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Museum Methods

Syllabus
MSTD A405/A505

Dr. Elizabeth Kryder-Reid	Spring Semester, 2003
Director, Museum Studies	Thursday, 5:45-8:25 pm
Cavanaugh Hall 419	Cavanaugh Hall, Rm. 203,
Indianapolis IN 46202-5140	425 University Blvd
ekryderr@iupui.edu	and area museums
(317) 274-1406 (W)	IUPUI
(317) 722-0910 (H)
(calls welcome at home 9:00 am - 9:00 p.m.)

Office Hours:
Thurs. 2:30-3:30 pm;
Thurs. 8:30-9:00 pm or by appointment.
Please feel free to e-mail or call if you have any questions or concerns throughout the semester For the promptest response, , please use IUPUI e-mail address (NOT OnCourse mail).

The course is supported in On-Course where you can find a copy of this syllabus with direct links to web sites, along with course announcements, your posted grades, and opportunities to continue class discussions on-line.

Course Description:

This survey of museum methods introduces students to the technical aspects of museum work as well as the ethical ramifications of these methods. The course surveys methods, skills, and resources in three areas of museum work: artifacts, interpretation and organizational administration. Topics include registration and records, care of collections, conservation, architecture and accessibility, mission statements, museum education, visitor evaluation, exhibition planning and design, membership, marketing, development, governance and management.

Course Objectives:

At the end of the course, the student should be able to:

• Demonstrate an understanding of the roles, skills, and training requirements of museum professionals;
• Identify and apply a range of techniques, tools, and materials used in museum work;
• Discuss critically current issues in museum exhibition, education, conservation, collections management, marketing, development, visitor evaluation, and administration;
• Locate and utilize the basic literature of museum methods, professional museum organizations, and museum reference sources including on-line resources;
• Research, develop, design, fabricate, and install a small exhibit, working in collaboration with other members of the class and with representatives of the institutions mounting the exhibit.

Course Requirements:

• Attendance in class
• Completion of assigned reading
• Participation in class discussions and exercises
• Completion of take-home assignments
• Class portfolio
• Exhibit development and design, including participation in the team project (and the project notebook produced by the group) and individual submission of components required throughout the semester.

Note, if you have any questions about any of the assignments, please see Dr. Kryder-Reid well in advance of the due dates. Late assignments may be penalized. Failure to submit an assignment means it is given zero points, so it is far better to turn in something!

If you wish to take this course for graduate credit, see separate syllabus for A505 and please meet with Dr. Kryder-Reid regarding the additional requirements.

Undergraduate Student Course Evaluation:

Grades will be based on a student's total score out of a possible 100 points weighted in the following manner:

Assignment	due date	points
1. Mission statement, org. chart, position descriptions	1/30/03	10 pts.
2. Web site review	2/13/03	5 pts.
3. Condition/Accession reports	2/27/03	5 pts.
4. Exhibit Review (using NAME tool)	3/13/03	10 pts.
5. Press release	3/27/03	10 pts.
6. Education program plan	4/17/03	10 pts.
7. Exhibit Portfolio	5/2/03	30 pts.
Exhibit Team participation      7a. Group peer evaluation	5/2/03	10 pts.
Participation in discussions, exercises, and attendance		10 pts.
Total possible points		100 pts.

Graduate Students:

In addition to the requirements above, Graduate Students will also complete the following, to be graded on the same percentile scale listed below but out of a possible 150 points:
     Additional readings as noted in the syllabus
     Additional components of assignments as noted in the syllabus 20 pts.
     Research Project (due 5/5; choose ONE of three options, see p.16 of syllabus): 30 pts.
          a. SWOT research and strategic planning
          b. evaluation project at the Eiteljorg
          c. independent project in any area of museum practice
          (instructor’s approval required)

The grading scale:

100-98= A+
93-97 = A
90-92 = A-
88-89 = B+
83-87 = B
80-82 = B-
78-79 = C+
73-77 = C
70-72 = C-
68-69 = D+
63-67 = D
60-62 = D-
0-59 = F

Expectations:

