UBC Master of Archival Studies/ Master of Library Information Studies Student
This is the second post in a series of five, each building on a project mentioned in my Belkin Art Gallery poster (see my September 11, 2020 post “Reflecting on a Remote Summer: Collections Assistant for the Belkin Art Gallery”). I worked on these projects in my position as the Belkin’s Collections Assistant from June 2020 to January 2021. This second post focuses on a copyright project.
For a summer 2020 UBC Arts Co-op, I worked as the Collections Assistant for the Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery at the University of British Columbia. In my position I assisted the Registrar, Teresa Sudeyko, and Archivist, Anna Tidlund, with projects that aim to increase and manage access to the Belkin’s collections of 5,000+ objects and 30,000+ archival documents. Due to COVID-19, I worked remotely from Ontario. My positive experience led to a contract extension until the end of 2020.
From June to August 2019, I volunteered a few days a month on stage one of the “Cultural Resource Recording Project: Under the St. Paul’s Church Hall, Lower Burial Ground in Kingston.” The project allowed me to gain some experience in archaeological field work and learn more about some of Kingston's hidden history.
For the summer 2019 UBC Arts Co-op work term, I returned to Murney Tower Museum National Historic Sire of Canada; this time as a Collections Management Assistant. My work at MTM not only assisted with the Museum's efforts towards alignment with Community Museum Operating Standards in Ontario, but also earned me the 2018-2019 iSchool MAS Co-op Student of the Year award.
During the summer of 2018, I had the opportunity to work as the Chief Historical Interpreter at the Murney Tower Museum (Kingston, Ontario). The Tower is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the oldest museum in Kingston. Some of my responsibilities included supervising interpreters, arranging and providing visitors with guided tours, and working closely with the curator to manage museum operations and collections.
As the Chief Historical Interpreter at the Murney Tower Museum, I was given the opportunity to assist the Museum Curator with the 2018 exhibition renewal. I was given an independent project of researching curator-approved and museum-related topics of my choice. The project also entailed generating the text, selecting the images, and creating a digital draft of a panel to be included in the renewal. This project enabled me to expand and utilize my research, design, and collaboration skills.
In my role as Chief Historical Interpreter at Murney Tower Museum, one of my responsibilities was to create a social media plan for the museum. I was also in charge of running the museum's social media platforms, which included, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Google My Business.
In July 2018, I participated in a social media workshop in Kingston, Ontario hosted by KEDCO and Jennifer Baker Consulting. I attended the workshop as the Chief Historical Interpreter of the Murney Tower Museum. The museum is a small, non-for-profit historical site. Social media plays a key role in it's marketing. One of my responsibilities was to create a social media plan and run the museum social media accounts. Tips and strategies from this workshop have been beneficial to the museum.
For a group term project at the iSchool@UBC, I collaborated with Elizabeth Bassett and Rachel Wertheim to design an adult colouring program for Vancouver Public Library to promote relaxation, well-being, and contemplation. We created a colouring book as well to be used either in conjunction with the program or separately. Both were designed with the goal to help users cope with information overload.
Through my work with the Kingston Association of Museums, Art Galleries, and Historic Sites (KAM), I was commissioned to create illustrations of their member institutions that are used as colouring sheets at association events. The commission increased public awareness of member institutions and participation at events. Due to their popularity, the sheets are being made into a colouring booklet.