IAM Blogs

By: David Bellm, Illinois Association of Museums Volunteer

Behind the flags and fireworks, many veterans feel forgotten. Although national holidays such as Veterans Day, Memorial Day, and Independence Day were created to honor veterans, the original significance of these patriotic occasions is now all too often buried in a red-white-and-blue blur of backyard parties, fireworks, and storewide discounts.

Fortunately, museums are in a unique position to change this. With their ability to educate, engage the public, and provide context, our cultural institutions can offer veterans powerful alternatives. Such remedies could help reinfuse our national holidays with depth and significance for veterans. Doing so could also serve the general public better by providing more deeply nuanced, intellectually enriching ways to celebrate our national holidays.

With those aims in mind, here are some effective ways museums can develop programs and events that truly honor and serve veterans.

Let Veterans Tell Their Stories — On Their Own Terms

There’s a strong desire among many veterans to have their stories heard. But they want these stories to be told accurately and on their own terms. In his TED Talk, “How to Talk to Veterans About War,” U.S. Army combat veteran Wes Moore says the public needs to go beyond the automatic, “Thank you for your service,” and hear the deeper experiences of individual veterans. “‘Thank you for your service’ means to me acknowledging our stories,” he says. “Asking us who we are. Understanding the strength that so many people that we served with have, and why that service means so much.”

Veteran support organization Warrior Allegiance points out many therapeutic benefits veterans can get from discussing their experiences, but acknowledges that not all veterans are eager to do so. “For veterans who may be hesitant to share their stories, it’s important to remember that storytelling is a personal journey with no right or wrong way to begin.”

The organization offers the following tips for veterans to begin opening up about their experiences:

•        Start Small
•        Find a Safe Space
•        Be Authentic
•        Understand the Impact

Museums can facilitate the process by keeping these factors in mind when developing programs for veterans to share their personal narratives. Providing veterans with a safe space to shape and control their own narratives can make them more willing to open up with other veterans and the general public.

Programs along these lines can take many different forms, including oral history projects, collaborative exhibits, public discussions, or presentations. For example, you could create a community-curated exhibit that features reflections, observations, photos, and artifacts from local veterans. Or you could have a roundtable discussion of veterans from different eras, discussing the similarities and differences in their experiences.

In addition to providing meaningful benefits to veterans, events such as these can give museum visitors an unfiltered view of military service. This can go a long way toward fostering empathy and deeper understanding among the general public.

Image Credit: Pexels - RDNE Stock project 7467846

Honor the Full Spectrum of Military Experience

Many people assume that veterans all share the same attitudes about their service and the nation. In reality, there can be vast differences in the values and perspectives of individual veterans. They grew up in different eras. They served in different branches of the military. And they experienced very different things during their time in uniform.

In the report, “Supporting Veterans and Military Families: Stories from the Military Community,” the Institute of Museum and Library Services underscores both the importance and the challenge of navigating this. “Understanding the journeys of veterans and military families is critical as libraries and museums consider the best ways to support this population … Essentially, there is no singular experience that defines a veteran or military family’s journey. The population is diverse, and the range of their experiences is tremendous.”

Museums can recognize these diverse views by developing programming that speaks to a wide array of military experiences. Consider focusing on inclusive narratives that avoid monolithic stories of heroism or trauma. Also, look for opportunities to characterize historical events from different perspectives, such as combat and support roles. In addition to acknowledging the contributions of different veteran types, this approach can also provide a richer, more meaningful view of events from multiple contexts.

At the same time, be aware of the same underrepresented groups found in the general public — female veterans, LGBTQ+ service members, veterans of color, and Indigenous veterans. These groups are often left out of mainstream narratives. Museums can work toward correcting this by developing programs that detail and highlight the experiences of these communities. For example, museums can host an exhibit featuring the role of Hispanic soldiers in American wars or present a panel discussion exploring the challenges and experiences of LGBTQ+ service members.

Image Credit: Pexels - Joel Santos - 18472376

Provide Opportunities for Healing Through Art

It’s widely acknowledged that art, crafts, and other hands-on activities can have deeply therapeutic benefits. These can be especially effective for veterans. “As community-based institutions, museums of any discipline are well-positioned to serve veterans and provide opportunities that teach new skills, create space for dialogue, and encourage connections to history and art,” write Sara Lowenburg, Marissa Clark, and Greg Owen for Museum magazine.

Lowenburg, Clark, and Owen cite a number of successful programs that use art and other hands-on activities as therapy for veterans. For example, the Philadelphia Museum of Art offers peer-led tours, art-making workshops, and other projects designed to foster connection, self-expression, and healing through art. The programs were developed in partnership with the Veterans Empowerment Center to ensure that they’re appropriate and potentially effective in serving veterans.

Get Plenty of Input from Experts and Veterans

Veterans often suffer from pains that aren’t readily visible — physical injuries, emotional scars, and emotional trauma. These burdens need to be carefully considered when creating programs. Museums should incorporate a trauma-informed approach that draws on the expertise of mental health professionals and veteran support organizations throughout the planning process. The insight gained from such organizations can provide critical guidance for creating emotionally safe environments for veterans. This can be vital for structuring group discussions and avoiding content that could be triggering to veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Along with consulting veteran groups and mental health experts, museums should also get direct input from veterans. This is best accomplished by forming a veteran advisory board to provide a consistent platform for ongoing recommendations and oversight. Ideally, such a board should be made up of veterans from different backgrounds, military branches, and eras of service. These diverse perspectives can be invaluable for identifying themes, avoiding stereotypes, and fostering community trust. At the same time, the group could provide guidance on opportunities to engage veterans in new and more effective ways.

Image Credit: Pexels - Bryce Carithers - 11680701-8151443

Serve Veterans Year-Round

Truly honoring those who have served should go beyond just a particular day or weekend occasion. By engaging veterans consistently and meaningfully throughout the year, museums can show a deeper, more meaningful commitment to veterans.

Like most things, the best way to stay consistent is by planning regular, recurring events, such as weekly discussion groups, monthly meetups, or an annual storytelling event. Over time, sustained commitments like these cast the museum as a trusted community space. It can elevate an institution beyond just a place veterans go for commemoration, making it a source for connection, learning, and belonging as well.

Final Thoughts

Veterans deserve better than perfunctory thanks or shallow, performative festivities. Their sacrifices and commitment earn them the right to have their voices heard, their experiences respected, and their contributions sincerely remembered. By developing programs that provide powerful recognition to veterans, museums can deepen the meaning of our national holidays for everyone. “Museums are instrumental in giving veterans a voice,” writes Charlotte Coates for MuseumNext. “They can help society to understand the issues that ex-service people face. Museums have an opportunity to raise awareness.”

By paying careful attention to veterans and their needs, we can make good on the ultimate promise of museums — to not only preserve history, but to honor those who have lived it.

