Masters Thesis

Evaluating collections volunteer programs in history museums

In this thesis, the management of collections volunteers in history museums is examined. Due to the under resourced nature of many history museums, volunteer support in collections work is critical, as is the management of volunteers. A literature review is first conducted, which outlines the governance and staffing structure of museums, and provides of overview of collections care basics and museum volunteer management best practices. This is followed by four case studies of history museums that have collections volunteer programs. A discussion, followed by a set of conclusions and recommendations, is then presented. It is concluded that for history museums to effectively manage collections volunteers, they must have a dedicated volunteer manager, that museums would benefit from enhancing their screening efforts for collections volunteers, and that museums must have in-depth orientation and training programs.

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