Blog and Newsletter

NEDCC's 2012 FALL PRESERVATION WORKSHOPS

Full-day, in-person preservation training at NEDCC to help you care for both your physical and digital collections.

October 17 - NEW! WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR? - Presentation and Use of Digital Collections
October 18 - NEW! SUSTAINING DIGITAL COLLECTIONS - Digital Curation and Preservation
October 23 - BASIC PAPER REPAIR
October 24 - IDENTIFICATION AND CARE OF PRINTS
October 25 - INTERMEDIATE BOOK REPAIR

For complete course information and to register: http://bit.ly/FallW12

The South Portland Public Library is currently seeking a patron-centered, dynamic and fun individual to join its team as a 20 hour a week Library Aide. The Library Aide works within the Circulation Services department, providing front-line services to library visitors at one of Maine's busiest libraries.

The incumbent participates in all areas of Circulation Services, including circulation desk activities, interlibrary loan, public computer use, reference services, collection maintenance and general library assistance. This position is based out of our main library location, but may involve work hours at our branch location as well.

 Work schedule will include evenings and weekend hours. The selected candidates must have the ability to demonstrate strong organizational and interpersonal skills and communicate effectively both written and verbally.

 To qualify for consideration, applicants must have a Bachelor's degree and previous library and/or other related service experience. Excellent computer skills, the ability to learn new systems and applications and a fun, innovative attitude is a must. The position starts at $13.57 per hour.

 Job description available at: http://southportlandlibrary.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Library-Aide-description-090512.pdf

 Application deadline: September 14, 2012. Submit résumé with cover letter to: kdavis@southportland.org

The Newport Cultural Center is pleased to announce the publication of its book, Newport, part of Arcadia’s “Images of America” series. The book was written by the center’s executive director, Leigh Hallett. All proceeds benefit the NCC, a nonprofit public library, historical society museum, and cultural event center.

            Newport depicts the history of the town through vintage photos. Sebasticook Lake is featured prominently throughout the book, as are images of the town’s neighborhoods and businesses. The town emerged from its frontier days to become an important railroad junction, and then a resort destination, so the book also offers images illustrating that history, as well as

chapters about the Newport’s centennial and sesquicentennial celebrations. The town of Newport will be celebrating its bicentennial in 2014.

            The majority of the photos in the book are from the collection of the Newport Cultural Center, but the Penobscot Marine Museum and Maine Department of Transportation also contributed many significant images, as did individuals from the community.

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