Web site

Leah M. Melber
Director of Student and Teacher Programs
Lincoln Park Zoo
2150 North Cannon Drive
Chicago, IL 60614
312-742-2064

lmelber@lpzoo.org

IV. AAM 2009 Planning Team

CARE Program Co-Chairs

Barbara Soren

University of Toronto

Museum Studies Program

52 Sylvan Valleyway

Toronto, ON M5M 4M3

Canada

416-787-1986

bjs@barbarasoren.ca

Elizabeth Kunz Kollmann

Senior Research/Evaluation Assistant

Museum of Science

Science Park

Boston MA  02114-1099

617-589-0467

ekollmann@mos.org

CARE Marketplace Chair

Kathleen Tinworth

Director, Visitor Research & Program Evaluation

Denver Museum of Nature & Science

2001 Colorado Blvd.

Denver, CO 80205

(303) 370-6136

ktinworth@dmns.org 

Scholarship Committee

Jessica Luke (2009 chair)
Director of Research and Evaluation
Institute for Learning Innovation
3168 Braverton St.
Suite 280
Edgewater, MD 21037
luke@ilinet.org

Conference Publications
Elisa Israel (2009 editor)
Research and Evaluation Manager
Saint Louis Science Center
5050 Oakland Ave.
St. Louis, MO 63110
314-286-4613
eisrael@slsc.org

Post-Conference Workshop Chair

Christine Reich
Manager of Research and Evaluation
Museum of Science
Science Park
Boston MA  02114-1099
617-589-0302
creich@mos.org
 

Evening Event Chair (for Philadelphia)
Kerry DiGiacomo
Research Coordinator
Philadelphia Museum of Art
PO Box 7646
26th St. and Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Philadelphia  PA 19101
215-684-7848
kdigiacomo@philamuseum.org
 

NAME/CARE/CurCOM/EdCom/MUSE Exhibition Competition Judge

Zahava D. Doering
Senior Social Scientist
Smithsonian Institution
Office of Policy and Analysis
MRC 502
PO Box 37012
Washington, DC 20013
202-633-5588
doeringz@si.edu

Issues Luncheon

Ellen Giusti
Visitor Studies Consultant
1125 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10128
212 876-1425
FAX: 212 427-7142
egiusti@nyc.rr.com

Minda Borun

Director of Research and Evaluation

The Franklin Institute Science Museum

20 North 20^nd St.

Philadelphia  PA  19103

215-448-1103

Fax: 215-448-1395

mborun@gmail.com

Resource Center Booth

Valerie Albanese
1409 York Avenue, Apt. 2B
New York, New York 10075
917-658-0466
valbanese@gmail.com

Nominating Committee

Lisa Hubbell
1519 McGee Avenue
Berkeley, CA 94703
(510) 528-2468
lhubbell@sonic.net

AAM Staff Liaison

Julie Hart
Assistant Director, Accreditation Program
American Association of Museums
1575 Eye St., NW, Suite 400
Washington, DC 20005
(202) 218-7712
FAX: (202) 289-6578

jhart@aam-us.org

B. Nominating Process

Because the operating guidelines are somewhat vague, the working process has been to have the Chair recruit a committee member to work on nominations, either alone or with others.  In the ideal scenario, the nominations are  lined up before the March/spring Gauge and a mail-in ballot is attached with the candidate’s biography.   This ballot is then returned to the nominating chair before the AAM annual meeting.  At the meeting, those ballots along with the votes of those at the business meeting are counted, and new officer(s) take charge at the end of the business meeting.

The chair is elected in odd-numbered years; the other two officers are elected in even-numbered years.

C.  Officer Job Duties 

The Operating Guidelines define each job in generalities.  These descriptions are based upon the experience of the officers in 2001-2003.

I.                   Chair: 

A.     Council of Standing Professional Committees – The chair sits on this group, and through it, advocates for CARE and its positions within AAM.  The SPC Council meets three times a year:  at the annual meeting (usually the Sat and Sun. before the meeting begins), in August and in November.  The last two meetings are in DC.  CARE’s budgets can help reimburse travel.  The chair of SPC Council (a chair of one of the committees is elected by the Council) circulates agendas and travel information. 

At these meetings, about half the time is spent learning about AAM initiatives, and the other half is spent evaluating the last and planning for the next annual meeting.  August’s meeting includes a second day that the chair attends with the program chair. 

AAM has a separate book that describes in more detail the duties of the SPC Council and provides AAM information.

B.     Korenic Award sub-committee of the SPC Council – CARE provides a member to this group who chooses the recipient of the award.  AAM advertises the award in the fall through Aviso.  The Korenic committee members (of which there are 3) also need to have other SPCs list the award in their fall newsletters in order to increase the pool of applicants.  Decisions should be made in winter so that the recipient can use the award for AAM, if s/he desires.  (See files for letter samples.)

C.     Answering questions – About once every couple of weeks, a phone call or email arrives from someone who has gotten the Chair’s name from AAM or the web.  These people usually want one of three things:

                                                              i.      Who to hire as an evaluator – send to the AAM Bookstore to buy the Directory

                                                            ii.      Information on the state of museum evaluation – usually a member of the press – refer to AAM’s Information Service or suggest publications; in general, AAM asks that SPC chairs do not make statement for the press without clearing it with AAM first

                                                          iii.      Membership information – provide info needed; refer to AAM’s web site to become a member

D.    AAM Annual Meeting -  See Annual Meeting section for deadlines.

                                                              i.      Prepares a one-page annual report for SPC chair and AAM Board

                                                            ii.      Sets agendas and orders refreshments, AV equipment, etc. for Board and Business meetings

                                                          iii.      Acts as contact for AAM with volunteers heading different aspects (like luncheon, booth, etc.).   Ensures that all stay on deadlines.

                                                          iv.      Attends pre-meeting weekend meetings that include:

1.      SCP Council meeting

2.      SPC meeting with other Councils

3.      AAM program meeting

4.      receptions for SPC chairs

E.     Keeps in contact with AAM staff liaison for the committee – currently Janet Campbell – should add her to any email and mailing lists

F.      Finds volunteers for various tasks, including appointing regional reps

G.    Gauge -  Consults with the editor on content.  Writes a column for each issue.

II.                Vice-chair

A.     Main duty is the Directory of Evaluators, which is published in May in the odd-numbered years

III.             Secretary/Treasurer

A.  Tracking finances and reconciling with AAM records monthly

B.     Processing CARE deposits and check requests two to three times per month (in batches)

C.     Working with the Chair to develop the budget to be voted on at AAM annual meeting

D.  Distributing the monthly membership update from AAM monthly

E.     Laying out, printing and mailing the annual membership directory in (October)

F.     Updating the new member letter and materials sent out by AAM (annually)

G.  Responding to member queries (occasional)

H.  Sending out member updates by email as requested by the Chair

I.        Preparing and shipping materials for members representing CARE at regional and national conferences (2 or 3 times per year)

J.       Fulfilling publications sales (including AAM Bookstore) a couple times per year

IV.              Regional representatives

A.     Gather information about evaluation and research projects in their region to share in The Gauge

B.     Represent CARE at regional museum meetings, distributing CARE literature, offering sessions on evaluation, etc.

C.     Advise the CARE officers in topics of concern to audience research and evaluation field

D.    Help develop sessions for the AAM annual meeting