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VSA e-Newsletter
January 2008

Dear VSA Member,

We hope that your new year is off to a fabulous start! We are happy to welcome a new member to our e-News team; Amy Niedbalski, Audience Research Coordinator at the Saint Louis Zoo, will be keeping us up-to-date on the work of our committees via the VSA Committee Spotlight.


We welcome your ideas for articles as well as other thoughts as to how the newsletter can best serve your needs. Please contact us at info@visitorstudies.org.

Sincerely,
The e-Newsletter Team (Dorothy Chen-Courtin, Jenny Heim, Giuseppe “Pino” Monaco, Randy Roberts, and Melissa Wadman)

From Our VSA President,
Kathleen Mclean
Principal, Independent Exhibitions

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

I hope you all had a joyous and peaceful holiday season. According to the Chinese Lunar Calendar, on February 7 we will be moving into the Year of the Rat—a time of change and new beginnings. As I prepare for the winter VSA Board Meeting, scheduled for February 23 and 24 in Chicago, I have been looking back over VSA publications, minutes from old board meetings, and strategic planning documents. I’m getting a sense of how far we’ve come as an organization and how close we are to achieving some of the goals of VSA’s early leaders and members.

The Association has grown tremendously over the past few years. Visitor Studies, our professional journal published by Routledge, is highly respected and has an international readership. Plans to further develop VSA’s website are in the works. And the digitization project that was developed and overseen by John Fraser is now complete.

Under Past President Alan Friedman’s leadership, VSA is a partner organization in the National Science Foundation’s Center for the Advancement of Informal Science Education (CAISE). CAISE activities include paid opportunities for VSA members to write articles and present workshops that will help principal investigators of NSF-funded projects become more knowledgeable about incorporating visitor research and evaluation in their work. And at the February Board meeting, we will receive the final report and recommendations from Barbara Butler and Larry Bell, who oversaw the work of the NSF Planning Grant for Development of a Continuing Professional Education Program.

VSA members have also participated in several major projects that will influence the field. In particular, this past year a number of VSA members were selected to participate in the National Research Council’s Learning Science in Informal Environments Study: A Review of that Research Past, Present, and Future. The results of their work are forthcoming in several publications over the next year.

With so many major projects launched or coming to fruition, it is a good time to reflect on the field, take stock of our accomplishments, and chart a course for the future. Over the past year the Board has been engaged in a variety of strategic planning exercises, and the Executive Committee has synthesized much of this work into several strategic initiatives that will help focus our work going forward. I appointed Association Manager Randy Roberts to coordinate and oversee our next round of strategic planning activity. Stay tuned for more information in the months ahead, including ways to become involved. And as we move forward, let’s keep in mind VSA’s Vision and Mission, both of which can help guide the way:

Vision
The Visitor Studies Association (VSA) envisions a world where citizens embrace lifelong learning and where learning in informal settings benefits individuals, communities, and socirty at large. VSA views the role of informal learning organizations as facilitators of these experiences and assumes that a respect for and understanding of visitors is essential.

Mission
VSA is an international network of professionals committed to understanding and enhancing visitor experiences in informal learning settings through research, evaluation and dialogue.

I know you will agree that this is an exciting time to be a member of the Visitor Studies Association.

K

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News You Can Use

by Randy Roberts, Association Manager, VSA

2008 VSA Conference
Don’t let the cold get you down – start making your summer plans now!
The Conference Committee is busy planning the programs and events that will make the 21st Annual Visitor Studies Association Conference in Houston an engaging and unique conference experience.  New this year – with the generous support of the Houston Convention and Visitors Association, the opening evening event on Wednesday, July 16, will be included in the conference registration. Plan to be there for the kick-off event, featuring a progressive dinner at three of the region’s premiere museums and an entertaining opening presentation.

