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Museum Studies in MotionMuseuM studies at the university of delawarevolume 2, issue 3 March 2010

Inside this issueProject Report 1Director’s Message 2Internship Report 2Alumni News 2, 4Meet our Faculty 3Course Description 3Internship Report 3Stay Connected 4

be at the center of thingsProject Report

at the end of January 2010, five Museum Studies students and Program Director Kasey Grier spent two weeks at Corbit-Calloway Memorial Library in Odessa, Delaware. The group worked closely with librarian Mary McNeeley, who is also curator of the library’s Delmarva collection, to inventory and catalogue a historic map collection and a historic postcard collection, and to document a collection of three-dimensional objects from across Delaware.

Robin Valencia and Jennifer Matthews tackled a collection of about 1800 historical postcards depicting scenes from across Delaware. “We scanned the postcards, creating digital images of both the front and back of each card, and worked to complete a database of information about the postcards, which included information such as when the postcard was published and who created the image on the front of the card,” Matthews said. “We also completed a report with recommendations for rehousing the postcards in accordance with accepted archival standards to ensure that the cards remain in good condition for many more years.”

Hillary Mohaupt and Jackie Williams handled the map collection, which was partially documented in two different databases, and which will be moved to new storage in the near future. They determined which maps appeared in which database, and determined which ones needed MARC files.

Jackie Williams and Stephanie Lampkin work on the Delmarva Collection at Corbit-Calloway Memorial Library in Odessa, DE.

The Delmarva collection includes over 165 photographs, posters, pieces of furniture, and textiles related to Delaware history. Jackie Williams and Stephanie Lampkin photographed and accessioned each object, carefully applying accession numbers and entering object information into an Access file.

The Corbit-Calloway project helped build ties between the Museum Studies Program and a community organization. “I am very interested in how local museums contribute to the local history and this provided me with the opportunity to see how this specific institution worked and how it contributed to the region’s history,” Robin Valencia said. Kasey Grier agreed: “The project provided hands-on experience with collections for us, and we enjoyed being a temporary part of this library, a place that is clearly the heart of its community.”Learn more about Corbit-Calloway Memorial Library at http://corbitlibrary.org

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Director’s MessageIt’s admissions time, which means

that the academic year is almost three-quarters over, and that our “new” students are now old hands. I am in the thick of planning the roster of offerings for next year, including courses on curatorship and collections management and on museum education and public programming.

In January, five students and I worked at the Corbit-Calloway Memorial Library in Odessa, Delaware, working with their Delmarva History collection. We all appreciated the hospitality of the volunteers and staff, especially collection curator Mary McNeeley. I used the students’ work inventorying, numbering, and scanning collection items as an opportunity to gather data that I can use for estimating the work process for future projects.

Later this spring, I will seek funding to support student stipends and other expenses for “Winterim” community service projects in the state of Delaware. Our state benefits from the presence of a number of extraordinary large institutions that are also important resources for our students; however, significant collections also are held in scores of small organizations. Museum Studies students can do real good, and gain important hands-on experience, through working with

the collections of community-based institutions.

On February 20, Tracy Jentzsch, Hillary Mohaupt and I traveled to Ocean

City for the annual meeting of the Small Museum Association. Each year, the SMA program committee puts together a varied

and useful program at a reasonable price, and they work hard to make everyone feel at home. Thanks to the excellent sessions by

day (and a dose of Olympic ice-dancing on TV in the evening), we had a great time. We set

up shop in the exhibitors’ hall and used the opportunity to distribute a questionnaire

asking conference participants about their training needs, including their time, travel and financial constraints.

We created our questionnaire with an eye toward understanding the ways small museums think about training and set priorities. Our goal is to create low-cost workshops for small museums, historical societies, and other community-based cultural organizations. These workshops will benefit students, too; they will gain experience in program planning and implementation. We are continuing to collect data, and I will share the results of what we learn through our website and a future issue of the newsletter.

William D. Andrews is the author of Stealing History, a murder mystery set in a historical society in Maine. The sleuth is a UD grad named Julie Williamson, who has recently received a Ph. D. in history and a certificate in Museum Studies. Andrews gave us the inside scoop on our fictional alumna.Tell us about your protagonist, Julie Williamson.Julie’s a young professional with a new job (her first as boss) in a new location and with a romantic relationship that requires commuting. In that way she’s like a lot of young professional women (men, too) who balance competing ambitions and needs and who want to demonstrate they can lead an organization and still remain true to themselves. What do detectives and museum directors have in common? In other words, what do you think makes Julie a good gumshoe?What makes Julie a good detective is being a good historian. As she points out, she loves to solve puzzles, which is what both detectives and historians do. I don’t

know if all museum directors have a similar tendency, but certainly those who head historical societies do.why set a murder mystery in a historical society?They have some qualities that lend themselves well to mysteries: they often have valuable but under-protected stuff to steal; the people who haunt them as users and volunteers are frequently colorful and quirky and therefore fun to depict; and they’re often vital centers of life in small towns, which make good settings for so-called “cozy” mysteries.

Alumni News

Kasey Grier, DirectorMuseum Studies Program

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Meet Our FacultyTerry Snyder taught Collections Management: Archives and Paper Collections, offered during the fall 2009 semester. Snyder received an M.A. in History from Duquesne University, an M.S. in Information Science from Drexel University, and an M.A. in American Civilization and a Ph. D in American Civilization from the University of Pennsylvania. She has been Deputy Director at Hagley Museum and Library since 2003.Why did you want to work in archives?I did an internship at the Library Company of Philadelphia while an undergraduate. I really enjoyed working with primary sources and making them available. I could see from that experience that excellent archival work was critical in fostering cultural understanding as well as ensuring a free and open society. I decided to pursue that profession as a result.What has surprised you most in your work?When you work with amazing collection material and wonderful colleagues, the opportunities for discovery are endless. New collections bring the potential for surprise every day.What do you see as critical skills for emerging museum professionals?I think the critical skills to focus on are: strong research and writing skills; historical or subject knowledge that is as broad as it can be deep; a sense of curiosity and interest in many things; communication skills that support a strong commitment to public service; practical skills gained through internships and coursework.

