I think that one of the biggest weaknesses that the Yager museum has is it's location. Because it is located on the bottom floor of the library building not many students know where it is. And the only way you would know where the entrance is is if you happen to be walking right by it.
This could be turned into a strength, since so many students go by...perhaps with some dynamic display cases (which i know they are working on)...but i would say Parking makes it really hard for the commmunity to find it.
I agree that parking makes it really hard for community members (and even students?) to access the museum, and would be a major obstacle if we were to plan a museum program.
this area is so awkwardly touristy, i feel, what with cooperstown and the hall of fames and such nearby, there's lots of those pamphlets for different attractions and its hard to tell what exactly is being offered. is it a cool dinosaur museum, or a renovated double wide with plastic minatures? i went over the threat that yager's location poses, and it therefore does translate to a weakness. getting the name out there when the only sign there is appears as a tiny heading on a Hartwick sign, or one of those brown = boring attraction signs on 88 is quite a challenge. campus itself is set up quite wonky, and it's hard to find your way around if you've never been. as great as it is to have the museum on a college campus, it is all to clear that the order ends up being that yager is a library building on a college campus first, and a museum as an after thought.
I agree absolutely about the location issues--they were of concern from day 1 from me. Any creative ideas about how to stop students in their tracks and look at the museum (without, of course, affecting our security). For example, better signage outside, footprints as we described, signage on other parts of campus, brochures in key places (admissions and in new student packets), banners on the outside of the building, etc.etc.?
By the way, the library (which has more power than the museum) is trying to resolve the critical parking issue.
I think a threat to the museum is the lack of communication between departments. for example, if the museum studies department collaborated more with other departments such as education, history, political science, anthropology, and art history, (or potentially even art and others I'm sure I'm forgetting) to create activities that would bring students from different majors to the museum, maybe those students would be inspired to return to the museum and become more involved with it. for example, if the education department worked with the museum studies department as we discussed in class and education students needed to go to the museum for activities, they may find that they like it and will return in the future.
About MUST-304 Places of Learning: Museums and Education
Class Goals:
• Students will examine and determine the role of the museum educator in a museum.
• Students will be able to identify the educational role of the museum to its community and its patrons.
• Students will be able to define the various ways visitors can learn and the methods museum educators employ to aid in the learning process.
• Students will gain hands on experience developing museum education programs.
• Students will understand the challenges facing museum educators and examine the future role of education in museums.
• Students will demonstrate effective verbal and written communication through assignments and interaction with community partners.
Mission: In keeping with the vision of its founder and with the mission of the College, The Yager Museum of Art & Culture is now an educational institution dedicated to the collection, preservation, interpretation and exhibition of art and artifacts. The Museum reflects the academic interests of the College and is committed to presenting them in appropriate campus settings in informative, scholarly and integrative ways. Through these and other means, the Museum plays a major role in educating the students, faculty and staff of the College and local and regional communities as well as a larger audience beyond.
6 comments:
I think that one of the biggest weaknesses that the Yager museum has is it's location. Because it is located on the bottom floor of the library building not many students know where it is. And the only way you would know where the entrance is is if you happen to be walking right by it.
This could be turned into a strength, since so many students go by...perhaps with some dynamic display cases (which i know they are working on)...but i would say Parking makes it really hard for the commmunity to find it.
I agree that parking makes it really hard for community members (and even students?) to access the museum, and would be a major obstacle if we were to plan a museum program.
this area is so awkwardly touristy, i feel, what with cooperstown and the hall of fames and such nearby, there's lots of those pamphlets for different attractions and its hard to tell what exactly is being offered. is it a cool dinosaur museum, or a renovated double wide with plastic minatures? i went over the threat that yager's location poses, and it therefore does translate to a weakness. getting the name out there when the only sign there is appears as a tiny heading on a Hartwick sign, or one of those brown = boring attraction signs on 88 is quite a challenge. campus itself is set up quite wonky, and it's hard to find your way around if you've never been. as great as it is to have the museum on a college campus, it is all to clear that the order ends up being that yager is a library building on a college campus first, and a museum as an after thought.
I agree absolutely about the location issues--they were of concern from day 1 from me. Any creative ideas about how to stop students in their tracks and look at the museum (without, of course, affecting our security). For example, better signage outside, footprints as we described, signage on other parts of campus, brochures in key places (admissions and in new student packets), banners on the outside of the building, etc.etc.?
By the way, the library (which has more power than the museum) is trying to resolve the critical parking issue.
I think a threat to the museum is the lack of communication between departments. for example, if the museum studies department collaborated more with other departments such as education, history, political science, anthropology, and art history, (or potentially even art and others I'm sure I'm forgetting) to create activities that would bring students from different majors to the museum, maybe those students would be inspired to return to the museum and become more involved with it. for example, if the education department worked with the museum studies department as we discussed in class and education students needed to go to the museum for activities, they may find that they like it and will return in the future.
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