Image Credit: Pexels - Charles Criscuolo-27470698

Sources and Additional Information

TED Foundation

“How to Talk to Veterans About War”

https://www.ted.com/talks/wes_moore_how_to_talk_to_veterans_about_war

Warrior Allegiance

“Veterans and the Power of Storytelling: Sharing Your Journey”

https://warriorallegiance.com/veterans-and-the-power-of-storytelling-sharing-your-journey/

Institute of Museum and Library Services

“Supporting Veterans and Military Families: Stories from the Military Community”

https://www.imls.gov/sites/default/files/publications/documents/supporting-veterans-military-families-stories-military-community.pdf

MuseumNext

“The Museums giving Veterans a voice and using art therapy to help with trauma”

https://www.museumnext.com/article/the-museums-giving-veterans-a-voice/

Uniformed Services University, Center for Deployment Psychology

“Staff Perspective: The Importance of Veterans Sharing Their Stories”

https://deploymentpsych.org/blog/staff-perspective-importance-veterans-sharing-their-stories

Museum magazine, American Alliance of Museums

“Serving Those Who Served: Engaging Veterans at Museums”

https://aam.mydigitalpublication.com/articles/serving-those-who-served-engaging-veterans-at-museums

Institute of Museum and Library Services

“Libraries, Museums, and Military Veterans: Telling Stories of Service”

https://www.imls.gov/blog/2020/11/libraries-museums-and-military-veterans-telling-stories-service

National Museum of American History

“Learning about sacrifice on Veterans Day”

https://americanhistory.si.edu/explore/stories/learning-about-sacrifice-veterans-day

Pew Research Center

“The Difficult Transition from Military to Civilian Life”

https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2011/12/08/the-difficult-transition-from-military-to-civilian-life/

By: David Bellm, Illinois Association of Museums Volunteer

Museum careers typically aren’t the kind of thing people just stumble into. They require focus, discipline, and patience to build the right skills and credentials. While that can be said about many professions, museum jobs often attract a disproportionately large number of energetic, motivated, and highly talented candidates.

In this competitive environment, it’s not enough to simply be qualified. You need to find a unique way of standing out, going beyond the basic requirements. To do so, you must develop your "edge" — a set of strengths, qualifications, values, and experiences that make you unique and, therefore, potentially more valuable to organizations that require such qualities.

In this article, we’ll explore ways you can cultivate your own professional edge and apply it to not only strengthen your career but also to shape a trajectory that brings you more satisfaction and joy from your work.

Identify Your Strengths

Start by taking an honest inventory of your own strengths. What skills do you have that stand out? Don’t limit yourself to broad categories or standard industry labels for this assessment. It’s often hard to objectively see where the gold lies in your own day-to-day work, so a great place to begin is by asking yourself the following questions:

• What do others often ask for your help or ideas on?
• What aspects of your work feel “effortless” to you?
• What do co-workers most often compliment or praise you for?

Next, think about how those strengths can be sharpened and enhanced for greater impact in your role or department. This is a good time for some brainstorming. Consider all the possible ways you could apply those unique strengths to specific situations that arise in your organization.

Image Credit: RDNE-Stock Project

Combine and Focus for Specialization

Many organizations, particularly smaller ones, rely heavily on people who are known for doing a lot of things well — generalists. However, these renaissance men and women were likely hired for a very specific role and then expanded their work after they joined. In nearly every field, specialists are more respected, valued, and sought after than generalists.

A great way to begin identifying your unique specialization is by looking at what you do. Inventory your interests, experiences, and training, then combine those with skills that align with the needs of museums. This can be expressed as a formula. For example:

• Digital media + art history = tech-integrated curation
• Public programming + social media = digital community engagement

Either of these could evolve into valuable specialties. The possibilities are endless. As long as you keep an eye on the needs of museums and work towards those demands, this approach can be extremely effective.

Refine Your Edge Through Passion and Enjoyment

While brainstorming possibilities for your strengths and specialization formula, it’s also important to consider what you genuinely enjoy doing. It can be easy to talk yourself into pursuing something that sounds valuable but doesn’t excite you. While it’s great to find a specialization that’s in demand, it won’t matter much in the long run if you don’t enjoy it.

Don’t dismiss enjoyment as a frivolous aspect of your career. Getting pleasure and satisfaction from your work boosts performance, creativity, and energy, all of which are crucial for building a strong career edge.

Enjoyment is also one of the best indicators of what you excel at. When was the last time you truly cherished doing something you struggled with? It usually doesn’t work that way. Instead, you’ll likely find that the tasks you enjoy are the ones you have an innate gift for. So, eliminate any possible specialties or combinations that don’t excite you.

You can’t talk yourself into this. It has to come from the heart.

Build a Personal Brand That Aligns with Your Edge

The goal of branding is to create an instantly recognizable impression that people will associate with you and your work. As any marketer will tell you, branding isn’t just about self-promotion. At its core, it’s about building a sense of trust and dependability in the people who encounter you. They’ll know what you stand for, remember it, and reach out when they need that particular combination of attributes.

Fortunately, it’s easier than ever to communicate your professional brand. Start by sharing content, opinions, and ideas online. Social media is the obvious place for this, but don’t overlook blogs, email newsletters, and other platforms. Additionally, participate in relevant conversations by engaging in public forums like panels and conferences. If you’re comfortable with public speaking, in-person presentations at conferences are still one of the best ways to build your career brand.

Just make sure that the content you produce and share aligns with the niche you've developed. At the same time, work on your storytelling skills. They’re the foundation of so many things in the museum world, and this is no exception.

Image Credit: Henri Mathieu-Saint-Laurent

Be Authentic in Your Approach

As you begin to develop and refine your career edge, you may feel tempted to try and perfect it. But discovering and nurturing your unique skills, experience, and specialty is a lifelong process. It’s never truly finished. Besides, perfection isn’t as ideal as it may seem. When people, organizations, or brands become too polished, they can come across as aloof and unapproachable. Today, people often distrust things that are too perfect, wondering what truth is being hidden behind the squeaky-clean image.

Instead, aim to create authentic, deeply honest expressions of who you are. This isn’t about being perfect; it’s about being yourself. By doing so, you invite others into your world, confident they’re seeing the real you.

Seek Out Mentorship and Feedback

As you progress, it’s important to get feedback from others. Ideally, you’ll have built a solid core of confidants and collaborators who can be invaluable in helping you find and refine your career edge. By considering others’ perspectives — especially if they don’t always align with your own — you’ll gain tremendous insight into how you’re perceived and what colleagues see as your strengths.

Mentors and colleagues can also open doors to a variety of opportunities to apply your career edge. Stay connected with them and continue sharing how your unique specialty is playing out in your work.

Image Credit: Cottonbro

Continuously Evolve and Adapt

Careers are dynamic journeys. Your edge will evolve over time. New experiences, shifting needs and preferences, and changes in the field will all play a role in shaping your career. This is a good thing. It brings freshness, vitality, and new opportunities.

Keep honing your edge by seizing opportunities to expand your knowledge and credentials. Workshops, industry events, certifications, and advanced degrees are still effective career enhancers. You can further strengthen these efforts by adopting a mindset of lifelong learning, emphasizing open-mindedness, reflection, and adaptation. When combined, these strategies can give you a unique edge that will help you stand out in a crowded field, enabling you to create a career that brings both accomplishment and the rewards you truly deserve.