• It is expected that students will contribute their ideas, thoughts, and reflections to class discussions, and will listen respectfully to the contributions of others in the class. Please set beepers and cell phones to silent mode while in class.
• It is expected that students will make every effort to attend all classes, especially those meeting in museums, and will notify Dr. Kryder-Reid as soon as possible in the event they must miss class or an assignment deadline due to illness or emergency. The practical nature of the curriculum, the expertise of guest lecturers, and cumulative nature of the exhibit project means that making up missed material will be very difficult. Classes meeting off campus will start at 6:00 in order to give you more time for transportation, but it is essential that you be on time since we will be going to restricted areas and meeting in museums after public hours.
• It is expected that students will complete the assigned work in a thorough and timely manner.
• It is expected that exhibit projects will reflect creativity, thoughtful research, careful planning, and, above all, teamwork. If you have any questions about your assignment or your group interactions, Dr. Kryder-Reid is available during offices hours and at any time Mon.-Thurs. by appointment or via e-mail. Please do not hesitate to come and talk.
• Because of the collaborative nature of the class and the fact we meet off campus frequently, close communication will be essential. Please check the On-Course web site for course announcements regularly, especially on the day of a class, to keep apprised of any announcements or last minute changes. Please use e-mail for the promptest response from the professor.
• Students are responsible for activity on their computer accounts.
• It is expected that students will fulfill their responsibilities (see "Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities and Conduct": http://www.hoosiers.iupui.edu/studcode/stucode.htm ) and maintain standards of intellectual honesty in keeping with the academic policies of the University (see also IUPUI Campus Bulletin, 2000-2002, p.36).

Required Reading:

Required text: Beverly Serrell, Exhibit Labels: An Interpretive Approach (Walnut Creek: AltaMira Press, 1996).

Reserve Readings: All readings are on reserve, either in hard copy or on the Errol system through the University Library web site http://errol.ulib.iupui.edu/. Documents may be viewed from any Scholar's Workstation in the library, or from any World Wide Web capable machine anywhere in the world; however, access to the electronic course reserves material is restricted to current students of IUPUI by way of individual class passwords (passwords will distributed in class). Adobe Acrobat Reader software must be installed on the local machine in order to view and print documents.

Research materials for the exhibit project will be available through the UL Archives, on reserve, and in CA419. Further details on the project will be presented on Feb. 6th.

On-Course: The class will be supported by On-Course to facilitate communication, discussion, and collaboration on group projects. The syllabus on the page will allow students to make direct links with assigned web sites by clicking on the address. Details of how to access the On-Course page will be distributed in class. OnCourse is best accessed through Microsoft Explorer. For help click on student resources on the OnCourse menu at http://oncourse.iu.edu.

 

Summary of class schedule, topics, guest speakers, and locations

Key to meeting place codes: CA = Cavanaugh Hall, Eiteljorg = Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, IMA = Indianapolis Museum of Art, ISM = Indiana State Museum, construction site, White River State Park, TCMI = The Children's Museum of Indianapolis, Hedback Entrance, IHS = Indiana Historical Society, (see last page of syllabus for addresses of museums)

Jan. 16: Introduction to Museum Methods, CA 203
Jan. 23: Museum Administration and Governance, CA 203
Jan. 30: Cultivating Stakeholders: Membership, Marketing, P.R., and Development, CA 203
Feb 6: Exhibit Development and Project Mgmt. – the Theater exhibit, Dorothy Webb, CA 203
Feb. 13: Registration and Collections Management, CA 203
Feb. 20: Preventive Conservation, Christy O’Grady TCMI
Feb. 27: Work on concept development for exhibit projects CA203 (Michael Fee available)
March 6: Exhibit Concept Presentations /Front End Evaluation/ Intro. to Exhibit Design CA 203
March 13: Museum Theater, Nancy Eddy, TCMI
SPRING BREAK
March 27: Collections Management Case Study, Becky Hutchins, Eiteljorg
April 3: Museum Education: Exhibit Text and Program Development, CA 203
April 10: Museum Education Case Study, Phil Hundley, ISM
April 17: Museum Evaluation, CA203
April 24: Installation of Museum Exhibit Project University Library
May 1: Class Opening and Critique of Theatre Exhibit University Library
May 5: Public Opening of Theatre Exhibit (time TBA, prob. 4:30) University Library

