I just returned from lovely Portland Maine and the annual New England Museum Association conference. One of the things I admire most about this conference is how honest people are – participants and presenters. I so frequently heard comments like, “ultimately, the program didn’t work so well” or “yeah, we found that the particular board model […]
Breaking Ground!
Congratulations to two Affiliates who have reached milestones in their development – groundbreaking on new museums that promise to be stellar contributions to America’s cultural landscape. On September 30 in Philadelphia, the National Museum of American Jewish History broke ground on its phenomenal new space at 5th and Market streets, directly across Independence Mall from […]
Shaping Outcomes
Are you familiar with this course offered through IMLS? Several SI staff had the opportunity to participate in a training session about this approach yesterday, and it was a real eye-opener. Here’s an example – In a typical project, you get an idea. You plan the program, budgeting resources and costs, and argue successfully for modest funding. […]
Smithsonian on iTunes
A nugget to add to the “who knew?!” category… We recently got an announcement that Smithsonian’s Global Sound, a program of the Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, had launched a new section on the iTunes store in the iTunes U section called ‘Beyond Campus.’ One of only 6 organizations featured in this new project (with […]
What is trade literature anyway?
Funny you should ask! The Smithsonian Libraries have one of the most outstanding collections of trade literature in the United States. Affiliations staff were honored recently to get an up-close, personal view of some samples that were presented by three of the collection’s experts. What is it? Trade literature is mass produced by manufacturers to promote and explain […]
Web 2.0
Do you currently use these sites? Are you blogging or podcasting from your site? If so, you’re navigating Web 2.0. An array of Smithsonian webmasters led a fascinating discussion today on the challenges and implications of Web 2.0, which, according to wikipedia (appropriately enough) refers to the newest generation of the web that faciliates […]
Update from the Smithsonian’s newest museum
Kudos to the National Museum of African American History and Culture on the launch of their new website, reviewed today in the Washington Post. You’ll find details on their collaborations, curricula for teachers, their ambitious Folkways Recordings project, and exhibition and collections planning. NMAAHC has several exciting initatives too, including Save Our African American Treasures: A […]
News from Smithsonian Leadership
In light of Deputy Secretary Sheila Burke’s departure, the Smithsonian announced the appointment of two acting Undersecretaries. Richard Kurin, who many affiliates know and love from his Hope Diamond book tour, has been named Acting Undersecretary for History and Culture. In addition to directing the Folklife Center and National Programs (where Affiliations is situated), Richard […]
Smithsonian Focus
Have you seen this? the Smithsonian’s monthly ‘Focus’ newsletter collects interesting goings-on from around the Institution about collections, events, research, online features and fun factoids. Smithsonian Focus September 2007.htm This month, I discovered that the Smithsonian owns the collection of (often) specially-commissioned Time magazine covers, now numbering over 2,000 works of art. Did you also know that […]
Report from the field: Western Pennsylvania
I just got back from a short but lovely trip to the rolling hills of western Pennsylvania. SITES’ Booming Out: Mohawk Ironworkers Build New York opened at the California University of Pennsylvania. As a special treat during the opening ceremonies, LaDonna Harris, trustee of the National Museum of the American Indian, spoke to students about […]
Director developments at the Smithsonian
The National Museum of the American Indian named its new director, Kevin Gover. Mr. Gover grew up in Oklahoma and is a member of the Pawnee Tribe. He is a professor of law at Arizona State University, an affiliate professor in its American Indian Studies Program, and co-executive director of its American Indian Policy Institute. […]
So many announcements!
Whew! it’s hard to keep up with all the great new developments and announcements that have been advertised recently on the Affiliations list, so here are the synopses again… TRAVELING EXHIBITIONS: Building America’s Canals by the National Canal Museum (affiliate) & the Science Museum of MN Ideal for children’s history and science museums, the interactive exhibition […]
The Encyclopedia of Life
September 6, 2007 – The New York Times published an interesting editorial today about an ambitious new project announced earlier this year, in which the Smithsonian is taking a leading role. The goal of the Encyclopedia of Life is nothing short of organizing all basic information on the 1.8 million known species on the planet within […]
Check out one of the Smithsonian’s newest blogs, from the Office of Exhibits Central (OEC). OEC is a dynamic unit that produces exhibits and exhibition services for Smithsonian museums, SITES, and others, like the Bisbee Mining and Historical Museum, our affiliate in Arizona. (a well-known example of OEC’s work on the Mall) The blog is a […]
SERC
This week, several Affiliations staff treated ourselves to a field trip, and visited our colleagues at the Smithsonian’s Environmental Research Center. Located on 3,000 acres on the Chesapeake Bay (SERC map), SERC is a leading research unit with 16 laboratories devoted to studying things like marine biology & ecology, among other topics. SERC is the national center […]
Science education & the NSRC
I find this to be an amazing statistic: 45% of all science learning takes place in informal environments. (no wonder NSF gives so much money to informal science education.) Yet in a recent seminar on the topic, entitled “Changing the Course of K-16 Science Education,” a DC teacher asked in a roundabout way about the […]
