Thursday, January 27

Day Sixteen

SNOW DAY!

To be honest, I've hit a bit of a rough patch.  The problem is I haven't filled out 100% of the form for some of these programs.  I've skipped the annoying parts.  There are two:

1. At each museum's website, I look to see if they have provided a list of museums that participate in the program I researching.  Then I print out each list I find and compare them to one another.  This is time consuming, and at times very tedious and confusing, because I will have many lists for each program that I need to compare.
2. I analyze how each museum is using the conjunction with other programs.  Are they only a part of this one program?  Do they offer it in conjunction with other programs? What about NARM? Do they offer all programs at one level or do they spread them out across price points? This is hard because sometimes it's not clear what programs the museum participates in and what levels they are offered at.

My first question to myself is how am I going to use this information when I actually start writing my thesis.  Do I need to be so detailed and specific?? Am I going to say... "This museum left out these four museums on their list. Then the second four museums left off these two museums." Probably not, right? But I guess it's better to be very specific and detailed in my research and then be more general in the paper, i.e. "The three museums most commonly left off the list of participating museums were X and Y."

So today I am taking a step back and looking at what I've done so far and making a list of what holes I've left that I need to fill in.  Having this list will help me focus on the parts that still need to get done.

These are the areas I am going to look at:

1. What forms are not 100% filled out and what holes do I need to fill?
2. What forms have I not started?
3. What samples do I still need to request?
4. What questions do I need to work on clarifiying?
5. Also, I need to change all files to be compatible with 2003-2007 so I can open them on my work computer when needed.

The goal is to finish up this phase ASAP so I can meet with Anne Keith Kennedy and get going on the next phase: ACTUALLY PUTTING ALL THIS INFORMATION TOGETHER IN A COHESIVE THESIS!

1.       North American Reciprocal Membership

Haven’t begun this form.  How should I tackle it? I sent surveys to roughly 385 museums that are part of this program and I received 93 surveys back. I think I will just analyze the response I received and not talk about the people who didn’t respond. 93 should be a big enough cross section to relate to the whole.

2.       Southeastern Reciprocal Membership

I didn’t finish comparing SERM lists. I need to obtain a sample. Maxi didn’t respond to me. Asked for another sample from Tracy.

3.       Art Museum Reciprocal Membership Program (AIC)

Should I provide another sample besides the PMA? I asked for one from DIA, but didn’t hear back.

4.       Art Museum Reciprocal Network (Walters)

Contact person, How many responded to the survey, how many of those only participated in Walters, who gets left off the list, summary of location, does everyone follow the rules, price points, how is the program used, inconsistencies to be clarified. I need a sample. I have ours, but I should ask for another one.

5.       Metropolitan Museum of Art

Form complete.  Need another sample, asked DIA.

6.       Whitney

Haven’t done form. I need to initiate contact with them.

7.       Museum Alliance Reciprocal Program

What museums get left off the list, sample, summary of price points, does everyone follow the rules, how is the program used, inconsistencies to be clarified

8.       Western Museums Reciprocal Membership/Group

This is the program that’s dying, so I did the best I could.

9.       Western Reciprocal Program/Alliance

Form complete, but I need to get a sample. Requested but didn’t receive.

10.   ModCon Museum Reciprocal Membership Program

Who gets left off the list, ask for sample, do people follow the rules, inconsistencies to be clarified

11.   University Museum Reciprocal Program

Lots to finish here. Asked manager for survey again.

12.   Connections

Contact person, who gets left off the list, rules?, they don’t do anything special so I don’t need a sample, does everyone follow the rules, how is the program used, inconsistencies to be clarified.

13.   Ohio Museum Reciprocal Membership Program

Complete. Who gets left off the list, only program manager responded

14.   Texas Museum Reciprocal Program

Done, and got sample from McNay

15.   Empire State Museum Reciprocal Program

Haven’t started form yet.

16.   Michigan Art Museums Reciprocal Membership Program

Got sample from Dennos

17.   New England Regional Art Museums

Complete.

18.   Fairfield/Westchester Museum Alliance

Complete.

19.   Museums West

Haven’t begun.

20.   Other

Just need to list them: Time Travelers, ASTC, AHS, Children’s, Jewish

I need to print out: Walters, Museum Alliance, and Connections. I need to re-do ModCon because I don't think I have the lists for that program.