Jennifer, I appreciate your expansion and clarification about the museum jobs list and the survey and sources from which it was derived. Certainly, I understand your points about functions not assigned consistently across museums, and identifying broad areas of responsibility. Yet it is precisely because this survey and subsequent summary are directed toward "...a group that was not familiar with museum organizational structure at all." that I had, and voiced, my concerns about Visual Resources professionals not being specifically named. Clearly there is also work to do on the part of museum VR staff and members of the Visual Resources profession as a whole, in terms of greater awareness and inclusion of information about our role within museums and cultural heritage institutions within the types of published sources you used for your summary. Perhaps some of this awareness begins with this very discussion! Sincerely, Heidi Raatz Heidi S. Raatz | Visual Resources Librarian Minneapolis Institute of Arts 2400 Third Avenue South Minneapolis, MN 55404 (612) 870-3196 | (612) 870-3029 - permissions | hraatz at artsmia.org | permissions at artsmia.org| www.artsmia.org ( http://www.artsmia.org/ )
>>> j trant <jtrant at archimuse.com> 6/24/2009 11:00 AM >>> Heidi, as i explained in my response to your comment -- see http://conference.archimuse.com/blog/jtrant/museum_jobs_summary#comment-1439 -- that list of museum jobs was constructed in 2006 as part of a review of museum work in the context of a survey of Museum Studies education. it surveyed published sources describing museum work, and summarized the qualifications and responsibilities at a very high level. it was shared to help a group who had little familiarity with museums and how they are organized. the presence or absence of a specialization from that list was not intended as a slight -- i'm sorry if that's what happened. i should also apologize in advance to others who don't see their specific job title mentioned. i think we all recognise that many functions are not assigned consistently across museums; staffing and organizational structures depend a lot on size and budget, and roles and responsibilities are evolving, particularly in areas that deal with information management and technology. here's hoping we all have jobs and can travel to conferences in the future! jennifer At 10:25 AM -0500 6/24/09, Heidi Raatz wrote: >Good morning all, > >My morning was significantly disturbed by a Tweet posted to >https://twitter.com/museummedia, "Museum jobs: a summary >http://bit.ly/7pKto ." This shortened URL takes you to Jennifer >Trant's blog on the conference.archimuse.com website. Attached to >the blog post by Ms. Trant is a 4 page .pdf document listing various >museum jobs from Director to Membership Clerk, including staff >positions as varied as Planetarium Director, Studio Manager and >Projectionist. There are NO Visual Resources professionals included >on the list. Zero. Unless we're somehow invisibly included with >Digitizing Technician/data entry clerk, Librarian or Archivist. >I've made a comment to Ms. Trant's blog and hope to receive a >response from her which I will share with the VRA and MCN listservs. > >Coming on the heels of the announcement regarding the elimination of >Leigh Gate's Visual Resources position at the Art Institute of >Chicago, and compounded by the knowledge that Melody Ennis (Museum >of Art, RISD), Jane Ferger (Indianapolis Museum of Art) and Cheryl >Vogler (St. Louis Art Museum) also lost jobs to the elimination of >their staff positions within the past year, this blog post is >extremely troubling. Clearly there is some lack of awareness and >understanding about the role of Visual Resources professionals in >the museum environment that needs to be addressed. In light of >overall concerns about the future of our profession, this may be a >timely and pertinent topic for discussion at the Museum VR SIG >(special interest group) meeting at the next Visual Resources Assn. >conference in Atlanta--for those of us museum VR professionals who >still retain jobs and will be in attendance. > >Back to my still vital & hopefully valued work. > >Heidi > > > > > > >Heidi S. Raatz | Visual Resources Librarian >Minneapolis Institute of Arts >2400 Third Avenue South >Minneapolis, MN 55404 > >(612) 870-3196 | >(612) 870-3029 - permissions | >hraatz at artsmia.org | >permissions at artsmia.org| >www.artsmia.org ( http://www.artsmia.org/ ) > >_______________________________________________ >You are currently subscribed to mcn-l, the listserv of the Museum >Computer Network (http://www.mcn.edu) > >To post to this list, send messages to: mcn-l at mcn.edu > >To unsubscribe or change mcn-l delivery options visit: >http://toronto.mediatrope.com/mailman/listinfo/mcn-l > >The MCN-L archives can be found at: >http://toronto.mediatrope.com/pipermail/mcn-l/ -- __________ J. Trantjtrant at archimuse.com Partner & Principal Consultantphone: +1 416 691 2516 Archives & Museum Informaticsfax: +1 416 352 6025 158 Lee Ave, Toronto Ontario M4E 2P3 Canadahttp://www.archimuse.com __________
