Museum Employees Research Articles

Museums’ perspectives and actions regarding children with autism spectrum disorder participation and access

ABSTRACT This study aims to provide an overview of recent advancements in museum strategies and practices, as well as an assessment of how well they meet the requirements of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). In this context, the researchers conducted a quantitative survey using questionnaires in Attica's museums. According to the research's main findings, many museum employees lack formal knowledge or training related to ASD. Nevertheless, they are firmly in favor of such training. Attica museums lack programs or activities specifically designed for individuals with autism. Few museums in Attica have the resources and infrastructure needed to be deemed accessible to those with ASD; however, they emphasized that they are very affirmative about changes. The utmost obstacles to accessibility and inclusivity for people with ASD, according to the research, are inadequate planning, a lack of infrastructure and finance, and a lack of trained staff.

Development and Validation of Virtual Reality Scenarios to Improve Disability Awareness among Museum Employees

Development and Validation of Virtual Reality Scenarios to Improve Disability Awareness among Museum Employees

Description of A.N. Minh’s trip from Volga to the Caucasus in 1868 as a source on the history of Russian regions and everyday life

A review of the publication «Trip to Pyatigorsk in 1868» by the famous local historian, cultural and educational figure A.N. Minh is presented. The manuscript is stored in the State Archives of the Saratov Region. Before publishing, it was available only to a narrow circle of researchers. Now, thanks to the efforts of the workers of the State Archives of the Saratov Region and their assistants, numerous historians and specialists in other fields of scientific knowledge, employees of museums, libraries and other cultural institutions, students of higher and secondary schools, all those who are interested and fascinated by history Russia and its regions can familiarize themselves with it in detail. Minh’s work combines the characteristics of a personal diary, guidebook, statistical, geographical, historical and ethnographic researches. It is an interesting source and gives food for thought to everyone involved in the history of Russian regions (Saratov and Volgograd regions, Don and Stavropol territories, Pyatigorsk, Kislovodsk, Yessentuki and all Caucasian Mineral Waters), the history of everyday life and culture (especially related to travel, spa treatment and relaxation). There is extensive literature on the issues raised in the new publication, but Minh’s book clarifies and supplements the accumulated information with important details. The information was obtained as a result of personal observations, conversations with contemporaries, attention to materials of folklore, «oral history», archival documents, books and periodicals, inspection of museum collections, historical and natural attractions. The publication provides an opportunity for a wide range of specialists and readers to study “Trip to Pyatigorsk in 1868” by Minh.

Inny w przestrzeni instytucji kultury. „Zmagania” z dostępnością na przykładzie Muzeum Śląska Cieszyńskiego w Cieszynie

In the increasingly diversified world, openness to difference becomes a priority. This difference can be understood broadly. It may refer to people with foreign cultural experiences, with other cultural resources or with their shortage. It may also concern individuals or entire groups with special needs. Opening to the needs of such people and educating the society in this regard is one of the many tasks of cultural institutions. The need to make an institution more accessible is becoming a constantly growing challenge for its employees. The text addresses the problem of adapting cultural institutions to the legislative requirements introduced by the Act of 19th July 2019 on ensuring accessibility to people with special needs and the Act of 4th April 2019 on the digital accessibility of websites and mobile applications of public entities. This issue was discussed in reference to the research results obtained with the use of the case study method in the research conducted in the Museum of Cieszyn Silesia in Cieszyn. What was taken into account in those studies was architectural, communication-information and digital accessibility. The interviews conducted with museum employees were analysed.

Representing, Re‐presenting, or Producing the Past? Memory Work amongst Museum Employees

AbstractThough it is widely understood that the past can be an important resource for organizations, less is known about the micro‐level skills and choices that help to materialize different representations of the past. We understand these micro‐level skills and choices as a practice: ‘memory work’ – a banner term gathering various activities that provide the scaffolding for a shared past. Seeking to learn from a context where memory work is central, we share insights from a quasi‐longitudinal study of UK museum employees. We theorize three ideal‐typic regimes of memory work, namely representing, re‐presenting and producing the past, and detail the micro‐practices through which these regimes are enacted. Through explaining the key features of memory work in this context, our paper offers novel, broader insights into the relationship between occupations and memory work, showing how occupations differ in their understanding of memory and how this shapes their memory work.