Pre-conference workshops will be held on Tuesday, July 15 and Wednesday, July 16.  Workshop co-chairs Cheryl Kessler and Susan Frampton are working with the Professional Development Committee and a group of your colleagues to put together a slate of workshops that will offer learning opportunities from introductory to advanced levels. Workshops will be posted on the VSA website by February 1.

Program co-chairs Joe Heimlich and Anna Hanusa are infusing the schedule with opportunities to put the conference theme into action. “Theory, Practice and Conversation” will be explored through a variety of new and traditional approaches that invite dialogue and participation in fun and interesting ways.  Don’t miss the sessions beginning with a conference-wide conversation on Thursday morning, July 17, and continuing through the closing lunch on Saturday, July 19.
Detailed information will be posted on the website and registration will be open by February 1, 2008. It is not too early to book your room at the Houston Crowne Plaza.  Special conference room rates are: $115 single or double, $125 triple, and $135 quad. Call (713) 739-8800 or (1-800) 227-6963 to make your reservation. Mention that you are attending the Visitor Studies Association conference to receive the special conference rate. The rate is valid through June 30, 2008.

If your institution or business is interested in supporting the conference while raising your profile among attendees, we hope you will consider becoming a conference sponsor or marketplace participant. Please contact Resource Development Committee Chair Robert “Mac” West for more information at ile@informallearning.com.

Investing in the Future
The Visitor Studies Association presents two programs, the April Award and the Student Scholarship Program, that help bring new talent to the field of Visitor Studies and the Visitor Studies Association. 

The 2008 April Award consists of complimentary conference registration and a $500 travel stipend. The application deadline is March 1, 2008. VSA is seeking applicants and supporters for this important program. Please click here for more information about both applying for and helping to support the April Award. Questions about the April Award may be directed to Caren Oberg at Oberg@obergresearch.org.

The VSA Student Scholarship Program enables students interested in visitor studies to attend the Visitor Studies Conference with a waived conference fee. The application deadline is March 1, 2008. Please click here for more information about the Student Scholarship Program. Questions about the Student Scholarship Program may be directed to Rita Deedrick at rdeedrick@mail.cosi.org.

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New Feature: What Do Other People Think about…?

By Melissa Wadman, Director, Impact Evaluation, Liberty Science Center

Do you have a question about evaluation that has been on your mind? An issue that prompts you to wonder, “what do other people in the field think about this?” Here is your chance to find out and share your
opinions! This section of the e-News is a place where we can explore questions and report on experiences of general interest to the field of informal learning and visitor experience, as informed by research and evaluation. In each issue a query is posed and VSA members are invited to provide their input, via e-mail. In the subsequent issue a compilation of the responses will be published, as well as the question for the next issue. We also encourage you to submit your questions and opinions to this section; we will then solicit feedback from your colleagues

In November we asked you to tell us about an experience you had in which evaluation was put to good use. We received some responses, but we know there are more stories out there! We are holding over November’s question for the January issue. Please tell us your success stories! We want to hear about how evaluation results for an exhibition or program were incorporated into the museum’s work and improved the final product.

Please send your thoughts to Melissa Wadman (mwadman@lsc.org) by January 30; stay tuned for the responses in the March e-News!  And, we want to hear about questions that are of interest to you; please send Melissa any questions that have been on your mind!

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Special Feature: From the 2007 VSA Conference Scholarship Recipients

We invited Amleet Mangat, a 2007 conference scholarship recipient to tell us about her experiences in Ottawa.

From Amleet Mangat, University of Toronto
We all have colleagues who routinely and sometimes religiously forward e-mails about conferences, exhibition openings, and guest lectures. I am grateful to one of my colleagues from the Master in Museum Studies program (University of Toronto) for introducing me to the Visitor Studies Association via this means.