Sources:

American Alliance of Museums

“Curator Core Competencies”

https://www.aam-us.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/CURATOR-CORE-COMPETENCIES.pdf

Museums Association

“Skills for the Future”

https://www.museumsassociation.org/careers/entering-the-sector/skills-for-the-future/

University of California, Berkeley

“Discover Your Unique Edge to Land the Job You Always Want”

https://hr.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/discover_your_unique_edge_to_land_the_job_you_always_want_now_2021.pdf

Northeastern University

“How To Build a Personal Brand: 10 Tips”

https://graduate.northeastern.edu/knowledge-hub/tips-for-building-your-personal-brand/

Institute of Museum and Library Services

“Museums, Libraries, and 21st Century Skills: Definitions”

https://www.imls.gov/issues/national-initiatives/museums-libraries-and-21st-century-skills/definitions

Harvard Business School

“Personal Branding: What It Is & Why It Matters”

https://online.hbs.edu/blog/post/personal-branding-at-work

Conserv

“Museum Collections Jobs: Key Skills Everyone Is Looking For”

https://conserv.io/blog/museum-collections-jobs-key-skills-everyone-is-looking-for/?srsltid=AfmBOorevxuNW09HEBeWNwHWDxLP7sRboxnkRDukQUP8LqsXQeqeyn_J

Johns Hopkins University

“Museums & Cultural Institutions: A Career Guide”

imagine.jhu.edu/resources/museums-cultural-institutions-a-career-guide/

University of Chicago

“Museums Career Guide”

grad.uchicago.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Museums-Career-Guide.pdf

By: David Bellm, Illinois Association of Museums Volunteer

Recruiting volunteers has always been an important challenge for museums. Fortunately, today’s digital platforms make the task far easier than it used to be. No matter what type of volunteer you’re looking for, the job of reaching potential candidates is vastly more efficient using today’s many social media platforms.

But, like most tools, there are ways to use them more effectively. This is especially important in the process of recruiting volunteers. Museums looking to reach potential volunteers now compete with more distractions than ever, as people of all ages are more saturated during both their free time and working hours. It takes the right approach to cut through the media clutter that bombards most people, so you can reach the individuals you’d like to see lending a hand to your organization.

With that in mind, here are some terrific ways museums can use social media to more effectively recruit volunteers.

Choose the Right Platform

Each platform has its own unique audience and specializes in particular types of media. You’ll get the best results by choosing platforms that are most likely to attract the types of volunteers you’re looking for, while also aligning with the kinds of content you’re most comfortable creating.

For example, Instagram tends to attract a relatively young audience, and the platform is built primarily around photos and other visual media. TikTok is similar in that regard but focuses on lively, short videos. In contrast to these two, Facebook has a somewhat more mature audience, and the platform allows a wider range of content types, including short videos that are similar to those on TikTok.

Although it’s beyond the scope of this article to give a detailed rundown of the pros and cons of all the different social media platforms, such information is easy to find online. Take some time to get to know the strengths of each platform, and choose ones that give you the best combination of attributes for your purposes.

And remember, you don’t need to post on all social media platforms. In fact, trying to use too many at once can dilute your efforts to the point where you don’t have a strong presence on any of them. Experts recommend choosing just two or three platforms that align well with your goals and can accommodate the types of content that suit your organization.

Tell Stories

Human beings are genetically wired to respond to stories, so it’s a proven, effective way to capture people’s attention. Stories make it easier for potential volunteers to relate to your organization and picture themselves being a part of it. Authentic, behind-the-scenes content like this is an excellent way to show what volunteers are doing and celebrate their efforts.

And don’t fret over whether you have anything worth turning into a story. Any project or event that involves volunteers is a potential story to support your recruiting efforts. In particular, focus on the different types of volunteers involved, how they contribute, and what they enjoy about working with the museum.

Emphasize the WIIFM (“What’s In It for Me?”)

Although many people have specific benefits in mind when they consider volunteering for a museum, it often helps to connect the dots and really drive home what people will get out of the experience. This can be the tipping point that gets potential volunteers past their initial reservations about giving their time, enabling them to justify sacrificing other things to get involved.

To that end, one particularly strong benefit to emphasize is any potential career benefits, such as résumé building, networking opportunities, and skill development. Then top that off with things like free admission to events, discounts, and behind-the-scenes access to exhibits — all of which can be powerful incentives for volunteering. Then put the cherry on top with nice little details like that free hoodie volunteers get.

Focus on the Fun

Although volunteers do a lot of work, there’s usually plenty of fun to be had as well. Museum volunteer opportunities naturally attract groups of like-minded individuals engaged in collaborative activities, so socializing and camaraderie are built into the experience. This aspect of volunteering can be an extremely powerful draw, so it should definitely be a foundational element of your recruiting efforts.

Start by continually sharing candid photos of happy volunteers laughing, working together, and celebrating. This type of positive energy consistently featured in your social media can really jump-start your recruiting efforts. And while you’re at it, encourage your volunteers to post their own photos too, so your audience gets the story from multiple sources.

Highlight the Difference Volunteers Make

While there are a wide variety of reasons why people volunteer, everyone wants to know they’re contributing to something worthwhile and making a difference. So don’t be shy about sharing the contributions your volunteers are making and the overall effect they’re having. This can be done in practically any type of media, including photos, videos, and story-based posts.

Start by sharing specific ways volunteers are helping the museum become more successful — welcoming guests, assisting with programming, sharing their knowledge with families, and more. Then expand by showing how volunteers are serving the local community through efforts such as educational outreach, accessibility initiatives, and local collaborations.

And don’t forget, like most things in social media, a good picture is worth a thousand words — or more. Make visuals a key element in this kind of storytelling.

Show How the Museum Appreciates Volunteers

Volunteering can, of course, provide a wide array of rich rewards. But when you get right down to it, the job is still ultimately unpaid work. And that’s why it’s especially important for museums to show volunteers that the gift of their time and effort is very much appreciated.

Ideally, your social media should show gratitude as much as recruitment. Fortunately, there are practically unlimited ways to do so. You can post photos from volunteer appreciation events. Or set up a recurring series of appreciation features, such as a Volunteer of the Month. And don’t forget shout-outs for volunteers’ birthdays, accomplishments, and milestones.

Collaborate With Others

One of the best ways to amplify your reach in any social media effort is by teaming up with other like-minded people and organizations. By doing so, you not only bring your message to a wider audience, you also get a boost in credibility that comes from the endorsement of someone your audience respects.

Start by looking for local influencers who align with your organization’s mission. Invite them to the museum, encourage them to volunteer for a day and share the experience with their followers. Also team up with schools and colleges that are a good fit for your museum’s subject matter. Collaborate with them to highlight the career-related benefits of your organization. And don’t forget local community organizations. Local nonprofits, service clubs, and other groups can be a rich resource of experienced volunteers.

Post Regularly

Consistency is one of the most important elements of any communications program, and it’s especially vital when trying to recruit volunteers via social media. If you post only sporadically, or only when you’re in dire need of volunteers, you risk missing strong potential candidates simply because they missed the relatively brief window you were posting about it.

Aim for at least four posts a week, and mix up the different types of media and styles of posts. Doing this keeps your museum and your volunteer program top of mind with your audience. It also establishes your museum as reliable and active in the community.

Don’t Forget to Ask

When focusing on all the various elements of social media, it’s easy to overlook one of the most fundamental techniques for recruiting volunteers. And this technique happens to be one of the most effective of all — asking for volunteers!

If you continue posting content highlighting volunteers without actually asking people to sign up, many potential volunteers may assume that all the volunteer slots are taken and your museum doesn’t need any more help. So tell your audience regularly about the volunteer positions your museum needs. And don’t beat around the bush. Direct calls to action make your intentions clear. For example, “We’re looking for enthusiastic volunteers for our upcoming family day! Interested? Click the link in bio to apply!”