 

Schedule of Classes and Assignments

JANUARY 16: Week 1 Introduction to Museum Methods CA 203

Topics: review of syllabus, requirements, expectations, etc.; overview of Museum Studies; introduction to museums and the museum profession; types of museums

For further resources for on-line museum dialogue: see
"Conversations in Cyberspace" by Catherine Hughes at
http://www.mos.org/learn_more/imtal-insights1.html

Web Sites:

ICOM: International Council of Museums: http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/icom/
AAM: American Association of Museums: http://www.aam-us.org/index.htm
IUPUI Museum Studies: http://www.iupui.edu/~museum/
IUPUI University Library subject page: Museum Studies:
http://www-lib.iupui.edu/subjectareas/museum/home.html

 

JANUARY 23: Week 2 Museum Administration and Governance CA 203

Topics: administrative and governance structures, roles and responsibilities, mission statements, ethics and policy development, position descriptions and performance evaluation, salary expectations, risk assessment, strategic planning

Readings:

Gerald George and Cindy Sherrell-Leo, "Analyze for Essentials" and "Organize for Operation", pp. 65-87. In Starting Right: A Basic Guide to Museum Planning (Walnut Creek: AltaMira Press, 1995). [On reserve]

Anderson, Gail, ed. "Characteristics of an Effective Mission Statement." Museum Mission Statements: Building a Distinct Identity (Washington DC: AAM, 1998). pp.13-17.

Recommended Readings:

Lister, Mary, Museum Job Descriptions and Organizational Charts [book on reserve – this will be a useful resource for assignment #1]

Web sites:

AAM Code of Ethics; read on-line: http://www.aam-us.org/aamcoe.cfm
AAM SPC list: http://www.aam-us.org/spcs.cfm

Recommended Readings (Required for Graduate Students):

Daryl K. Fischer, "Calls for Excellence, Equity, and Empowerment" In Museums, Trustees and Communities: Building Reciprocal Relationships, pp.9-20. (Washington DC: AAM, 1997) [on reserve].

Marie Malaro, "On Trusteeship" Ch. 1, pp.3-15; "The Education of Nonprofit Boards" Ch.4, pp.29-35; "Exercising Oversight" Ch.8, pp.60-67 in Museum Governance: Mission, Ethics, Policy, (Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1994) [book on reserve]

Neil Kotler and Philip Kotler, "Museums Turn to Strategic Planning" pp.59-98 In Museum Strategy and Marketing: Designing Missions, Building Audiences, Generating Revenue and Resources (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1998). [book on reserve] - this will be particularly useful for strategic planning/SWOT analysis project.

JANUARY 30: Week 3 Cultivating Stakeholders: Membership, Marketing, Public Relations, and Development, CA 203

Topics: the museum product, cultivating stakeholders, market analysis, media tools, press releases, principles and ethics of fund raising; branding the museum

Assignment due: Mission statements, organizational chart and position descriptions

Readings:

Runyard, Sue and Ylva French, Chapter 1 "What is Marketing?" plus selected case studies: Natural History Museum, London; Long Beach Museum of Art, California; and Santa Barbara Museum of Art, California. In The Marketing and Public Relations Handbook for Museums, Galleries, and Heritage Attractions (Norwich: The Stationery Office/Alta Mira Press, 1999).

American Association of Museums, Chapter 4 "Some Suggestions for Dealing Effectively with Your State and Local Media." America’s Museums: Building Community (Washington DC: AAM, 1999)

Web sites:

ICOM Marketing and Public Relations: http://www.anbg.gov.au/icom-mpr/
The Foundation Center: http://www.foundationcenter.org/
Museum Marketing Tips: http://www.museummarketingtips.com/

 

 

FEBRUARY 6: Week 4 Exhibit Development and Project Management CA 203

Topics: introduction to class projects; overview of exhibit development process; roles and responsibilities, learning theories in museums

Guest Speaker: Dorothy Webb

Readings:

Beverly Serrell, "Behind it All: The Big Idea" pp.1-8 [required text and on reserve]

Barry Lord, "The Purpose of Museum Exhibitions" In The Manual of Museum Exhibitions, edited by Barry Lord and Gail Dexter Lord (Walnut Creek:Alta Mira Press, 2002), pp.11-25 [on reserve]

Graduate Readings:

Gail Dexter Lord, "Introduction: The Exhibition Planning Process." In The Manual of Museum Exhibitions, edited by Barry Lord and Gail Dexter Lord (Walnut Creek:Alta Mira Press, 2002), pp.1-8.