«Собиратели Российского этнографического музея» –– новый виртуальный проект: концепция, предварительные итоги

The article contains a presentation of the concept and preliminary results of the new virtual project "Collectors of the Russian Ethnographic Museum", launched in 2021. Its purpose is to recreate individual portraits of scientists, correspondents and museum staff, personal and creative biographies of those who during the XIX — early XXI c., and were associated with the museum field. The fates of some of them are quite well known, others are little studied due to various circumstances. It's not just the famous specialists (ethnographers, linguists, folklorists, archaeologists, historians, etc.) and correspondents, but also representatives of different social circles, scientific and political views, levels of education, nationalities, confessions, ages, characters; with different motivation for ethnographic research and subjective approaches to their own collecting activities. Currently, according to the concept and well-thought-out scheme, materials about more than 130 people have been published, more than 30 museum employees participated in their creation. URL:https://ethnomuseum.ru/collections/projects/collectors/.

The development of aesthetic experience through virtual and augmented reality

Emerging technological innovations offer the potential for experiential engagement through virtual scenarios, yet the viability of this approach for educational purposes remains significantly underexplored. This study aims to assess the feasibility of Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) technologies in providing users with aesthetic experiences when visiting digital exhibitions. A total of 190 students participated in this investigation. The control group visited traditional exhibits at the Palace Museum in Beijing. This group underwent a survey to evaluate their acquired aesthetic experience. In contrast, the experimental group, comprising 96 students, engaged with VR/AR scenarios at the Palace Museum in Beijing. Accordingly, students in the experimental group were also surveyed to evaluate both their aesthetic experiences and, additionally, their user experiences. The survey results unveiled significant distinctions in aesthetic experiences between students in the control and experimental groups. Moreover, there were notable correlations between individual variables related to user and aesthetic experiences within the experimental group. Furthermore, the study revealed disparities in both user and aesthetic experiences among male and female students. The findings have implications for aesthetic education teachers and officials in the context of developing sound strategies for providing aesthetic experiences to their students. This information is also of interest to employees of museums, exhibitions, and other cultural facilities, who are interested in holding or hold digital exhibitions.

Museum education of history students at the Udmurt State University

The article considers the museum education of students (on the example of educational, museum practice) at the university, which is an integral part of the general culture of modern youth and is based on the experience of communication with museums in the family and school. Educational museum practice at the Institute of History and Sociology of the Udmurt State University of Izhevsk (direction of training 46.03.01 “History”, bachelors) has a purpose and objectives, stages, program and base of conduct. The results of the students’ museum practice in the field of formation of theoretical knowledge, practical skills, development of professional competencies are presented. The experience of conducting is summarized and certain problems are identified both in the organization of educational practice by the university (per diem and the amount for accommodation in practice, the choice of a museum as a place of practice, mutually beneficial cooperation “university to museum”, “museum to university”), and in the implementation of students’ activities in various departments of museums. The idea is expressed about the prospects of the work of students-historians during the internship at the museum, not only as museum employees, but also as volunteers (guides, fund workers, researchers, etc.) in the organization of events held by the institution. Volunteering helps students to better understand the content of the work of a particular museum, have a clearer idea of modern professions in the museum, immerse themselves in the museum space. The work of students in the field of project activities on the subject of the department, the formation of a student’s personal interest in the course work or tasks of the basic museum is relevant in educational practice.

Zachowania pracowników muzeów w okresie COVID-19 w perspektywie ekonomii behawioralnej na przykładzie Muzeum Okręgowego w Rzeszowie

Purpose – The pandemic has hampered the functioning of all cultural institutions, including museums. The only way to reduce the transmission of the virus in the population was to change behavior. NPI (nonpharmaceutical interventions) are tools that tried to control the course of the pandemic. The aim of the article was to identify behavioral errors in the work of professional employees of the District Museum in Rzeszów during the COVID‑19 pandemic. Research method – The method of critical literature analysis was used. In the form of a case study, the work of the District Museum in Rzeszów was analyzed, using information from participant observation and structured interviews. Results – The pandemic crisis has led to increased digital transformation activities and highlighted problems related to the financing aspect. The identified errors in the behavior of museum employees were errors resulting from information overload, uncertainty of the future, concerns about the use of interventions, and wishful thinking. Originality / value / implications / recommendations – The originality of the study results from the diagnosis of the research gap relating to museum employees in terms of their response to non‑medical interventions in the workplace during the COVID pandemic. There are no known analyzes of behavioral errors at the workplace in relation to non‑medical interventions. Therefore, this is an innovative approach to the topic and important from the point of view of implementing regulatory solutions during the crisis.