And that brings us to our final point.

Make It as Easy as Possible to Apply

We live in a busy world, and most people struggle to find time to get everything done each day. So, respect their time by removing as much friction as possible from the volunteer application process. Always be sure to add a link to your volunteer application in your bio and posts, and make any forms as clear, quick, and easy as possible.

The initial signup can be as simple as a checkbox that says, “I’d like to volunteer! Please contact me,” and then a field for an email address or phone number. This minimal approach can help remove any hesitation people may have about jumping in and getting involved. From there, it’s up to you. Contact the person quickly and keep things moving.

Final Thoughts

Many organizations think of social media primarily as a tool for promotion, but it can and should be much more than that. When it comes to attracting new volunteers, these platforms are a powerful tool that’s unrivaled among recruiting methods. By using social media to build community, spark inspiration, and invite your enthusiastic audience to be part of your museum’s story, you can build a highly effective, deeply engaged volunteer force that can work wonders.

Sources:

VolunteerMatch – “How To Recruit Volunteers Using Social Media”

https://blogs.volunteermatch.org/how-to-recruit-volunteers-using-social-media

Soapbox Engage – “6 Social Media Best Practices for Engaging More Volunteers”

https://www.soapboxengage.com/blog/2098-6-social-media-best-practices-for-engaging-more-volunteers

Constant Contact – “Engage, Inform, Recruit: How Nonprofits Can Use Social Media to Recruit Volunteers”

https://www.constantcontact.com/blog/social-media-to-recruit-volunteers

Media Cause – “Social Media Best Practices for Nonprofits: A Comprehensive Guide”

https://mediacause.com/social-media-best-practices-for-nonprofits

Wild Apricot – “The Ultimate Social Media Guide for Nonprofits”

https://www.wildapricot.com/blog/social-media-guide-for-nonprofits

Feathr – “Building a Nonprofit Social Media Strategy: 5 Steps and Tips”

https://www.feathr.co/resources/blog/nonprofit-social-media-strategy

Constant Contact – “Social Media for Nonprofits: A Comprehensive Guide”

https://www.constantcontact.com/blog/social-media-for-nonprofits

Goodera – “Nonprofit Social Media Strategy: 11 Best Practices”

https://www.goodera.com/blog/social-media-for-nonprofits

Hootsuite – “Social Media for Nonprofits: 12 Essential Tips for Success”

https://blog.hootsuite.com/social-media-for-nonprofits

By: David Bellm, Illinois Association of Museums Volunteer

Fresh, forward-thinking talent can bring vitality and energy to any organization. Without it, museums run the risk of falling out of step with contemporary expectations, viewpoints, and methodologies. But the pace of change in those elements is accelerating. Adding to the challenge, it can sometimes be difficult for established professionals to see the degree or specific direction of change from inside the culture of the organization that employs them.

At the same time, there will always be a normal cycle of people leaving the profession for various reasons. These resources, of course, must be replaced. And ideally, the time to start thinking about that is well before the need arises. Recruiting should therefore be an ongoing process, in which the most promising talent is guided, familiarized, and nurtured to the point of readiness.

One of the most effective ways for museums to address these challenges is by building strong, long-term partnerships with universities. These institutions are a potent ecosystem of research, training, and progressive ideas. And, by their very nature, they create vast bodies of individuals seeking to apply what they’ve learned in real-world settings.

Complementing this are the many opportunities museums can potentially provide for experiential learning, training, and collaboration. This combination can make partnerships between museums and universities mutually beneficial while fostering the development of a robust pipeline of talent for museums.

In this article, we’ll explore some proven ways museums can effectively collaborate with academic institutions to identify and attract emerging professionals. By cooperatively initiating programs such as internships, mentorships, and research initiatives, museums can develop tomorrow’s workforce while adding significant capabilities to their current operations.

Here are some great ways to start:

Establish Powerful Internship Programs

Internships and fellowships are vital elements in the museum-university relationship. A well-thought-out, effectively implemented internship program can give students valuable hands-on experience beyond the classroom. Along with this, fellowships offer the possibility of deep involvement in museum projects of specific areas of interest, such as curatorial work, conservation, or education.

These opportunities should ideally align with the university’s course objectives, with credit given for participation. Structuring internships and fellowships in this way can provide additional motivation for students and help museums attract top candidates. Along with this, internships and fellowships should be created for maximum accessibility. For example, students from underserved backgrounds are often unable to participate in unpaid opportunities. Such barriers can be offset somewhat by offering stipends, scholarships, or housing assistance. This helps promote equity and attract a more diverse pool of participants.

To further this effort, fellowships can be targeted to underrepresented groups, or emerging fields such as digital engagement. Doing so can help align workforce development with wider strategic goals of diversity, equity, and innovation.

Facilitate Collaborative Research Projects

Museums typically have extensive collections, archives, and public programs. These are extremely valuable when it comes to academic research. By creating collaborative research programs with students and faculty, museums can access a rich source of scholarly expertise and advance their own collective knowledge. In return, universities gain access to a wealth of research material that can further their own efforts.

Such research collaborations can include co-authored publications, development of exhibitions, or collection-based studies. To maximize the visibility of these initiatives, research symposiums or student presentations can be hosted. In these events, university partners would share their findings with the museum staff and the public. Besides bringing greater attention to the museum and the university, such efforts would encourage greater dialogue between disciplines, boost academic engagement, and fortify the museum’s position as a center of knowledge.

Develop Mentorship and Networking Opportunities

Mentorship is a proven element of museum career development. Students can get invaluable benefits from the insight and guidance of experienced professionals as they offer an inside view of museum work, career paths, and industry challenges. Pairing students with museum staff members in structured mentorship programs provides highly beneficial exposure to the field in ways that simply can’t be duplicated in classrooms. This benefits both museum and university, and it can be one of the most effective ways to meet and attract promising candidates.

Along with this, museums should be a source of ongoing networking opportunities for students. By hosting networking events and career panels, museums can introduce students to a wide range of paths in museum careers. Such opportunities are an effective way to draw students to an organization, as they naturally seek the means of accessing their chosen career field and preparing their unique trajectory into it.

Mentorship and networking can be further expanded by inviting previous interns and fellows to share advice, job leads, and experiences with students. This not only makes greater use of these past participants’ experience, it also can serve to inspire and motivate current students who are considering the program or just starting in it.

Co-Design Educational Programs and Workshops

When museums and universities collaborate effectively, it can help close the gap between the knowledge gained in classes and the real-world application of it. This effect can be further heightened by co-creating workshops, short courses, certificate programs, and other cooperative educational programs. Such programs can be especially effective when they focus on topics only lightly covered in coursework. This is where museums have a unique opportunity to offer highly targeted microcredentials—short-term programs to build specific competencies that are valued in the job market.

Museums can effectively attract forward-thinking students by concentrating these programs on emerging topics such as sustainability in museum operations, digital curation, inclusive storytelling, and the use of AI. This not only helps students become more prepared to face the challenges of the future, it also positions the museum as progressive, visionary, and future-oriented.

Image Credit: Kampus Production.

Host Student-Centered Events and Exhibitions

Another great way to attract and engage students and faculty is by hosting events such as academic conferences, guest lectures, art shows, and panel discussions. These kinds of events can offer terrific opportunities for students to develop their professional skills, while at the same time fostering stronger ties between museums and universities.