Web Site:

NAME (National Association of Museum Exhibit): http://130.160.178.161/NAMEindex.html

FEBRUARY 13: Week 5 Registration and Collections Management, CA 203

Topics: role of the registrar, collections manager, curator; collections management policies and processes; ethics; registration and condition reports

Assignment Due: Web site review (use form)

Readings:

Rebecca Buck and Jean Gilmore, eds. "Collections Management", 43-56 (review glossary, pp.57-60); The New Museum Registration Methods, ed. by Rebecca Buck and Jean Gilmore. (Washington: AAM, 1998) (on reserve)

Recommended Readings (Required for Graduate Students):

Marie Malaro, "Collections Management Policies", A Legal Primer on Managing Museum Collections, (Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1998) [on reserve]

FEBRUARY 20: Week 6 Preventive Conservation, Christy O’Grady TCMI

Topics: role of a conservator, physical care of collections, storage standards, disaster planning, environmental monitoring

Readings:

The New Museum Registration Methods, ed. by Rebecca Buck and Jean Gilmore. (Washington: AAM, 1998), "Preventive Care" 103-107

"Careers in Conservation" on line at http://www.preservation.gc.ca/careers/index_e.asp

Recommended Reading:

Konstanze Bachmann, ed., Conservation Concerns, (Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1992) [book on reserve]

Web Sites:

American Institute for Conservation: http://aic.stanford.edu/
Canadian Conservation Institute: http://www.cci-icc.gc.ca
(see also "Preserving my Heritage" http://www.preservation.gc.ca)
Museum security Network: http://www.museum-security.org/
Conservation training: read on-line: http://aic.stanford.edu/become/contrain.html

FEBRUARY 27: Week 7 Exhibit Team meetings CA203

CA203 will be available for group work on exhibit research and concept development. Class will have access to collection. Michael Fee will be available for guidance.

Assignment Due: Condition/Accession reports (forms distributed in class 2/13)

MARCH 6: Week 8 Exhibit Concept Proposal Presentations / Front-End Evaluation/ Introduction to Exhibit Design CA203

Readings:

"Getting Started? What are You Trying to Find Out?" Questioning Assumptions: An Introduction to Front-End Studies in Museums
Serrell, Ch. 13 "Evaluation During Development" pp.131-146; [On reserve]

MARCH 13: Week 9 Museum Theatre

Guest Speaker: Nancy Eddy

Meeting Place: The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, Hedback Entrance

Assignment due: Exhibit Review (using NAME tool – see readings for 2/6/03 and p.13)

Readings:

Catherine Hughes, Ch. 10 "Nuts and Bolts" Museum Theatre: Communicating with Visitors Through Drama (Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 1998), pp.94-114.

Dorothy Napp Schindel, "Making Cultural Connections through Museum Theatre: an Experience" on-line at http://www.mos.org/learn_more/imtal-insights5.html

Web Sites:

International Museum Theatre Alliance http://www.mos.org/learn_more/imtal.html
The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis (see site for directions and map):
http://www.childrensmuseum.org/generalinfo/directions.htm

SPRING BREAK (no class March 20) Enjoy!

MARCH 27: Week 10 Collections case study: Eiteljorg Museum

Guest Speaker: Becky Hutchins

Meeting Place: Eiteljorg Museum, 6:00 p.m.

Assignment Due: Press Release

Readings:
"International Movement of Cultural Property" 309-310; "Complying with NAGPRA" 311-319 The New Museum Registration Methods, ed. by Rebecca Buck and Jean Gilmore. (Washington: AAM, 1998), (book on reserve)

Web site:

Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art: http://www.eiteljorg.org
UNESCO, "No to Illicit Traffic in Cultural Property": http://www.unesco.org/opi/convention1970/

APRIL 3: Week 11 Museum Education: Exhibit Text and Program Development, CA 203

Topic: roles of a museum educator, public program development; resources for program development, strategic planning in museum education, writing for museum audiences.