I am fairly new to the museum world. My research interests at this time vary greatly and include such topics as Near Eastern archaeology, visitor and exhibit evaluation, as well as creating museum accessibility for visitors with learning disabilities. At the time of the conference, I was preparing to implement a visitor study within the newest addition to the Royal Ontario Museum - The Michael Lee-Chin Crystal. For a young woman recently out of graduate school this was an exciting opportunity, but also a daunting task. Attending the VSA conference as a first-time attendee and recipient of the VSA Scholarship, provided me with the tools necessary to confidently move forward with the project.

Generally speaking, the VSA conference was an opportunity for me to be introduced to a community of professionals involved with evaluation and diversity and to decide if I wanted to continue with this career-focus. The speakers’ enthusiasm and sincere passion were all I needed to confirm that this is a community in which I want to actively participate. The dialogues that took place between evaluators, educators, and researchers were fruitful and helped define my methodology for evaluating the impact of new architecture on way finding and the visitor experience at the Royal Ontario Museum. 

I would like to recognize the most memorable moment of the VSA conference for me -- listening to Dr. Hazel Symonette who hypnotized me, and I suspect others as well, with the strength of her presence. Her knowledge and passion has fuelled my commitment to making the museum an accessible place for all.

Thank you all for such a wonderful experience - it was a pleasure attending the 20th annual VSA conference in Ottawa, Ontario!
Cheers,
Amleet Mangat
M.M.St., University of Toronto

Research in the Field: You Are Part of History!
by Giuseppe “Pino” Monaco, Evaluation Analyst, Ohio Historical Society

In this issue, Dr. Anik Meunier, from the University of Quebec in Montreal, Canada, presents the evaluation process for the educational program You Are Part of History!. The program is being developed through a partnership between the Centre d’histoire de Montréal (CHM) and the Museum of the Person. The evaluation project is part of the projects of applied research developed within the Laboratoire d’histoire et de patrimoine de Montréal. If you know of a current research project we should highlight, please send your ideas to: gmonaco@ohiohistory.org.

You Are Part of History! By Anik Meunier, Ph.D.
Evaluation of the Educational Program of the Centre d’histoire de Montréal and the Museum of the Person
The aim of the educational program You Are Part of History! is to help teenagers discover the heritage and history of their family and cultural community and also discover the history of Montreal. The program is being developed through a partnership between the Centre d’histoire de Montréal (CHM) and the Museum of the Person. The mandate of the CHM is to relate the diversity of Montreal heritages -- immovables, movables, and immaterials. The CHM is increasingly interested in the immaterial dimension of that heritage. The specific role of the CHM is to develop workshops in the schools, design a visit to the exhibition, and to guide students in choosing an object and talking about how it reflects their community of origin. Via its Internet site, the Museum of the Person shares students’ discussions of their chosen object.

The evaluation, part of the projects of applied research at the Laboratoire d’histoire at de patrimoine de Montréal (LHPM), will critically assess the program You Are Part of History! The evaluation is based on the Guide de planification et d’évaluation des programmes éducatifs, Lieux historiques et autres institutions muséales (Planning and evaluation guide for educational programs, historical sites, and other museum related institutions). Every relation indicated in the theoretical model of the pedagogical situation created by an educational program is analyzed to measure the pertinence of the educational offering by the phases of elaboration, implementation, and impact of the program on the public.

Initial results show that the program contributes to raising the question of identity of young people in the cultural communities of Montreal. The evaluation will also enable the institutions involved to pursue their program with teenagers and refine their offerings related to Montreal’s cultural heritage.

References and sites
Allard Michel, LAROUCHE Marie-Claude, MEUNIER Anik, THIBODEAU Pierre, Guide de planification et d’évaluation des programmes éducatifs, Lieux historiques et autres institutions muséales, Les éditions Logiques, Patrimoine canadien, Parc Canada, Montréal, 1998, 239p.

Salvi Carine, « La ville de Montréal intègre les nouveaux arrivants », Journal Le Monde, septembre 2001.