One especially effective type of event is co-hosted exhibitions curated by students. These can be part of a capstone project or part of a museum studies course. Events such as these can give students a powerful platform for applying their knowledge and offer museums fresh perspectives and new interpretations of collections. These can be powerful recruitment tools that demonstrate to potential interns or fellows the kind of work that can be done within the institution. By immersing students in programming, interpretation, and visitor engagement, museums can provide nuanced learning experiences that effectively portray real-world work within the institution.

Integrate Service Learning and Community Engagement

Service-learning partnerships with universities can make a particularly strong impact in community education and outreach. Service learning gives students opportunities to apply academic knowledge to in-the-field projects that benefit museums and the public alike. These kinds of programs can potentially address a vast range of needs within the community. For instance, students could help design an exhibit for underserved communities, create educational materials for K-12 programs, or develop an outreach initiative to promote cultural inclusion.

Museums can further amplify these collaborations by teaming with disciplines other than traditional museum studies programs. By involving fields such as social work, education, public health, and communications, museums can access valuable perspectives that can yield tangible benefits throughout the organization.

Organize Career Development Events

One of the most effective ways for museums to identify and attract promising talent is by holding career events such as job fairs, informational interviews, and resume workshops. Students are highly responsive to these types of events, as they seek tools and insight that can help them in establishing their career.

Career panels can feature professionals from several museum disciplines to give students broad insight on potential roles. Beyond just learning the day-to-day work of each position, these sessions can also serve to break down some of the intimidation students may feel as they begin their career. Panel participants can be encouraged to share stories that humanize the work they do.

Ideally, these events should complement one another, with museums offering an ongoing range of career development functions for students. For example, museums can hold a career panel in the early fall, and then host a resume clinic soon after, followed by a job fair after that.

To maximize the recruitment value of career programs, museums should be sure to follow up and stay in touch with attendees. By building enduring connections with students, museums can share internship or fellowship openings and invite students to future events. This kind of engagement can be key to fostering a strong connection with promising candidates down the road.

Investing in the Future Workforce

Partnerships between museums and universities are essential for building a workforce that’s strong, diverse, and adaptive. At the same time, such collaborations are highly beneficial for everyone involved: museums access a steady source of fresh talent, energy, and academic rigor; students get hands-on experience, mentorship, and career development; and universities get expanded resources, additional credibility, and increased exposure in the community.

Along with this, the combination of effective internships, mentorships, educational programs, and collaborative projects can enhance how a museum is perceived. Such efforts can position museums as not just cultural institutions, but as forward-thinking organizations that are shaping the future of their profession.

By investing in long-term university partnerships, museums can not only serve their mission-driven aims of educating, engaging, and serving the public, they can also attract the talent needed to remain vibrant and relevant for generations to come.

Image Credit: Ketut Subiyanto.

Sources:

Inside Higher Ed

“The Transformative Potential of Museum-University Partnerships”

https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/higher-ed-gamma/transformative-potential-museum-university-partnerships

University of Stirling / Museum University Partnerships Initiative

National Informal STEM Education Network (NISE Network)

“A Guide to Building Partnerships Between Science Museums and University Based Research Centers”

https://www.nisenet.org/sites/default/files/catalog/uploads/11178/partnerguide-v2.pdf

Journal of Community Engagement and Scholarship

“Innovative Expansion of a University and Art Museum Partnership”

https://jces.ua.edu/articles/102/files/62e2f0b006098.pdf

University of the Arts London

“Realities and impacts of museum-university partnerships in England”

file:///Users/littlemac/Downloads/MUPI-Literature-Review-and-Research-Report-FINAL.pdf

MW2013: Museums and the Web 2013

“’Howdy Partner!’ The Transformative Power of Museum-University Partnerships”

https://mw2013.museumsandtheweb.com/paper/howdy-partner-the-transformative-power-of-museum-university-partnerships/index.html

By: David Bellm, Illinois Association of Museums Volunteer

Volunteers are essential to the success of museums, enhancing the visitor experience and offering invaluable support behind the scenes. For many museums, day-to-day operations would be nearly impossible without the valuable work of people who generously give their time for free. For that reason, it’s vital that museums nurture and maintain their volunteer staff by acknowledging and celebrating the unique contributions of volunteers.

To show appreciation for volunteers, museums often recognize individuals with awards, thank-you notes, or special mentions on social media and in newsletters. While gestures like these are certainly worthwhile, the relationship between museums and their volunteers can further benefit from a deeper, more nuanced approach. This ‘deep appreciation’ mindset empathizes with the underlying goals and emotions of volunteers and builds on these motivators with long-term collaboration.

Such an approach is, of course, more complex and time-intensive than simply praising volunteers' contributions. However, deep appreciation isn’t necessarily difficult. It starts with understanding what volunteers hope to get out of their individual efforts and then working with them to guide their museum journey toward those goals. Here are some great ways to begin:

Tailor Appreciation to Individual Goals and Interests

Showing deep appreciation for volunteers should begin by understanding each person’s needs, expectations, goals, and interests. Be prepared for these to vary widely. Some volunteers come to make friends and socialize, others are drawn by a passion for the museum’s particular subject matter, and some are looking to build skills and experience for career development.

Museum volunteer managers should have a one-on-one meeting with each volunteer as part of the onboarding process to discuss what the volunteer hopes to get out of the experience. The insight gained from this discussion can shape and inform how each volunteer is utilized. For example, a volunteer with a graphic design background might enjoy creating promotional materials for an upcoming exhibition, or someone passionate about community outreach may welcome the opportunity to create an engagement program.

Create a Structured Development Program for Volunteers

Once you understand the deeper personal motivations of your volunteers, you can utilize their time and experience more effectively by building a volunteer development program that tailors opportunities to individual skills and experiences. Although there’s no set way to implement such a program, one proven method is a tiered system. In this arrangement, volunteers would start with foundational roles and then advance to more complex responsibilities as they gain skills and experience.

To further enhance the appreciation aspect of such a program, volunteers could be given the opportunity to earn certifications or badges in various areas of their work, such as curatorial skills, visitor education, or research. By adding this structure and recognition, you build reward and acknowledgment into the program, giving volunteers the appreciation and respect they deserve.

Provide Career Development Assistance

While some people volunteer at museums purely for enjoyment, many do so to build experience and skills they can apply to their careers. This is particularly true among younger volunteers. A great way to show appreciation for these volunteers is by providing guidance and support for their career aspirations. This can take the form of ongoing mentorship, where the museum pairs volunteers with appropriate staff members who can provide valuable insight and direction.

Such mentorship can be shaped and scaled to fit available resources and the needs of individual volunteers. Potential activities include job-shadowing, portfolio or resume development, and regularly scheduled one-on-one discussions. Programs like this not only provide valuable services to volunteers, but they also deepen the volunteer’s connection to the organization, motivating them to do high-quality work and maintain consistent attendance. Together, these reasons make mentorship one of the most meaningful ways museums can show appreciation for their volunteers.

Invite Volunteers to Help Develop Exhibits and Programs

Another great way to show appreciation for volunteers is by inviting them to help with the creative and planning processes of exhibits and programs. Doing so can be a ‘win-win’ for both volunteers and museums. In addition to bringing extra resources to the table, volunteers often have unique perspectives, derived from their personal interests and experiences. Involving them in the creative process gives them an opportunity to contribute these individual traits while acknowledging their skills and ideas.

