Quinte Educational Museum

Quinte Educational Museum & Archives

Policy - Staff Training

STAFF TRAINING

Preamble

Professional development will be considered as: all activities undertaken by individual associated with the Quinte Educational Museum and Archives (QEMA) which will further their specific knowledge, expertise, professional awareness and skills (whether mechanical, technical or interpersonal), to increase their existing abilities, competency or knowledge, and to assist them in fulfilling their responsibilities undertaken on behalf of QEMA.

QEMA will encourage the professional development of the members of the Board of Directors, its paid and unpaid staff, those individuals who participate in the functioning of QEMA (i.e., summer interns, interns etc.).

QEMA will encourage its workers to participate in those training methods or sessions available within the interest or needs of the museum and/or within the limits of its budget. These may include the following:

Recognized post-secondary education: courses, diplomas or degrees offered in the appropriate subject areas by recognized

educational institutions;

Internships: the placement of an individual in another Museum or appropriate agency as a full-time staff member in order to

gain on-the-job experience;

Workshops: hands-on training sessions offered by organizations other than the museum, such as the Ontario Museum

Association, the Ontario Historical Society, and the Canadian Museums Association;

Seminars: information sessions involving discussions on topics timely or useful to QEMA;

Conferences: annual conferences of Museum professionals involving information exchange in areas of interest to museums;

Visits and Consultations: visits or tours of other institutions or related facilities which may provide useful information or training of

benefit to the museum;

Regional Museum Group: participation in a Regional Museum Association made up of members from other organizations in the

area which share interests, needs and expectations;

Guest Speakers: invitation of knowledgeable individuals into the museum to address the museum employees on topics timely or

of benefit to QEMA;

In-House Training: a formal or informal training session wherein one individual associated with the Museum shares his or her

expertise on a specific subject with other individuals associated with QEMA;

Orientation Programs: in-house training or introductory sessions offered to new museum workers, Board members, summer

students or volunteers on basic, essential information required to meet the museum’s needs.;

Reference Materials: development of an in-house collection of books, periodicals, other publications, and other sources of

information useful or required for the effective management of all aspects of the museum.

Areas of Training QEMA will encourage all workers to acquire a basic understanding of museum theory and the different areas of responsibility,

and will support advanced training in areas of specific job responsibilities.

· Administration and Management: including staff and site management, public relations, budgets, fundraising, security,

volunteers, publicity and record-keeping.

· Registration and Collections Management: including accessioning, cataloguing, numbering techniques, research and

identification, safe packaging, safe storage, safe transportation and the creation and use of all artifact records.

· Conservation and Preservation: including safe handling, environmental concerns, preventative conservation, and basic

conservation treatments.

· Interpretation, Exhibition and Programming: including design, safe display techniques, exhibit preparation, environmental

concerns, audience research, extension and education services.

Budget Training Expenses: the museum will provide funds to meet all or some of costs incurred during professional development,

Considerations including fees charged for registration, tuition or sessions, and costs of transportation, materials, and accommodation, when the museum will benefit directly from the training. Money will be budgeted annually for staff training. Any training sessions which were not discussed and included in the budget will require separate approval from the Board of Trustees.

Time Off: the museum will allow time off from work for a paid employee to receive professional development if the Board has given approval for the worker to attend.

Reference Materials: the museum will budget funds each year to develop its in-house collection of reference materials to assist museum workers in the performance of their jobs and to provide necessary instruction or information in the administration of the museum.

Professional Association: the museum will budget funds each year to maintain membership for either the museum as an institution of individuals associated with the museum as members in one or more professional associations such as the Ontario Museum Association and the Canadian Museums Association.

Date August 19, 2008

Approved

Amended August 20, 2008

Policy Review

Method Internal Report

Responsibility QEMA’s Board of Directors

Minimum Frequency Biennuially

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