Museum of the Person : http://www.museudapessoa.net/MuseuVirtual/home/resources/homesPublicadas/MVHM_4.html

Centre d’histoire de Montréal :
http://ville.montreal.qc.ca/portal/page?_pageid=2497,3088440&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL
Ministère de l’immigration et des communautés culturelles :  
http://www.quebecinterculturel.gouv.qc.ca/fr/valeurs-fondements/rapprochement/assises-approche.html

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VSA Committee Spotlight: Interview with Nikki andersen, conference oversight Committee Chair

by Amy Niedbalski, Audience Research Coordinator, Saint Louis Zoo

The level of collaboration and communication among the six VSA board committees is at an all-time high, according to Nikki Andersen, chair of the VSA Conference Oversight Committee. Nikki believes this improved collaboration is making VSA a stronger organization, better able to meet the needs of members and conference attendees.

The Conference Oversight Committee manages the entire conference planning process over multiple years. The Conference Planning Committee is dedicated to event and program coordination in a specific conference city.  

While membership and conference attendance at VSA continues to be highly driven by researchers and evaluators, more users or practitioners are coming to the conference each year. Conference Planning Committee Co-Chairs Anna Hanusa (Winterthur Museum), and Joe Heimlich (The Ohio State University), and Local Host Committee Chair Monica Rhodes (Houston Museum District Association) are not only choosing topics for presentations and workshops that relate to the conference theme “Theory, Practice and Conservation”, but are structuring the conference to reflect this theme. There will be many opportunities for conversation between researchers and practitioners at the Houston conference.

Currently the Conference Oversight Committee is looking for a volunteer to conduct the evaluation for the upcoming conference in Houston. This includes modifying the questionnaire by early spring 2008, analyzing the data, and writing the final report by late summer or early fall of 2008. Please contact Nikki (l.andersen@earthlink.net) if would consider lending your time and expertise to VSA for this project.

Nikki, along with the other members of the Conference Oversight Committee (Randy Roberts, Judith Larsen, and Jessica Sickler), is already planning for the 2009 conference in St. Louis and looking for potential hosts for 2010. The team is currently soliciting for a host city in the western region of the United States, as conferences rotate geographically. The initial requirement is a commitment from a major museum willing to commit staff to the conference. Additional institutional support is required for events and workshops. In exchange, VSA provides complimentary conference registration. Again, please contact Nikki if you are interested in bringing the VSA conference to your city.

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Interview of the Month: Philip KATZ

by Dorothy Chen-Courtin, Founder and President, Marketing & Management Associates for Nonprofits
Philip Katz, with a PhD in History from Princeton, recently joined AAM as the Assistant Director for Research, a newly created position.  Find out what are the three strategic goals of the AAM Research Department and how museums can expect to benefit from the fruits of Phil’s labor in the near and more distant future.  When he is not data crunching and mining, Phil loves to cook and enjoys all things classic. 

Name:                         Philip M. Katz
Current position:     Assistant Director for Research, American Association of Museums
Education:                 AB, Social Studies (1987), Harvard University. MA, History (1989) and PhD, History (1994), Princeton University
Brief career track:    Lecturer in History, Princeton University; Director of Public Programs and Acting Executive Director, New York Council for the Humanities; Research Director for Graduate Education, American Historical Association; Senior Advisor, Council of Independent Colleges; Deputy Director, Institute for Constitutional Studies

VSA:                We are delighted to introduce you to our VSA members.  Tell us a little about
your work at AAM. 

Philip Katz:    Please call me Phil. I’m still new at AAM, having arrived in May 2007 and the research program at AAM is still being developed. Our three main goals are:

The third goal is the biggest challenge and will require all sorts of collaboration. Finally, I’m here to provide in-house analysis of data and trends in the field, and be a resource for AAM members.

VSA:                Is this a new position at AAM and does it represent a new direction and emphasis for AAM? 