The ways volunteers could assist in this process are nearly unlimited, but there are easy ways to start. For example, the museum could invite volunteers to design a temporary exhibit, suggest themes or objects for an upcoming show, or help plan a lecture series. Doing so shows that the museum values volunteers and what they offer. At the same time, it gives them a deeper sense of ownership and pride in the organization.

Offer Leadership Opportunities

Allowing volunteers to take on leadership roles is a great way to show them respect and appreciation. While not all volunteers have the desire, qualifications, or willingness to take on the greater responsibility that comes with leadership, many would welcome the opportunity. Acknowledging this shows volunteers that the museum is paying attention to their needs and values what they can contribute.

The possibilities for leadership are limited only by imagination. For example, seasoned volunteers can be given the chance to lead teams of new volunteers, facilitate tours, or manage certain events and programs. Volunteers could also be invited to host talks, workshops, or special events. Doing so would, of course, require ongoing direction, collaboration, and guidance from museum staff members. But this effort would pay off richly in terms of appreciation and recognition for volunteers.

Provide Opportunities to Network

Museums often have connections to a wide range of different professions and the people who work in those fields. This makes them a great source of networking possibilities, especially valuable to volunteers early in their careers. And so, another great way to show appreciation for volunteers is by helping them access these professional networking opportunities.

This could be achieved by facilitating introductions to museum professionals, offering tickets to museum conferences, or hosting networking events where volunteers can meet museum professionals. By helping volunteers build connections, museums can strengthen the bond with them. At the same time, it shows that the museum values not only what they contribute now but also their long-term potential.

Offer Financial Support for Further Education or Training

Another powerful way to recognize and show appreciation for volunteers is to provide tangible support for their ongoing education and career development. If there’s room in the museum’s budget, the museum could provide stipends or scholarships for workshops, seminars, or even degrees and certifications in the museum sector.

Although not all museums can afford such investments, keep in mind that these efforts don’t necessarily have to be large. It’s truly a matter of "It’s the thought that counts." Even a relatively small amount spent on training and education can send a powerful message that volunteers are valued by the organization. What’s more, it can pay dividends back to the museum by making volunteers more effective in their roles.

Deep Appreciation Benefits Everyone

When showing appreciation for museum volunteers, traditional methods such as awards and social media shout-outs are still effective. Museums should never stop those proven ways of highlighting and celebrating the contributions of volunteers. However, the potent benefits of showing appreciation in a deeper way require going beyond these more typical approaches.

By taking the time to learn the personal and professional needs of each volunteer and then providing opportunities for them to fulfill these aspirations, you can build deeper connections and greater motivation. In doing so, museums can more effectively develop a capable roster of experienced volunteers by empowering them to grow within the organization and beyond.

Sources:

Designing a Museum Volunteer Program – American Alliance of Museums

https://www.aam-us.org/programs/toolkits/designing-a-museum-volunteer-program/

Building a Strong Museum Volunteer Program: 4 Strategies – Civic Champs

https://www.civicchamps.com/post/build-museum-volunteer-program

9 Ways to Motivate and Engage Your Nonprofit’s Volunteers – Donorbox

https://donorbox.org/nonprofit-blog/motivate-and-engage-your-nonprofits-volunteers

10 Strategies to Show Appreciation to Your Volunteers – ASU Lodestar Center

https://lodestar.asu.edu/blog/2024/03/10-strategies-show-your-appreciation-your-volunteers

A Simple Strategy for Volunteer Appreciation and Retention – NonProfit PRO

https://www.nonprofitpro.com/article/a-simple-strategy-to-volunteer-appreciation-and-retention/

10 Free Ways to Show Volunteer Appreciation – UServeUtah

https://userve.utah.gov/10-free-ways-to-show-volunteer-appreciation/

By: Shana Cooper, Founder of The Resiliency Collective

Over the last few years, museums have been innovative in their approaches to furthering learning, engagement, and community. Many of these approaches are guided by the principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and access, and driven by the urgency of the pandemic. While significant progress has been made to advance museums’ relationship with their audiences, there are still areas ripe for development.

Mental health–an essential component of overall wellbeing–is often left out of traditional DEIA frameworks. Integrating it could provide a tremendous benefit to communities and the museums serving them. The Resiliency Collective offers a next step in innovating the relationship museums have with their audiences by addressing their needs beyond learning and leisure and focusing on their mental wellbeing. Launched in 2021, The Resiliency Collective is a partnership between museum and mental health communities to create mental health-themed exhibits and programs at participating locations across Illinois. Since then, the project has grown to encompass a variety of services and resources designed to help museums reach new and returning audiences in deeper, more connected ways.

The strategies used in the project can be incorporated into any museum’s new and ongoing exhibits and programs and can serve as a model for how to get started. This blog explores some ways to begin this work.

West Chicago City Museum, West Chicago, IL

GETTING STARTED

START WITH WHAT YOU KNOW

As historians, educators, and program leaders, you know the importance of understanding your community and meeting them where they are. You also know the benefit of community connections for visitors and museums alike, so begin there, with a common purpose to engage.

Learning and education: What makes you unique as a community space, is that you are continuously learning and educating as new research, knowledge, and understanding emerges. Where we once believed mental health should be discussed privately and treated only clinically, we now see normalized conversations and myriad alternative approaches. This is an opportunity for you to do what you do best: learn about a relevant topic through research, training, and interacting with others, and then share what you know in practice. One organization to help you start is NAMI Illinois (National Alliance for Mental Illness). Every area of the state has a local NAMI affiliate that offers resources and support, and the organization provides training for staff at organization serving the public. The Resiliency Collective partnered with NAMI Illinois in 2023 to bring specialized exhibits and programs to three museums and cultural organizations across the state.

Illinois Art Station, Normal, IL

Maximizing your resources. As community organizations, you are experts at maximizing what you have, operating on creativity, and leaning into your network to rally your resources. Not only is integrating mental health and wellbeing into your work an extension of your practice, it also expands your toolbox to include more resources, ideas, and experts in your network. The Resiliency Collective is intended to broaden that network of resources and connections to reach more audiences and tailor experiences to those you already serve.

You have experience presenting sensitive topics. If you have hosted exhibits or events that offer insight into challenging times or tell the story of an extraordinary event, you have already broached mental health topics with your audience. You know how to do this in an educational format, now you have an opportunity to invite engagement beyond general questions. What your audience experiences when you present challenging material is as relevant to your interactions as academic information. It is the human elements that will stay with them afterward and encourage them to come back.

You already know your audience. It is all of us. People in your community who regularly or casually visit your space are living with mental health conditions. You are already interacting with them, and they are already engaged. You are part of this audience if you have, have ever had, or will ever experience a mental health condition, know someone who lives with one, know someone who cares for someone with a mental health condition, or considers yourself someone who cares about your own and others’ wellbeing. You can connect with your audience through shared experience almost right away. 

The next blog post will discuss where to go from here and include local and national examples of other museums already doing this work.

For more information on the project, or to learn how to get started, please reach out to

Shana Cooper at sbcooper79@gmail.com.

