state of affairs - an economy of museum work today

State of Affairs

Zachary Paul Levine, Curator at Yeshiva University Museum

An Economy of Museum Work Today

InerCa vs ReinvenCon: Why “Business as Usual” No Longer Works CAJM, 2013

Caveat

The findings presented in this presentaCon were part of an informal survey I undertook across staff at Jewish museums and similar insCtuCons in the United States for the CAJM 2013 conference. It is not meant to be authoritaCve, but, rather, was meant to inspire conversaCon about the future of our field. However, here are some general points about the survey.

• About 100 respondents • Age distribuCon evenly weighted, with majority in their 30s and 40s • Majority of respondents work in curatorial and educaCon

Working at a small insCtuCon =

• Many Hats

• Challenges in finding resources

Is this descripCon parCcularly novel?

• Financial Constraints

• Changing Visitor ExpectaCons • PossibiliCes of New Media (and the means to develop it)

• OpportuniCes for InteresCng Work

• Diminishing Staff Capacity

Daily Life for a (RelaCvely New) Curator

Challenges to ExhibiCon Development

• Staffs are Stretched Thin (Mentorship)

• Visitors’ ExpectaCons for Media

• Visitors’ Learning Styles

OpportuniCes

• Growth in Jewish Studies Fields

•  Increasingly Inexpensive Means for Media Development

• Wide Array of Accepted InterpretaCve Approaches

Daily Life for a (RelaCvely New) Curator

• Access to Relevant InformaCon

• Access to Relevant InformaCon

Are Our InsCtuCons Taking Advantage?

Survey of Jewish Museum Colleagues

Survey ParCcipants


• Over 50% in the Field for 7 years or less • Over 70% at Jewish, Holocaust or Synagogue museum

• Most ParCcipants from Curatorial or EducaCon (56%)

Staff Changes


• Number of Staff Losses and Gains About Equal

• Some Full-‐Time Replaced by Part-‐Time

• 62% report staff changes have led to more responsibiliCes

• Nearly 50% have harder jobs because of finances

Necessary Supplies to Do the Job


• Only 53% feel they have the resources they need • Nearly 50% provide their own supplies on occasion

Feelings Toward Work and InsCtuCon


• 96% report they’re saCsfied with the quality of their work • 72% enjoy their jobs

• Nearly 40% report low morale dominant among colleagues

BUT • 39% report increase in visitor saCsfacCon over 5 years

Career Development


• 44% support skill development (course, workshops, conferences, etc.)

• 54% feel their insCtuCon is disinterested in professional development

• Over 60% report receiving no mentorship

Career Development


• 62% see no opportuniCes for advancement

• While 64% anCcipate a career in museums…

…only 35% are dedicated to Jewish museum work…

…and this figure is almost enCrely among respondents with the longest tenure already

Findings


• Our museums are grappling with a host of challenges

•  In spite of opportuniCes to enhance their work, staff do feel their insCtuCons fail to invest in taking advantage of those opportuniCes

• PotenCal to spiral deleteriously

RecommendaCons

• Strategic culCvaCon of staff skills

•  Investment in necessary tools

• Re-‐envisioning exhibiCon development capaciCes

For more informaCon, please contact Zachary Paul Levine at [email protected]

state of affairs - an economy of museum work today

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