HST 480: Museum Management

Topics in Public History: Museum Management

Spring 2006; Public History Suite at 5051 New Centre

Instructor: Tammy Stone-Gordon

Office: 105A Morton Hall

Office Hours: 11-12:30 Tuesdays and Thursdays

E-mail: stonegordont@uncw.edu

Phone: 962-4244

Mailbox: History Department 235 Morton

No matter what your role in a museum—collections manager, exhibits technician, information officer, director (to name only a few)—you need a broad understanding of museum management. In some museums you may manage all areas of museum practice, and in others you may have a highly specialized role. Either way, your work will require knowledge of how museum professionals manage resources to effectively serve the public. This class is designed to provide an overview of museum methods with an emphasis on managing the different functions and institutional divisions of contemporary museums. We will cover issues basic to non-profit organizations as well as museum-specific theories and skills, such as interpretation, exhibition, collections management and care, museum ethics, and visitor evaluation.

At the end of this class you will have a working knowledge of the central issues of museum practice and a working vocabulary of museology. In addition to course readings and discussion, we will conduct “fieldwork” projects and meet with practicing museum professionals. The goal of this course is to help you to:

Understand the organizational structure of museums and how institutional divisions work
Know your visitors
Understand the ethical, social, economic, and political contexts for museum practice
Evaluate your museum’s effectiveness

This is a class composed of both graduate and undergraduate students. At times the requirements will be the same, but more often assignments and readings will reflect the differences in experience and requirements. The course schedule will contain assignments coded with “U” or “G” to designate differences in required coursework.

Required Readings (U and G)

Butcher-Younghans, Historic House Museums: A Practical Handbook for Their Care, Preservation, and Management

Diamond, Practical Evaluation Guide

Edson and Dean, The Handbook for Museums

Genoways and Ireland, Museum Administration: An Introduction

Kreps, Liberating Culture: Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Museums, Curation, and Heritage Preservation

Leinhardt and Knutson, Listening in on Museum Conversations

Graduate Students Only:

Tilden, Interpreting Our Heritage

Gable, Displays of Power: Controversy in the American Museum From Enola Gay to Sensation

Knowles, The First-Time Grantwriter’s Guide to Success (not at bookstore—try half.com for the best price)

On Reserve (G):

Randolph Starn, “A Historian’s Brief Guide to New Museum Studies”

Grading and Assignments

Undergraduate Students:

Five Topical Essays, Reports or Planning Documents worth 20 points each

Graduate Students:

A collections policy document and acquisition plan (group written)
A grant proposal (group written)
A seminar paper based on original research in one of the following areas:

The Contemporary and/or Historic Roles of the Museum Director

The Ethics of Collection and Display of Cultural Artifacts (case study or theoretical)

The Role of Museums in Society (case study or theoretical)

A Visitor Evaluation Project for a Local Museum or Historic Site (must include visitor interviews or behavioral observations)

Classroom Activities

Much of the class time will be devoted to discussion. We will also engage in group work and will meet periodically with professionals in the museum field. Occasionally graduate and undergraduate groups will participate in different activities (i.e., undergraduates tour a collections facility and talk with a collections manager while graduates meet to plan and acquire a collection).

Undergraduate Student Course Schedule

Roles and Responsibilities of Museums

Thursday, January 12: Course Introduction

Tuesday, January 17: Edson and Dean Section I

Thursday, January 19: Kreps

Tuesday, January 24: Kreps

Thursday, January 26: Kreps

Collections Management and Policy

Tuesday, January 31: Edson and Dean Section II

Thursday, February 2: Collections Tour—Location to be announced

Tuesday, February 7: Fieldwork—Writing Policy; acquisition paper assigned

Thursday, February 9: Fieldwork—Acquiring and Processing Collections

Managing Information About Visitors

Tuesday, February 14: Acquisition Assignment Due; Leinhardt and Knudson

Thursday, February 16: Leinhardt and Knudson

Tuesday, February 21: Diamond; Visitor Survey Assigned

Thursday, February 23: Diamond

Interpretation and Communication

Tuesday, February 28: Visitor Survey Assignment Due; Edson and Dean, Part III

Thursday, March 2: Meet at UNCW Public History Graduate Student Gallery in Randall Library

Tuesday, March 7: Interpretation Lab; Exhibition Review Assigned

Thursday, March 9: Exhibition Review Assignment—No Class

March 14 and 16: No Class—Spring Break

Museum Administration

Tuesday, March 21: Exhibition Review Assignment Due; Genoways and Ireland

Thursday, March 23: Genoways and Ireland

Tuesday, March 28: Genoways and Ireland; Interview paper assigned

Thursday, March 30: Museum Administration

Managing the House Museum

Tuesday, April 4: Interview with Museum Director Due; Butcher-Younghans

Thursday, April 6: Butcher-Younghans

Tuesday, April 11: House Tour—location to be announced

Thursday, April 13: No Class—Break

Museum Ethics and Issues

Tuesday, April 18: Edson and Dean, Part IV; Final paper assigned

Thursday, April 20: Case Studies in Ethics

Tuesday, April 25: Presentations

Thursday, April 27: Presentations; Final Papers Due

Graduate Student Course Schedule

Roles and Responsibilities of Museums

Thursday, January 12: Course Introduction

Tuesday, January 17: Edson and Dean Section I, Starn article

Thursday, January 19: Kreps

Tuesday, January 24: Kreps

Thursday, January 26: Kreps

Collections Management and Policy

Tuesday, January 31: Edson and Dean Section II; read article/chapter related to 1950s sports and fitness

Thursday, February 2: Meet to author collections policy/plan for exhibition on 1950s popular sports and fitness; no class but arrange meeting with me

Tuesday, February 7: Fieldwork—Writing Policy; present policy to class for discussion

Thursday, February 9: Fieldwork—Acquiring and Processing Collections; turn in policy/plan

Managing Information About Visitors

Tuesday, February 14: Leinhardt and Knudson

Thursday, February 16: Leinhardt and Knudson

Tuesday, February 21: Diamond

Thursday, February 23: Diamond

Interpretation and Communication

Tuesday, February 28: Edson and Dean, Part III

Thursday, March 2: Meet at UNCW Public History Graduate Student Gallery in Randall Library; talk with undergraduates about the exhibition development process for Facing Changes

Tuesday, March 7: present Tilden’s main points; Interpretation Lab; grant proposal assigned

Thursday, March 9: Grant writing; start reading Knowles

March 14 and 16: No Class—Spring Break

Museum Administration

Tuesday, March 21: Genoways and Ireland

Thursday, March 23: Genoways and Ireland

Tuesday, March 28: Genoways and Ireland

Thursday, March 30: Meet with museum directors; grant proposal due

Managing the House Museum

Tuesday, April 4: Butcher-Younghans

Thursday, April 6: Butcher-Younghans

Tuesday, April 11: Historic House Tour