Celebrating International Museum Day

Celebrating International Museum Day with

8 things I love about working at a museum

Today, 18 May, marks International Museum Day.  To celebrate I thought I would share 8 of my favourite things about working in a Museum.  In no particular order:

1. Telling amazing stories – working in a museum means I have the best fodder for telling fascinating stories.  I love sharing those stories with visitors and watching them gasp, laugh
2. Making interesting discoveries – I’m always in and out of collection stores, both physical and virtual, and I have come across some very cool things over time.
3. Working with interesting people – museums attract very interesting people, and working in a museum means I’ve had the opportunity to work with people across a range of areas from conservators and curators, to actors, designers and even some idols (meeting Tony Robinson was definitely an exciting day!)
4. Handling history – I have been lucky enough to hold, amongst other things, Captain Cook’s waistcoat, a Medici Manuscript, William Will’s gun and Ned Kelly’s Jerilderie letter.  Not to mention numerous chamber pots, butter churns, wash boards, hip baths… There is something very special about holding a real piece of history!
5. Visiting other museums – working in museums has given me the opportunity to engage in the best type of professional development: visiting other museums.  Whether for a meeting, collegiate learning  or just a casual visit under the radar, I have loved being able to visit a wide variety of museums, historic sites and other cultural institutions.  Sometimes I don’t have to pay for entry, but it’s the behind-the-scenes opportunities that I really love.
6. Collegiality – the collegiality and sense of a shared purpose is very strong between museums.  I love the way my colleagues at other institutions are keen to share ideas, tips and resources.
7. Innovation – There are a great many museum professionals that are dedicated to innovation and drive to use new technologies to achieve greater engagement, enjoyment and learning opportunities for visitors.  I am constantly inspired and encouraged by my museum colleagues.
8. Fun and laughs – working with such dedicated, interesting and inspiring people across the museum sector makes from great fun, lots of laughs and a chance to spread some love.  Today, with this playful spirit and in celebration of the great things about museums, @museumvictoria proposed that everyone #hugamuseum

So, in this post, I hug my museum and all those other museums I’ve had the pleasure of visiting or working with.  Happy International Museum Day!

A hug to Sovereign Hill at dusk.