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A Review of “The Museum Educator's Manual: Educators Share Successful Techniques”

Reviewed by Beryl Rosenthal Metropolitan Waterworks Museum, Boston, Massachusetts, USA When I first entered the museum/science center field, I read everything I could get my hands on. Most of it was theory or focused on collections. I was especially fond of the Texas Museum Association’s Museum Forms Book, which gave me a sense of the necessary nuts-and-bolts and provided a framework for thinking about the order of tasks to be undertaken. (A third edition, 1999, is still available.) At the time, there was precious little written from an educator’s standpoint, and most of it focused on docents, art, or history. Since that time there has been a veritable explosion of material (and degree/certificate programs) that focus specifically on museum education. However, there is still a need for nuts-and-bolts “how-do-I-actually-do-this” guidance, as became clear to me over the years as I mentored young staffers. My colleagues and I had learned the ropes by experimentation, sharing organizational techniques, and developing our own procedures and organizational tools, all of which became second nature as our careers moved along. When I handed off a project to young staffers just getting into the field, they would often ask procedural and organizational questions, and I found that I literally needed to teach them the steps necessary to organize a project, as well as what to take into consideration. While it made mentoring enjoyable for both of us, it meant precious additional time was needed for project management. This volume addresses the very needs that my colleagues and I had noted over the years. It is an excellent tool for both beginners and mid-level professionals. The authors have set out to create a manual for practical use and have clearly succeeded. The book, with separate chapters attributed to different authors, is divided into four sections, “Training and Management”, “Programs and Outreach”, “Working with Others”, and finally, a collection of sample forms. Each takes a practical, holistic approach to the role of education within the larger institution. In addition, each chapter includes a summary, sidebar commentaries, and examples. Locating the references at the end of each chapter rather than at the end of the handbook is particularly helpful. I was also pleased to see the inclusion of specific grant sources. In many handbooks, funding possibilities are only discussed in vague generalities.