Order of the Presidium of the All-Russian Extraordinary Commission to all provincial emergency commissions No. 54 (dated April 29, 1920) on provincial commissions “for the protection of monuments of art and antiquity”

Bodies of the Cheka — GPU — OGPU for many years collected and analyzed information about the processes that took place in various social strata, national, confessional, professional groups (in certain regions and across the country as a whole). The efforts of the Chekists were aimed at curbing covert and open opposition to Soviet power on the part of political opponents of the regime. Among other things, the authorities were interested in the mindset among civil servants, as well as among the scientific and creative intelligentsia. On April 29, 1920, the Presidium of the All-Russian Extraordinary Commission issued order No. 54, addressed to the territorial bodies of the Cheka, with instructions to collect data on the activities of the provincial commissions “for the protection of monuments of art and antiquity”. The Chekists, first of all, were interested in information about the connections of museum employees with the clergy and teaching staff of the former religious educational institutions. Below is a list of information provided by employees of the Novgorod provincial Cheka and sent by them in parallel to the Secret Department of the Cheka and to the VIII Department of the People’s Commissariat of Justice of the RSFSR. The publication is carried out according to the original copy deposited in the A-353 fund of the State Archive of the Russian Federation. The document is accompanied by detailed comments, in particular, information about the employees of Novgorod museums: A. V. Nikiforovsky, S. K. Matveevsky, V. A. Kvashonkin and others. Particular attention is paid to the ups and downs of the biography of N. G. Porfiridov, a landmark person in the and one of the defendants in a large-scale criminal case initiated in January 1933 by employees of the Plenipotentiary Representation of the United State Political Directorate in the Leningrad Military District against a large group of people, including museum workers and local historians.

Other worlds in the museum: exhibits as evocative objects

The article focuses on the evocative effect in the museum spaces: it examines the situations in which museum exhibits and their complexes operate (“work”) as evocative objects, evoking memories and emotions in visitors. The conditions and mechanisms that ensure such an effect are explored through the field observations and interviews with visitors and employees of museums, as well as reviews of expositions. I analyze the materials of three cases: The Museum-residence “Artkommunalka ‘Yerofeyev and others’” (Kolomna, Moscow region), the museum complex in the Uchma village (Yaroslavl region), and the mobile exhibition “To Trust the Dried-Up”. The analysis shows that the evocative effect in the museum spaces does not arise by itself; rather, it is provided by special efforts: in some cases, preliminary or synchronous discursive support, in others - sensory attunements.

From Museology to the Anthropology of Things. Training Personnel for Cultural Institutions in the Poznań Ethnological Centre

The Author briefly presents the history of the establishment and functioning of the Poznań ethnological centre from 1919 to the present day, indicating the place of museology in the curricula. Using the example of her own teaching activities, she shows how this content can be integrated into the teaching of various subjects (compulsory, optional, and projectbased courses). She describes the classes conducted and briefly presents selected projects implemented in cooperation with museums and with the participation of students. She also confronts three perspectives that are important for the preparation of future museum professionals. The first concerns the interests of students and their needs in terms of acquiring knowledge about museums, their activities, and ways of organisation. The second concerns the preparation of didactic proposals by the IAiE employees. The third is related to the needs of the professional market regarding the training of future museum employees. The article concludes with reflections on the ways and directions of training future museum staff, which should be done in consultation with the museum community to jointly plan the path of professional training in the field of museology.

Accumulation of Information about Metal Mirrors from Altai Sites and the Formation of a Source Base in the 1920s — the First Half of the 1950s

The article is devoted to the history of the discovery and study of 20 metal mirrors recorded in the territory of Altai in the 1920s — the first half of the 1950s. It has been established that the vast majority of products come from the monuments of the Scythian period and the Middle Ages. An analysis of the available information about the finds allowed the author of the study to identify several trends that are characteristic of this stage. During this period, the leading museum institutions of the country (the Russian Museum, the State Hermitage, the State Historical Museum) organized a number of large expeditions led by professional archaeologists (S.I. Rudenko, S.V. Kiselev, M.P. Gryaznov). Most of the metal mirrors presented in the publication come from the archaeological complexes investigated by these experts. In addition, there is an active work of employees of local museums (M.D. Kopytov, S.M. Sergeev) in the study of the ancient past of the region. In particular, they assembled a series of metal mirrors that added to the collections of the State Hermitage and the Biysk Museum of Local Lore. Another important trend ofthe designated period was the first theoretical understanding of the findings. Thus, sections related to the cultural and chronological interpretation of metal mirrors found on the territory of Altai appear in the articles and monographs of archaeologists.

