distribution of minutes for Collection Committee and other meetings as assigned, and with coordination of paperwork related to gifts and purchases of art.
• Effectively carries out administrative duties and provides clerical support as needed.
• Effectively troubleshoots and provides ongoing support to keep Curatorial and Registrar office supplies replenished and equipment in good working order.
• Provides administrative assistance in other areas of the Museum as needed, such as call center support, responding to visitor inquiries, processing reservations and sales transactions, and other routine clerical assignments.
• Performs special projects and other related duties as required, directed, or as the situation dictates.
• Complies with all Portland Museum of Art safety rules and procedures.
• Regular attendance at the workplace is required.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY:
None.

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE:
Bachelor’s Degree in a related field with one to three years experience in administrative support and/or office management. Experience in arts administration, art history, fine art, or another museum or gallery position preferred.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Excellent office management skills with considerable knowledge of office practices and procedures.
• Excellent organizational and multi-tasking skills with attention to detail.
• Effective interpersonal, oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to work both independently and cooperatively with coworkers.
• Ability to effectively operate computers and work with databases and assigned software, including Microsoft Office.
• Ability to manage interns and volunteers.
• Ability to pass a criminal background check.

WORKING CONDITIONS & PHYSICAL DEMANDS:
The majority of work is performed in a museum or gallery setting or in a normal office environment not subject to extremes of noise, temperature, odor, etc. Operates computer, printer, photocopier, scanner, and other office equipment. Work involves extended sitting and computer use.

TERMS:
The Curatorial Assistant position is a full-time, full-benefits, hourly, employment-at-will position.

APPLY:
Please send cover letter, resume’, and completed PMA application (available here or at the front desk) to: business@portlandmuseum.org or mail to: Business Manager, Portland Museum of Art, 7 Congress Square, Portland, ME 04101. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.

The Portland Museum of Art is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Applications for this position require a completed PMA Job Application in addition to any materials requested above.