Phil:                It is a new position and it does reflect a new emphasis on data-driven decision-making. As VSA members probably know, AAM also has a new president, Ford Bell, who is committed to pushing AAM in new directions. There are things we just don’t know about museums and their impact on society – or that we only know anecdotally. That makes it more difficult to plan for the future. It also makes it more difficult to promote the value of museums to policy makers and the rest of the country, who want hard facts about why museums matter. Research at AAM includes gathering data on our own initiative, listening closely to museums and other stakeholders, and working with as many partners as we need to learn more about museums. AAM also has a key role to play in setting research agendas for the field and disseminating significant research conducted by others.

VSA:                AAM recently mailed a membership survey and I suspect it came from you. Can you tell us about what you hope to achieve with that survey? 

Phil:                It did come from me and I hope you filled it out! We’re looking for feedback on specific programs and member benefits, to improve our customer service. We’re also exploring what’s on the minds of our members when it comes to future directions for AAM and big challenges facing the field.  

VSA:                When the survey analysis is completed, where can we obtain copies of the summary?

Phil:                The survey was fairly long and detailed, and we had more than 1400 responses, so there’s a large mass of data sitting on my hard drive right now, waiting to be digested! I expect to have some preliminary results for AAM members early next year. We’ll disseminate the information through Aviso, the association’s monthly newsletter, and our website. More comprehensive reports will follow. Some of the results are likely to be used for internal decision-making only, such as member feedback on the effectiveness of specific programs and benefits. Other results will be of interest to the entire field, such as the questions about “big challenges.” We’ll do our best to publicize those results, on the web and perhaps through other media.

VSA:                How will the findings and recommendations from the AAM research program be used to inform AAM’s organizational focus, programs, and activities?

Phil:                We’re still working on the details, but expect to see the results of all these research activities reflected in AAM’s future actions. Please stay tuned! In the meantime, if VSA members have suggestions about research or any other recommendations, please send them my way.        

VSA:                Let’s talk about Phil Katz a little. Please share your professional background with our readers.  What was your focus in graduate school and what professional interests led you to join AAM?

Phil:                Like many people who work in museums, I came to the field in a roundabout way. My undergraduate work was in social analysis and then I earned a PhD in American history from Princeton. Since you asked, my dissertation was about the international context of the Civil War and Reconstruction; I think you can still buy copies of the published version for $54! After a few years on the academic job market, I fell into a position at the state humanities council in New York, which is where I really began to learn about museums. I followed that with a stint as Research Director for the American Historical Association, managing a long-overdue study of graduate training. That led to a few different jobs in higher education research and administration and then finally to AAM.   

VSA:                How do you enjoy working in Washington, DC? 

Phil:                I really like DC. I moved here about seven years ago when my wife took a job teaching European history at American University. It’s a great city for historians and museum goers and for walkers and subway-riders. I still miss Manhattan and Jersey City – two places I’ve previously lived, both with better pizza and even more ethnic diversity than Washington!  

VSA:                When they actually let you out of the office, what do you do for fun and relaxation? What are your interests outside of museums and research?

Phil:                I wish I could take more busman’s holidays and visit museums rather than just studying them in the aggregate! At home, I like to cook, watch football, and engage in the classics – classic movies, classic television, and old-time radio (thank you Netflix, TV Land, and the Internet Archive!). On the weekends, my wife and I enjoy leaving the city and driving in the countryside, especially when the road ends at one of the growing number of wineries in Maryland and Virginia. Plus, I claim to be working on a biography of a nineteenth-century American diplomat.

VSA:                Can we expect to see you in person some time soon?

Phil:                Absolutely. The AAM annual meeting in Chicago began about a week after I started my job, so I walked through most of it with my head spinning – and promptly forgot the names of about half the people I met. I’ll be more prepared for Denver and I hope to make it out to some of the regionals in 2008. I’m also looking forward to the VSA meeting in Houston – a chance to meet fellow researchers.

VSA:                Thank you, Phil.  I enjoyed our conversation and learned a great deal from you. I look forward to running into you at AAM in Denver.

Philip:             Thank you!