Weekly Blog Roundup

Here are a few interesting and useful blog posts for the museum world.

Job Search Red Flags & Due Diligence from Captain Awkward

So this isn't a museum blog, or even a museum post, but it is crucial advice. Jobs in museums are so tight, especially the last few years, that it's easy to forget that the job search process has two sides. When you interview at an organization, it's also an opportunity to make sure that the culture and job description are the right fit for you. This is a great overview of things to look for, things to ask about, and validation for making decisions that are right for you.

Hack the Museum Camp Part 2 from Museum 2.0

I was curious to see/hear the results of the Hack the Museum weekend at the Museum of Art and History in Santa Cruz, and here is Nina Simon's wrap up post. Sounds like it turned out to be a blast - I am particularly struck by the consideration of risk in museums here, and as experienced by the campers. Are things really as risky as we think they are? I'd be curious to see how these exhibition pieces are received by visitors to the museum. (I also wonder if successful visitor engagement is one of the benchmarks of success for this weekend, or whether it was more professional development-focused?)

Science Museums and History of Science Museums from Tufts Museum Studies Blog

The Science in Museums series at the Tufts blog has been consistently interesting and thoughtful, but this one really struck a chord with me as an historian. How do you balance the science and the history context to produce a thoughtful exhibition? Are there times when the science is less important than the history, or vice versa? Should the two considerations be kept separate, or should they always be discussed together?