Return-Path: <[log in to unmask]> Received: from MAIL.NYSED.GOV by unix10 (SMI-8.6/SMI-SVR4) id KAA11387; Thu, 6 May 1999 10:14:37 -0400 Received: from DOMAIN1-Message_Server by MAIL.NYSED.GOV with Novell_GroupWise; Thu, 06 May 1999 10:12:51 -0400 Message-Id: <[log in to unmask]> X-Mailer: Novell GroupWise 5.2 Date: Thu, 06 May 1999 10:12:23 -0400 From: "Vicki Weiss" <[log in to unmask]> To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Regional meetings on museum technology Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Disposition: inline content-length: 4943 OPEN MEETINGS ON COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY NEEDS=20 OF THE MUSEUM COMMUNITY Office of Cultural Education Budget Initiative for FY2000 Rediscovering New York History and Culture New York's cultural heritage is endangered! Fragile artifacts, perishable = archives and manuscripts, poor storage conditions, inadequate technology, = and deferred maintenance are all taking their toll. An estimated 80% of = New York's chartered museums, historical societies, archives, special = libraries, and other cultural institutions do not meet basic collection = care standards. Computers and Internet tools can help improve collection = management and public access, but most institutions lack sufficient = resources for equipment, software, training and technical assistance. In = addition, statewide use of standards for automated collection control = might allow "seamless" access to cultural heritage resources regardless of = format and location. The Office of Cultural Education (OCE) has proposed a budget initiative to = strengthen New York's museums, historical societies, archives, and related = cultural institutions. One goal of the budget initiative is to expand the = computing capacity of the museum community. A series of open meetings will = explore how state resources can be used most effectively to meet this = goal. The New York State Council on the Arts, Museum Association of New = York, Lower Hudson Conference, Regional Council of Historical Agencies, = and Western New York Association of Historical Agencies are cooperating = with OCE to hold the regional meetings. We seek advice of museum staff and volunteers! Please attend one of the = regional meetings: Monday, May 17, 2:00 pm, at the Museum of Science and Technology, 500 S. = Franklin Street, Syracuse. Contact Steve Karon, Director, or Rebecca = Shaffer, 315-425-9068, x2124. Tuesday, May 18, 10:30 am, at the Roberson Museum and Science Center, 30 = Front Street, Binghamton. Contact: David Chesebrough, Director, or Kelly = Smith, 607-772-0660, x227. Friday, May 21, 10:30 am, at the Lower Hudson Conference, Westchester = Records Center, 2199 Saw Mill River Road, Elmsford. Contact: Tema Harnick, = 914-592-6726. Monday, May 24, 10:30 am at the Nassau County Museum of Art, One Museum = Drive, Roslyn Harbor. Contact: Constance Schwartz, Director, 516-484-9338. Monday, May 24, 2:30 pm, at the Museums at Stony Brook, 1208 Route 25A, = Stony Brook. Contact: William Ayres or Laurel Goberini, 516-751-0066, = x214. Tuesday, May 25, 10:30 am, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 Fifth = Avenue, NYC. Contact: Arthur Tisi, Chief Information Officer, 212-570-3853.= Monday, June 7, 10:30 am, at the Adirondack Museum, Routes 28N and 30, = Blue Mountain Lake. Contact: Jackie Day, Director, 518-352-7311. Tuesday, June 8, 10:30 am, at the Buffalo Museum of Science, 1020 Humboldt = Parkway, Buffalo. Contact: Mike Smith, President, 716-896-5200. Tuesday, June 8, 2:30 pm at the Strong Museum, One Manhattan Square, = Rochester. Contact: Rollie Adams, President and CEO, or Gina Penney, = 716-263-2701, x239. Thursday, June 10, 10:30 am, at the Schenectady Museum, Nott Terrace = Heights. Contact: Bart Roselli, Director, or Joyce Timmons, 518-382-7890. Each meeting will last about 2 hours. We ask participants to review the = following agenda and be prepared to discuss four key topics. Meeting Agenda =B7 Welcome and introductions. =B7 Description of the Rediscovering New York History and Culture = initiative by OCE staff. =B7 Overview of the meeting process and expected outcomes by an OCE = moderator. =B7 Introductory remarks by host institution staff about their = collection management technology needs and opportunities. =B7 Open discussion of four key topics: 1. How important is computer technology to your = institution? What advantages can computer technology bring? 2. Does your institution have the capacity (hardware, software, and = staff expertise) to begin or expand use of computers to manage your = collections? What barriers exist for using computer technology? 3. What collection management information do you now share using = computer technology, and with whom? What information would you like to = make more widely available to other institutions and the public? How might = museums participate in existing networks for access to cultural and = information resources? 4. How can government and non-profit service agencies help your = institution make better use of computers? How can assistance and support = be delivered most effectively? =B7 Review of a summary list of needs identified by = the meeting participants. (This list will be compiled during the discussion= .) =B7 Closing and next steps. For more information about the meeting series, contact Tom Mills or = Kathleen Roe at the New York State Archives (518-474-6926) or Anne = Ackerson at the Museum Association of New York (518-273-3400.) 5-3-99