Собиратели гагаузских коллекций Российского этнографического музея

The article analyzes the collecting activities of the Russian Ethnographic Museum employees and amateur local historians of Bessarabia, who have been gathering collections on the Gagauz people ethnography for a century. This fund contains over three hundred material monuments, archival, illustrative and photographic materials on the Gagauz migrants who lived in the territory of Novorossiya (and subsequently in the south of Moldova and in the Odessa Region of Ukraine). Of particular interest is the fact that collecting the materials which characterise the material and spiritual culture of the Gagauz people took place over a long period of time in the same villages. This allows us to trace the dynamics of the development of everyday culture of the Gagauz ethnic group.

LIFE EXPERIENCE AND MOTIVATION OF PINTO ART MUSEUM WORKERS TOWARDS RECOVERY FROM THE PANDEMIC

The COVID-19 pandemic had a profound impact on various industries, including the tourism sector, which heavily relied on cultural attractions such as museums. In the Philippines, the closure of Luzon airports and the implementation of quarantine restrictions had a detrimental effect on the tourism sector, forcing museums like Pinto Art Museum to shut their doors to the public. This study focused on the life experiences and motivation of Pinto Art Museum workers in their journey towards recovery from the pandemic. As essential contributors to the museum's operations, understanding their perspectives, well-being, and motivations was crucial for ensuring their performance and overall museum success. This study sought to identify the significant changes experienced by the employees and their impact on personal and professional well-being, coping strategies, and social roles. Additionally, the study examined the employees' motivation and lessons learned during this challenging period and their implications for the tourism industry. Using a qualitative quantitative research design, specifically a descriptive case study approach, the study collected data through one-on-one in-depth interviews and storytelling. Purposive sampling was employed to select five employees who had worked at Pinto Art Museum throughout the pandemic. The collected data were analyzed using narrative analysis techniques to identify key themes and elements. The findings of this study provided insights into the multifaceted impact of the pandemic on Pinto Art Museum employees. Financial challenges, job security concerns, and disrupted work activities emerged as prominent themes. However, the employees exhibited resilience, adaptability, and dedication to their work and the museum's mission. The study underscored the importance of supporting employees during crises, maintaining job security, fostering a supportive work environment, and providing financial resources and assistance. These insights can inform strategies and policies aimed at enhancing employee well-being and the resilience of cultural organizations during challenging times.

Students - Fighters of 19 Separate ASWC Battalion...

«Let’s remember everyone by name, let's remember our grief. This is necessary - not for the dead! This is necessary - for alive!» (Robert Rozhdestvensky «Requiem»)When preparing the information about the Great Patriotic War, vivid stories about the heroes and their heroic deeds are often expected from the keepers of history - museum employees. Heroic deeds must certainly be impressive, stories are bright and exciting, supported by impressive numbers, high awards. It’s like that... But let the story that will be discussed in the article remind you that the Victory in the most terrible and bloody war of the 20th century became possible due to the daily heroic deeds of all citizens of our country, all without exception, regardless of their age, gender, profession. Precisely because the female students of MIIT, who volunteered for the front in 1942, did not consider themselves heroes, today the staff of RUT (MIIT) Museum is restoring their history bit by bit in the archives and new facts of their military path are published for the first time in 80 years!

Robots onboard? Investigating what individual predispositions and attitudes influence the reactions of museums’ employees towards the adoption of social robots

ABSTRACT The digital transformation is affecting museums. New technologies such as applications, beacons, QR codes, virtual guides, holograms, touchscreens, and augmented reality are commonly adopted. Although much research was conducted on how visitors perceived the adoption of new technologies by museums, little is known about the reaction of the staff. Individual predispositions such as resistance to change, AI anxiety, and attitudes towards robots were used as the independent variables. This paper presents the research conducted on 220 museum employees. The results suggest that museum staff react to the decision on the adoption of social robots cognitively, emotionally, and behaviourally. Negative cognitive reactions are elicited by earlier negative attitudes towards interactions with robots. Negative emotional reactions are associated with earlier negative attitudes towards interactions with robots and the fear of being replaced. Ultimately, behavioural reactions are elicited by all of the above along with the anxiety of learning new technological skills.