Assignment Due: Come to class with an example of a museum label you think is particularly effective and an example of one that you think is not well done

Readings:

John H. Falk and Lynn D. Dierking, "Making Museums Better Learning Experiences" In Learning From Museums: Visitor Experiences and the Making of Meaning, pp.177-204. (Walnut Creek: AltaMira Press, 2000). [on reserve]

Beverly Serrell, Ch. 2, "What Are Interpretive Labels?"; Ch. 3 "Types of Labels in Exhibitions";)

Recommended Readings:

Beverly Serrell, Ch. 5 "Learning Styles"; Ch. 6 "Levels of Information and Modalities"; Ch. 7 "Writing Visitor Friendly Labels"; Ch. 8 "Selecting the Right Reading Level"; Ch. 10 "Labels That Ask Questions"; Ch. 11 "Getting Started (and Getting it Done)"; Ch. 12 "The Number of Words"; Ch. 14 "Making Words and Images Work Together"; Ch. 17 Typographic Design" Ch. 20 "Ten Deadly Sins and 14 Helpful Research Findings" (see original book on reserve)

Web Sites:

National Association for Interpretation: http://interpnet.com/
Museum Education Roundtable: http://users.erols.com/merorg/
Museum Learning Collaborative: http://mlc.lrdc.pitt.edu/

APRIL 10: Week 12 Museum Education Case Study

Guest Speaker: Phil Hundley

Meeting Place: Indiana State Museum [We will gather at 6:00 in the lobby area in front of the doors from the parking garage to the museum (near the ticket window). The class will be in the Multi-Purpose Room, behind the School 5 façade, on the second floor (or main floor as you come in from the Washington St entrance).]

Readings:

Alison L. Grinder and E. Sue McCoy, "Techniques of Interpretation" pp.51-89 and "Audiences: Who’s Listening" pp.90-116. In The Good Guide: A Sourcebook for Interpreters, Docents, and Tour Guides. Ironwood Publishing: Scottsdale, AZ, 1985. [on reserve]

APRIL 17: Week 13 Museum Evaluation / Summative Analysis CA203

Topic: Evaluation instruments, role of evaluation in museums; exhibit development update, staff evaluation (and peer evaluation for exhibit projects)

Assignment Due: Education program plan
Development of instrument for summative evaluation of exhibit will be done in-class. Be prepared with pertinent questions to ask as part of the summative evaluation of the exhibit.

Readings:

American Association of Museums, "Writing Standardized Questions and Designing the Questionnaire" Visitor Studies: A User’s Manual (AAM, Professional Practice Series) (Washington DC: AAM, 1990 [On reserve], pp.24-38.

Randi Korn "Studying Your Visitors: Where to Begin" in Introduction to Museum Evaluation, pp.5-9 (Washington DC: AAM, 1999). [On reserve]

Recommended Readings (Required for Graduate Students):

Roger Miles and Clark Giles "Setting Off on the Right Foot: Front-End Evaluation" in Introduction to Museum Evaluation, pp.52-57 (Washington DC: AAM, 1999) [On reserve]

Web sites:

Visitor Studies Association: http://museum.cl.msu.edu/vsa/

APRIL 24: Week 14 Installation of Theatre Exhibit

Meeting Place: University Library

MAY 1: Week 15 Class Opening and Critique of Theatre Exhibit

Meeting Place: University Library

MAY 2: Exhibit Portfolios and peer evaluation due in CA 419

MAY 5: Public Opening of Exhibit, tentative time 4:30 pm (TBA)

Meeting Place: University Library

NOTE: There is no final exam, and attendance at both openings is required.

PLEASE pick up your Portfolio in the Anthropology Department office CA410 after May 13th.

 

Museum Meetings of Note:
AMM, Portland, OR, May 18-22, 2003
Visitor Studies Association, Columbus OH, July 15-19, 2003
Association of Indiana Museums, summer 2003 (date TBA)
Association of Midwest Museums, Milwaukee, WI, November 5-8, 2003

 

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© 2003 MATRIX
Project Director: Anne Pyburn
Indiana University Bloomington