By: Anne Pesola, Museum Manager at the Little White School Museum

In the last 5 years, field trip numbers have decreased all over the country. From Covid-19 restrictions, to transportation issues, schools just don’t seem to be visiting museums anymore. While it is a huge setback, it does not mean we should give up on trying to reconnect with the schools! Listed below are just a few ideas to help reinvigorate your field trip and school program efforts.

1. Make it Relevant!

This may hurt for some people to hear, but most children do not want to hear about the architecture of the building or the very detailed history of the town. They want to relate to the material and be able to see themselves living in the past. Don’t dumb down your information, but rather, find a new way to approach it. Why not use some modern pop-culture references? Building a town/building in Minecraft is not that different from how settlers had to do it in real life! Get the students talking and laughing, it’s amazing how much more they will remember!

2. Make it Flexible

No two classrooms or schools are the same, so why try to force everyone to have the same experience? If one school wants to visit but cannot get the transportation, make a traveling version that can be taken into the school. If one class needs a lot of accommodations, slow the programs down and create time for breaks or snacks. Include alternative supplies for crafts or steps for games. This generation of students is not used to field trips and your program may be the first one for most of them!

3. Link Everything Back to State Standards

This one is a given, but has become increasingly more important in recent years. The more work you do for the teachers, the more likely they are going to be able to justify taking students on a field trip. Listed at the end of the article are links to the Illinois Social Studies Standards, but don’t be afraid to also look at science, math, English, and art standards! If you’re making a STEM or STEAM field trip, include as many standards as you can.

4. Go to Teacher Events

Tired of all your emails to schools going ignored or sent to spam? Try meeting the educators in person! Most school districts have a “Welcome to our School” event for new teachers. These are great events for you to get to know some of the new and returning teachers. You may also run into the school principals, who can be just as helpful because they may be the ones who are going to make the decision if the school can afford to send classes to your museum. Talking to teachers is important, but the higher up you go, the better your chances are!

5. Think Outside the 3rd Grade Experience

Finally, don’t forget that field trips are not just for 3rd and 4th graders! Every school grade can benefit from a visit to/from a museum. Get creative in what programs you want to offer. Does your local high school have a civic course? Is there a creative writing class that always needs space to perform? Are the local daycares looking for short day trips? Children both young and old deserve a day outside the classroom, so don’t be afraid to look beyond what has been done before. Do you have any other pieces of advice you’d like to share with others? Comment about your field trip experiences below!

Links to Illinois Social Studies Standard Resources:

● https://www.isbe.net/Documents/IL-Social-Science-Standards.pdf

● https://www.illinoiscivics.org/standards/

● https://www.isbe.net/Documents/K-12-SS-Standards.pdf

By: Emily Dattilo, Director of the Mount Prospect Historical Society

I work with some incredibly talented and dedicated board members at the Mount Prospect Historical Society (MPHS). They consider themselves to be a “working board,” which means everyone understands that they have a part to play in keeping MPHS running. Here are five ways to engage your museum board based on my experiences:

1.      Find each board member’s strengths.

Each board member brings their own unique talents and interests to your museum. Once you know what their strengths are, you can find projects that your board members will be invested in. For instance, one of the most successful examples of this strategy at MPHS is in our Living History Committee. This group of both board members and other volunteers tackle creating and facilitating our educational programs for all ages. Most of the participants are retired educators, so they already have decades of experience. Their commitment to the task shines through in the quality of the programming and the enthusiastic response from the community. 

2.      Don’t be afraid to ask for the board’s help directly.

The board is there because they want to help the museum, but board members may not always know where their help is needed. Asking board members to help with specific tasks gives them a clear way to support the museum’s activities. Our biggest fundraiser of the year, the annual Holiday Housewalk, is a great example of how MPHS board members answer the call for volunteers each year. Each person on the board participates in this event, from the planning process to handling ticket sales at the event to giving tours of the houses.   

3.      Meet board members where they are in life and manage your expectations accordingly.

It’s important to remember that every board member has a life outside of being a board member and that can affect the amount of time and the ways that they’re available to help out. A stay-at-home parent, for instance, may be more available during the school year than during the summer, while an active retiree might set aside a few hours a week for museum projects all year round.

4.      Be willing to train board members when necessary.

Just like any volunteer, board members may need training for whatever project they’re about to undertake. When a board member becomes a Dietrich Friedrichs House tour guide, for example, I schedule a time to meet and to go over the interpretation notes, as well as to see other volunteer tour guides in action. I want to make sure they have everything they need to feel comfortable and prepared for the role.

5.      Show your appreciation!

Don’t forget to show your board members that you appreciate their contributions to the museum! At the end of the day, they’re volunteers who are choosing to spend their free time supporting your museum. Even a short thank-you note makes a difference. Each summer we host a brunch inside our one-room Central School to thank all our volunteers, including the board members. Nothing says “thank you” quite like delicious food! 

The Dietrich Friedrichs House (left) and Central School (right) at the Mount Prospect Historical Society

 By: Anne Jordan, Manager of the Little White School Museum, Oswego, IL

Happy Women’s History Month! To celebrate the wonderful women who helped establish Illinois (and the country as a whole), why not spend some time visiting a few women-centered history museums? Listed below are some of the museums in Illinois that are specifically dedicated to women. That’s not to say these are the only museums that talk about women, but these are the ones that stand out because women are the main characters.

Jane Addams Hull-House Museum

Starting out in Chicago is one of the best-known female-center museums. Their “About Us” page really does say it all, stating the “Jane Addams Hull-House Museum serves as a dynamic memorial to social reformer Jane Addams, the first American woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, and her colleagues whose work changed the lives of their immigrant neighbors as well as national and international public policy. The Museum preserves and develops the original Hull-House site for the interpretation and continuation of the historic settlement house vision, linking research, education, and social engagement”. It is a definite must-see if you are looking to celebrate women and their histories.

Edith Farnsworth House

Located in Plano, the Edith Farnsworth house is a stunning glass home, built by renowned architect Miles van der Rohe and completed in 1951. What’s even more remarkable is that in 2021, during the home’s 70th anniversary, the museum changed its name from the Farnsworth House to the Edith Farnsworth House. Dr. Edith Farnsworth was a prolific doctor during World War II, as well as the original owner of the house, so it was only fitting that the name addresses her properly.

The Holt and Stewart Houses

Heading out to Monmouth, there are not 1 but 2 historic houses that are very important to women’s history. In 1867, “Major” Jacob Holt’s home was used by a group of females from Monmouth College as the meeting house for their secret society, I.C. Sorosis, which later became the international women’s fraternity, Pi Beta Phi. Similarly, Mary “Minnie” Stewart’s house, is the site of the Kappa Kappa Gamma’s founding in 1870. Both sites are open for tours and tell the incredible stories of the women who wanted to have the same collegiate opportunities as their male counterparts.

Martin Mitchell Mansion (Pine Craig)

If you go to Naperville, be sure to check out this amazing home, which is part of Naper Settlement. Built in 1883 by George Martin, this historic house defies the norm and focuses its narrative on the women of the Martin family. Caroline Martin Mitchell, the last surviving heir, is the main character of these tours, though her sisters also discussed in length. Another wonderful note about this location is the detail and respect both the home and tours give to another Martin daughter, Elizabeth, who was born with dwarfism.

