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AAMV
Announces New Book on Museum Volunteerism
Transforming Museum
Volunteering
A Practical Guide for Engaging 21st Century Volunteers
You
Can’t Manage Without It!
BUY
THE BOOK - $29.95
The board of directors of AAMV is pleased to announce that
its new book on museum volunteerism, written for
AAMV
by Ellen Hirzy.
Ms. Hirzy is an independent editor and writer for museums, museum organizations, and other
nonprofits.
Her work in the museum field focuses on the continuing dialogue about
museums’ evolving public role,
governance, institutional values, and
professional practices.
She is the principal writer of two major reports that have
shaped the
thinking about museums in America:
Museums for a New Century (1984) and Excellence and Equity:
Education and
the Public Dimension of Museums (1992), both published by the American
Association of Museums.
AAMV is honored to have
engaged Ellen to create this new resource on museum volunteerism.
It will assist
museums of all sizes and their volunteer program managers
to utilize their valuable human resources most effectively.
This
project was made possible by a generous bequest from a former AAMV board member,
Mary Marvin Breckinridge
Patterson, and the support of many generous individuals
and museums across the country.
If
you would like to donate to help support the
publication and distribution of the handbook, please
click here.
To
purchase the book
We
asked a former AAMV president, Sarah Brophy, to review the first three chapters
of the book and share her
impressions with our members.
Here is what Sarah has to say about the new book:
Twelve
years ago the American Association of Museum Volunteers (AAMV) published Volunteer
Program
Administration: A Handbook for Museums and Other Cultural Institutions.
It has been the standard in the field,and
a critical book for any
manager of volunteer resources in a cultural organization.
But it is time it was replaced,
and AAMV’s new book on museum
volunteerism will be a first-rate and very accessible replacement.
I
particularly like the currency of the language and the material.
The description of Generation X (volunteers nearing
or just turning 40)
is excellent and fits exactly with my most recent interviews and work with
volunteers. The sections
on family and teen volunteers are also helpful. It’s
hard to think like a teen if you don’t have one; or to imagine a family
volunteer project if you’re not a parent-child family.
This section gives readers good examples of other institutions
working
effectively with all sorts of volunteers.
The
real-life cases of museum practice are strong additions to the text,
particularly when they review situations where
a museum changed or created a
volunteer program. Too few of us
have ever had the opportunity to start a program
from scratch. Yet, all of us
have to manage our programs thoughtfully so that they adapt with changes in the
field, our
own museums, and our communities. The section on re-engineering a
volunteer program is so useful that I wish it were
a bit longer!
The
book provides thoughtful, readable text in a format that helps the reader find
and use information quickly.
·
Information boxes provide excellent bite-sized
ideas and facts you need to make your case, encourage a
doubtful staff member,
or try a better way.
·
Each chapter closes with Food
for Thought — discussion questions for staff and volunteers.
At first I thought
this might feel too much like a book group (how would
I ever have a bunch of people together to ask these
questions?).
Then I realized that they are useful in a variety of settings.
I can use them on my own to help sort
through my own thinking. I might
use them as a meeting topic for a roundtable. Or, I could pose them to groups
of
staff and volunteers to help with program development.
·
The annotated Resources
section has as much online as print information. The online resources give
readers
access to material that grows and changes daily.
·
Anyone can appreciate the Tools section at the back of the book.
It’s that leg-up for developing the forms,
documents, and templates we
depend upon to create consistency in our volunteer management work.
AAMV’s new resource on
museum volunteerism is a thoughtful book, responsive to today’s conditions,
and mindful of
the reader’s needs. Museums
should have at least one copy (preferably more!) always in circulation within
the volunteer
department. Also share it with the rest of the staff, and other
volunteer program managers in the arts.
Sarah
S. Brophy, founder of bMuse, is a writer and museum consultant in
Easton,
MD. Contact her by
phone
at
410 822-1076 or on her website at www.bmuse.net.
Sarah is also the author of Is Your Museum Grant Ready?,
which is
available at www.altamirapress.com
What’s
In AAMV’s New Book on Museum Volunteerism?
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Table
of Contents
Chapter
1 – Transforming Museum Volunteering
Chapter
2 – Creating Volunteer Program Infrastructure
Chapter 3 – Managing the Volunteer Program
Chapter 4 – Recruiting, Interviewing, and Placing Volunteers
Chapter 5 – Volunteer Training
Chapter 6 – Supporting, Retaining, and Recognizing Volunteers
Chapter 7 – Evaluating Effectiveness
Chapter 8 – Legal and Ethical issues
Chapter 9 – The Future
Resources
Volunteer Program Management Tools
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Excerpts
Is
it time to give your recruiting plan a face-lift?
If so, consider these fresh ideas from AAMV’s new book on museum
volunteerism:
Web site — Does the museum Web site have a direct
link from the home page to the volunteer page? Are complete
information and
application materials available online? Post
a new link to draw new attention to the volunteer
program.
Referrals from current volunteers — Do you remind
volunteers to spread the word about the value of volunteering at the
museum?
Offer a museum pass or a free beverage coupon from the café for
referrals.
Advertising — Does the museum use ads and PSAs in
local media to build its image as a worthwhile place to volunteer?
Ask a volunteer to record a PSA.
Media coverage—Do articles appear in local
newspapers, in organization newsletters, on television, and online?
Take a
picture of volunteers in action and write a piece on the volunteer
program.
Organize a volunteer recruitment event by
coordinating with other nonprofit organizations for a community-wide volunteer
recruitment effort.
****************
Are
you building community and encouraging connectedness throughout the year?
Consider these guidelines from
AAMV’s new book:
1.
Speak
to volunteers by name.
Make sure that all museum staff members understand the importance of this
simple
habit. As a tool for remembering, ask everyone to wear nametags, or maintain a
bulletin board with
volunteers’ photos.
2.
Give
volunteers a place to work.
Provide
the space and tools they need and, if possible, an area for volunteers
to
gather. Provide coffee, tea, and a small refrigerator, or invite them to use the
staff coffee room or lounge.
3.
Listen
to volunteers’ ideas. When
you make a point of inviting and listening to their opinions and suggestions,
you establish a positive culture of improvement instead of a culture that breeds
complaining.
4.
Communicate
and celebrate volunteers’ contributions. Promote high visibility for volunteers in all
museum
communications, internal and external. Be sure to engage the CEO in
celebrating their contributions. Remind
staff to honor volunteer involvement in
department or program achievements.
5.
Involve
volunteers in the daily life of the museum. Invite them to staff meetings occasionally and
other informal
gatherings as a way of building community. Be aware of and
discourage behavior that excludes volunteers, even if
it is unintentional.
6.
Keep
volunteers informed about museum events and issues. Regular communication about what’s happening
helps them feel in the loop and part of a team.
7. Set
high standards for volunteers. Low
expectations imply work that is of low value, and performance and
self-esteem to
match.
8.
Encourage
volunteers to get to know one another. Personal connections are important
community-building
tools.
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