Internship Report

As an intern at the Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts (DCCA) and the Delaware Art Museum (DAM), I obtained valuable firsthand experience in the museum world.

In the curatorial department at the DCCA I worked on preparations for the museum’s Members’ Juried Exhibition, which opens on April 9, 2010. This work included processing applications, contacting artists, and preparing materials for the juror and docents. As part of this project, I learned to use Adobe InDesign and The Raiser’s Edge database application. I also had the opportunity to view exciting work by many contemporary artists. I contributed to a variety of other projects as well, collaborating with members of the curatorial, administration, and development departments.

Jonathan Donovan, History In contrast to the DCCA, which is a non-collecting museum, my project at the Delaware Art Museum focused on the DAM’s permanent collection. There I worked to ensure that the museum’s large collection of works by American illustrator Howard Pyle was properly documented in its Museum System database. In doing so, I had the chance to become more familiar with the work of an important artist while learning to use a common collections management program.

Both of my internships were excellent experiences, and I would highly recommend these institutions to other museum studies students.To learn more about the DCCA, visit http://www.thedcca.orgTo learn more about the DAM, visit http://www.delart.org

During the fall 2009 semester, Museum Studies

offered a new course, Collections Management: Archives and Paper

Collections. For their final project, each student produced a finding aid for a local archival

collection. Jennifer Matthews processed the Allen D. Cardwell Manufacturing Corporation’s company

records. She also wrote an article based on three pieces in the collection, which was featured in the Hagley blog in January 2010. Matthew Small processed the papers of Warner Perry, a magic enthusiast, in the University of Delaware’s Morris Library; his finding aid is accessible through the library’s website. He said, “The only archival experience I had before this class was related to my own research. It’s very satisfying to come away with

applicable skills and a product to show for all your hard work.” Professor terry snyder saw the course not only as an opportunity to broaden students’ horizons for future employment, but

also as a part of a professional and ethical obligation to advance the archives field. She said, “My expectation is

that the course will strengthen material culture students with a range of experiences that they may call upon as

museum professionals.” View Matthew Small’s finding aid for the Warner Perry (1900-1997) papers online at

the Morris Library website: www.lib.udel.edu/ud/spec/findaids/html/mss0613.html. • Read Jennifer

Matthews’s article on the Hagley Museum and Library blog: hagleylibrary.blogspot.

com/2010_01_01_archive.html

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About UsThe name we have chosen, Museum Studies in Motion, is a tribute to the energy, enthusiasm, and groundbreaking scholarship of Edward P. Alexander, the first director of the Museum Studies Program at the University of Delaware. Alexander’s book Museums in Motion became a foundational text for museum studies courses throughout the United States. It is still in print, in a new edition revised and expanded by his daughter, Mary Alexander.

About the OfficeThe Museum Studies Program maintains an office in Kirkbride Hall, co-existing with UD’s History Media Center. Within the office there is a library, an internship and announcements board, and computers for use by MSST students and alumni. The office is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

About ConnectionsThe Museum Studies at the University of Delaware also publishes a weekly email with announcements about conferences, internships and job opportunities. To subscribe, email hmohaupt@gmail.com.

Follow us on Twitter. We are UDMuseumStudies.Become part of our Facebook group, Museum Studies at the University of Delaware Students and Alumni.Link up with our Linkedin group, Museum Studies at UD Students & Alumni.

The Museum Studies Program at the University of Delaware

201 Kirkbride Hall114 S. College Avenue

Newark, DE 19716302-831-1251

http://www.udel.edu/museumstudies/

Kasey Grier, director, kcgrier@udel.edu

Tracy Jentzsch, staff assistant, jentzsch@udel.edu

Hillary Mohaupt, graduate assistant, hmohaupt@gmail.com

Stay ConnectedAlumni NewsI completed a Master’s in History with a certificate

in Museum Studies at the University of Delaware. I have been working at Newlin Grist Mill since June 2008, but I have had connections with the site for many years: there I learned how to sharpen a millstone and was introduced to historic foodways.

Nicholas Newlin and his family were Irish Quakers who immigrated to Pennsylvania in 1683. Nicholas Newlin’s son, Nathaniel, constructed the Newlin Grist Mill in 1704. Subsequent generations of Newlins have continued to preserve the site’s resources and make them accessible for the public.

Milling was at the center of everything in this region, one reason why Newlin Mill has adopted the interpretive theme of “Mill as Nexus.” This site, with its many layers and connections, has something for everyone. I have always found mills interesting because of their broad appeal to the mechanically minded, foodies, farmers, and business oriented visitors. Thanks to the conservation efforts of our founders, the environment and ecosystems are part of the context as well.

The most challenging part of my job can be convincing people that museums and learning are fun. The best compliment I ever received came from a fifth grader following a four-hour Lewis & Clark program. The student said, “Mr. Shahan, I had a lot of fun today and I even learned something too!” The challenge is to make this the normal response instead of the exception.

My favorite part of Newlin Mills? I have always been drawn to education and mills present a perfect platform for it. The best moments of my job are watching people, whether they are 6 years old or 60, make connections and apply their own experiences to interpretation. These moments are what keep me going when the demands of administration become frustrating.

Tony Shahan ’94, Director, Newlin Grist Mill

Learn more about Newlin Grist Mill in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania, at www.newlingristmill.org