The Dana-Thomas House

Down in Springfield, there is another museum that chooses to address both the architect of the building as well as the female owner. The Dana-Thomas House (designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1902) allows visitors to learn more about Susan Lawrence Dana, a “forward thinking socialite”, who involved herself in many causes, from equal rights to women, to finding the spiritual truths of the world. This 12,000 square-foot house also features 450 art glass windows, doors and light fixtures designed by Wright himself. You don’t want to miss this tour next time you’re in the state capital. 

Schmidt-Burnham Log House

Back in Winnetka, stands the oldest log structure in Cook County! The Schmidt-Burnham Log House was built around 1837 and “discovered” by Chicago artist Anita Willets-Burnham in 1914 while on a painting trip. The museum now displays many of Anita’s paintings and possessions she acquired over the years. A beautiful little museum surrounded by nature sounds like a perfect spot to visit this March!

The Schweiker House

Over in the suburbs of Schaumburg, lies the Schweiker House, which was completed in 1938. While the story of the first owner and architect is interesting on its own, it’s the second owners that are of interest to this article. Martyl Langsdorf, the designer of the Doomsday Clock, and her husband purchased the home in 1953 after she fell in love with the studio. Today the museum masterfully tells the story of both inhabitants, but does pay special attention to Martyl and some of her most beautiful paintings.

The Glessner House

In the heart of Chicago stands this magnificent museum that pays its respect to the Glessner family who lived at the estate for 50 years. This location is special because there are 2 women of note who called this place home at one point or another. Frances Macbeth Glessner was heavily involved in many philanthropic organizations around the city, including being a founding member of the first chapter of the D.A.R.. Frances Macbeth's daughter, Frances Glessner Lee, earned her own notoriety when she created her “Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death” miniature crimes scenes and improved the field of Forensic Sciences. 

Are there any we missed? Let us know in the comments below!

Note: The Center for Women’s History and Leadership as well as the Francis Willard House Museum are not included in this list as they are in the middle of a transition where the CWHL is no longer in control of the Willard House. Both locations are in the process of recentering their missions and business hours.

By: Anne Jordan, Manager of the Little White School Museum, Oswego, IL

Photo Courtesy of Illinois State Agricultural Society, 1861 - Transactions of the Illinois State Agricultural Society, with Reports from County and District Agricultural Societies, Volume 4

How much do you know about the history of museums in Illinois? Did you know we don’t have a definite “first” museum? A few locations claim the title, but it's actually quite difficult to determine which came first. Featured below is a brief overview of the 3 best candidates for the coveted title of “Illinois’ First Museum”.

The first open is Illinois’ first society-turned-museum. The Chicago Historical Society, today known as the Chicago History Museum is “the oldest cultural institution in Chicago and one of the oldest in the state of Illinois”^[i]. It was founded on April 24th, 1856 and received its charter from the State in 1857. Its objectives from the very beginning were “To encourage historical inquiry, and spread historical information, especially within the State of Illinois, and also within the entire territory of the Northwest—to embrace, alike, their aboriginal and modern history."^[ii] The charter also calls for “the establishment of a library of books and publications, appropriate to such an institution, with convenient works of reference, and also a cabinet of antiquities, relics, etc.”^[iii], creating not only a traditional historical society, but the beginnings of an incredibly robust collection and awe-inspiring museum.

In 1868, the Chicago Historical Society opened its first, private building, located at the corner of Dearborn and Ontario Streets. However, thanks to the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 (and subsequent fires) most of the society’s original archives were destroyed. CHS, though, took these setbacks in stride. The loss of their buildings and collections gave them time to reflect on their original charter and look outward to what other institutions in the area were doing to stay relevant. This break led the society to finally opening its doors to the public in 1906^[iv], and they haven’t turned back since. In 1932, CHS’s final location in Lincoln Park opened^[v], and has remained in operation (albeit with a new name) since.

While the Chicago History Museum offers a lot of evidence to suggest it is Illinois’ first museum, our second contestant makes the bold claim of being the first private scientific museum in Chicago as well as the first public museum in the city as well as the state.

The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, originally referred to as the Chicago Academy of Sciences was founded by “nature aficionados and amateur scientists seeking a space where they could study and share the specimens they collected”^[vi] in 1857. Dedicated to preserving and studying the natural world around them, the Academy opened its first museum in 1865, originally just intended for active members^[vii]. However, with the collections continuing to grow (at one point becoming the fourth largest natural history collection in the country^[viii]), a new museum opened in 1869. Due to the growing interest outside of the academy, it was this second location on Wabash Avenue that decided to open its doors and become the state’s first public museum. 

Unfortunately, just like the Chicago Historical Society, the Academy of Sciences also lost a large portion of its original collections in the Great Fire of 1871. But just like CHS, the Academies also decided to persevere and build another museum. On October 10, 1893, the cornerstone of the building in Lincoln Park was laid^[ix]. For the next 100 years, the museum grew until it was finally time to move once again. In 1999, the new building opened, this time with a new name. “In recognition of the significant donation given to the Academy by Dick and Peggy Notebaert, the building was named the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum”^[x]. Today, the museum continues its mission to provide opportunities for people of all ages to interact with science and nature all around them.

Our final “first” museum takes us out of Chicago, all the way to Bloomington-Normal, Illinois. This short-lived museum is important because it reminds us that Chicago was not the only city in Illinois with histories worthy of remembering.

The Museum of the Illinois State Natural History Society (later known as the Illinois Museum of Natural History) was founded in 1858, after an Illinois State Teachers’ Association meeting (held in 1857)^[xi] thought the state needed more studies on the land and animals around them. Thus, the Illinois State Natural History Society “was formed as an agency for the natural history survey of the State in the old sense of an accumulation of museum specimens and a descriptive records of its zoology, botany and paleontology–meteorology and physical geography being nominally included”^[xii]. The original museum was housed on the third floor of the Old Main building of Illinois Normal School, today known as Illinois State University. However, by 1877, it was decided that the collections would be better suited in the newly founded Illinois State Museum^[xiii]. With that, central Illinois’ first museum was no more.

By the 1900s, Illinois was well underway to being a state full of museums. In fact, in 2017, the Illinois Association of Museums estimated “over 1,300 institutions preserving history and memories of the state [with] the overwhelming majority historical societies and museums"^[xiv]. While COVID-19 most certainly irrevocably affected these institutions, Illinois is still a state dedicated to preserving the culture and history of its people from thousands of years ago until today.

^[i] Lewis, Catherine M. 2005. The Changing Face of Public History: The Chicago Historical Society and the Transformation of the American Museum. 11. 

^[ii] 1857. Chicago Historical Society Charter.

^[iii] ibid.

^[iv] Lewis, Catherine M. 2005. The Changing Face of Public History: The Chicago Historical Society and the Transformation of the American Museum. 12.

^[v] https://www.chicagohistory.org/about-us/museum-history/

^[vi] https://naturemuseum.org/explore/history/

^[vii] https://naturemuseum.org/explore/exhibits/heritage-of-the-chicago-academy-of-sciences/

^[viii] https://naturemuseum.org/explore/history/

^[ix] ibid.

^[x] ibid.

^[xi] Forbes. S.A. 1907. “History of the Former State Natural History Societies of Illinois” Science. 892.

^[xii] ibid.

^[xiii] https://www.illinoisstatemuseum.org/ism-system-content/illinois-state-museum-history.html

^[xiv] Fowler, Laura Milsk. 2018. “Museums 2.0: Lessons for Illinois Museums for the next 200 Years”. Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society. 137.