University of Delaware (University of Delaware, Museum Studies Program)

The University of Delaware Museum Studies Program will work in partnership with the Tri-State Coalition of Historic Sites to create a collaborative training program for small historic organizations and emerging professionals. A series of workshops will be offered for paid and unpaid staff of 40 historic sites in Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey on collections, new media, social media, and volunteer programs. Each workshop will have two sessions one month apart, so that participants may learn a new skill in the first session, have one month to practice the new skill, and share the outcome in the following session. During their winter break, 18 museum studies students will work with volunteers and staff at historic sites on a collections-based community service projects with a focus on inventory, condition reporting, and re-housing of collections. IMLS funding will also support the creation of a resource center to include a lending library of media tools, collections care equipment, and on-line reference videos of narrated presentations created by students and geared to the needs of small historic sites.