Aeg, sotsiaalse aja kiirenemine ja ajalised taktikad Eesti muuseumitöötajate vaates

This article seeks to map out the use of time and instances of acceleration of social time as experienced by museum employees. It is also an attempt to delineate the danger points resulting from the acceleration of social time and the respective coping strategies employed in museums. Although certain aspects of time, such as deadlines or duration of work, are often clearly fixed by the documents guiding museum work, time is a more multifaceted phenomenon than the typically regulated time units would suggest. Thus, by paying attention to different dimensions of time and discussing the symptoms and problems of the acceleration of social time, we may gain a clearer understanding of one of the sources of possible conflicts in hectic everyday work, both theoretically and practically. Drawing on the theories of acceleration of social time, it is also possible to address some of the more difficult-to-measure aspects of time, i.e. its subjective and social aspects. Taking this theoretical framework as a starting point, this article draws upon semi-structured interviews conducted with eight Estonian museum workers. The interviews were analyzed using the tenets of constructivist grounded theory. The collection of data for the research took place in the disruptive spring of 2020, when due to the emergency situation, museums were initially completely closed to visitors and museum employees were encouraged to use more flexible work forms than before. The changes caused by the emergency situation and the corona crisis are therefore also discussed in this article. With regard to time, there are three major topic areas: the conceptualization of time more generally, a multitude of work tasks and social pressure in time management. All three topics are related to the gaining of control over one's work time, and as a result, it is possible to develop strategies to overcome the challenges faced in these three areas. Some of the aspects through which time conceptualization may be perceived include: setting aside time for tasks that require deeper focus (as urgent, more superficial tasks press their way into the working day anyway), balancing between scheduled and freely planned activities in the working day and the creation of time buffers. Miscellaneous work tasks that multiplied even more with the arrival of the emergency situation in 2020 reflect the multitude of work tasks, as do longer- and shorter-term shifts of attention from one task to another and then back again as well as the techniques for managing work tasks. Some of the manifestations of social pressure accompanying time management include the continual attention to colleagues, visitors and interest groups, the daily, weekly and yearly work rhythms as well as the drawing of boundaries necessitated by the urgency of some tasks. In all three of the topic areas regarding time, there is a search for a certain temporal balance in work activities both at the level of the museum employee and the museum, while the balance may consist of various details. It is all the more necessary to understand the use of time in its entire multiplicity as part of the default knowledge of museum work which needs to be introduced to new colleagues as well, and which must be taken into account when communicating and cooperating with representatives of fields closely related to museum work (e.g. teachers, journalists).

On the issue of construction of social memory: anthropology of the “Perm-36” museum

The study does not imply either documentation of the repressions, or working in the field of oral history. The article provides a vision of how the key figures in the history of the museum form its history and image. The source base includes a series of expert interviews with the founders and administrators of the museum at various stages of its existence, and a number of concepts for the arrangement of Perm-36 during various years, as well as Internet and media publications, allowing to verify the obtained data. The text attempts to reconstruct the his-tory of the formation and functioning of the Perm-36 museum, highlighting the periods of its activity associated with a change in leadership and the appointment of a number of new employees in its management and research structures. In the process of the analysis, the author compares various perspectives on what is the purpose of the museum located at the site of the camp, and what is the place of the museum in the socio-political reality. The analy-sis is based on the identification of groups of statements related to various aspects of creation and functioning of the Perm-36 memorial complex. The museum is considered as a place of application of multidirectional efforts of various actors, which provokes significant changes in approaches to its arrangement and to its functions in the public space. The concept of “demiurge” is introduced to designate a social agent who constructs the space of historical and social memory based on its own ideas and vision. Public figures, researchers and museum employees, who play a signifi-cant role in determining the structure of museum collections, ways of their presentation and types of social activities, are seen as the key factor that shapes the image of the museum in the region, nationally, and internationally. The material base in this situation appears secondary to the methods of its interpretation, principles of selecting items, and the use of supplementary means for their exhibiting. Research interests, social agenda and personal ambitions of the main actors become determinant for the formation of the museum chronotope.

Pelatihan Penggunaan Repositori Arsip Digital Manuskrip Bagi Pegawai Museum Sang Nila Utama

The current target community service partners are Sang Nila Utama Museum employees. This service is a continuation of research activities regarding the design of the manuscript repository for the Sang Nila Utama Museum collection. Currently, all manuscript collections have been recorded, however, the public still cannot access these digital manuscripts easily, this is because the person in charge of the museum and their employees do not yet have an understanding of the advantages of using a repository. Seeing these conditions, it is necessary to conduct training for employees regarding the use of the repository. The purpose of this activity, namely (1) to provide knowledge to employees about the repository; (2) to Employees have knowledge and understanding of the use of repository services. In order to achieve the above objectives, it is necessary to hold activities, including (1) Counseling related to the museum collection repository and manuscripts; (2) brief training on using the repository service. Participants who took part in the activity totaled 5 people. The results of the service show that at first, the participants did not have an understanding of repository services, but after counseling, the participants understood the meaning and function of repository services. It is hoped that in the future, this repository service can be applied to all collections, not only manuscripts but other museum collection objects.
 Keywords: training, repository, digital manuscripts.