ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
*****************************************************************************
When the county of Westchester first opened the additions to the Hudson
River Museum in 1969, it included 1) a old mansion, barely considered
"historic" at the time, 2) museum galleries, 3) a planetarium, and 4) a
library. The library was part of the county library system and had an adult
and a children's side. The additions to the original mansion (which was
being used for exhibits, classrooms, workshops, offices, and even a
planetarium crammed into the parlor) began the process of restoring the
rooms of the mansion to a semblance of their original appearance, a process
which continues.
The library part of the design did not survive: the library was consolidated
with nearby branch libraries and the library space became workshops and
offices for the education department. You can still see the "book return"
slot in the wall, and up until a few years ago, people would occasionally
still drop books in there...
The local library branch recently abandoned its old digs and moved to a
reclaimed warehouse space right next to the train station. It is accessible
from here by 25-minute walk or a short bus ride. The same building houses
the department of Education, and is right next to the post office and DMV.
There is some talk about a major redesign of the museum, but not bringing
back the library. Libraries tend to grow and grow, and a "small library" has
become kind of a misnomer. A teacher's resource room specific to the
exhibits and planetarium shows is more likely.
Marc Taylor
Coordinator, Andrus Planetarium
Hudson River Museum
511 Warburton Avenue
Yonkers, NY 10701
(914) 963-4550 x223
Fax: 963-8558
[log in to unmask]
-----Original Message-----
From: Informal Science Education Network
[mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of David Taylor
Sent: Saturday, October 11, 2003 6:44 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: being a resource for teachers
ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related
institutions.
****************************************************************************
*
Chris,
Itıs nice to have that kind of public financial support
to make this possible.
How many people would you say use the library
on a given day or week?
Dave Taylor
From: Chris McGinnis <[log in to unmask]>
I would like to say that at our institution we have a county public library
as part of MOSI and it is sensational. Not only do they keep a HUGE
selection of books on all areas of science, but they have a nice collection
of science-fiction books (for the geek in all of us). They also keep
resources for teachers on hand that are relevant to our exhibits both
permanent and traveling. They bring in books that relate to our IMAX films
as well. They have a great resource section for science fair projects for
kids. A collections area with all sorts of cool stuff to look at. You can
check out telescopes, microscopes, globes, skeleton models, etc. Of course
also DVD's and video. And since it's part of our county library we can get
books from any other library within a day or two as well as search the
country as well. Oh yeah, Internet access computers as well. And it's all
right off our main lobby so it's accessible to our museum guests as well as
people in the neighborhood.
We work with the head librarian on upcoming programs and offerings so they
can bring in all sorts of stuff and speakers as well.
And as an educator and developer of shows and programs at MOSI I LOVE the
library we have and they are amazing at helping me get what I need for
development.
Ok, I think I rambled enough on how cool our library is. If you don't have
one, seriously consider getting one folks!!!
Chris McGinnis
Education Operations Manager/Theatre Specialist
MOSI, Tampa Fl.
-----Original Message-----
From: David Taylor
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: 10/11/03 5:56 PM
Subject: Re: being a resource for teachers
ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology
Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related
institutions.
************************************************************************
*****
Glenn,
I think there are a number of things that work against
libraries in museums.
Back in the 1970ıs the Pacific Science Center where I
worked at the time, had a library and a librarian. When
we looked at the cost for keeping the library materials
current and the cost of having a librarian and a number
of volunteer helpers, the cost per person served was
very high with no notable income against that expense.
It makes little sense to replicate the services provided
by standard city libraries, and with the advent of Google
searches on the Internet, I havenıt opened any of the
three encyclopedias I have in my office for years.
If there were any function that a museum library might
serve it would be in making curriculum materials
available to teachers for review. Curriculum materials
though seem to be best used when a teacher workshop
is done on them. But once again, might it not be better
to offer much of this material over the web?
Donıt get me wrong, I love libraries... there is something
about them that is special, just as there is in seeing an
original piece of art or artifact at a museum that I could
see a picture of on the web. I just think museums need
to look at what their core business is and where they
can afford to put their resources.
Dave Taylor
From: Glenn Walsh <[log in to unmask]>
Reply-To: Informal Science Education Network
Date: Sat, 11 Oct 2003 21:33:00 +0000
Subject: Re: being a resource for teachers
************************************************
The Buhl Planetarium and Institute of Popular Science in Pittsburgh was
constructed, in 1939, specifically with a beautiful wood-paneled library
that was available, by appointment only, to teachers and other
researchers.
The library was small, about 800 volumes; however, it is significant
that a
library was included with the original building which, also, was small:
40,000 square feet. Regrettably, such a library was not considered a
priority with the 1991 construction of the much larger Carnegie Science
Center.
It seems that many of the newer science museums do not include any type
of
library, for use by the public, with their facility. Why has something
as
basic as a library been disregarded with new science museum
construction?
Glenn A. Walsh
>***********************************************************************
******
>
>Hello all,
>
>We're exploring ways that we, as education staff at a Science Centre,
>can be a more effective resource for teachers. I'm thinking in
>particular of situations where teachers call or drop by with questions
>about science content, appropriate activities, other resources etc. (as
>opposed to print materials or packages that we create to supplement our
>exhibits and programs).
>
>Ideally, we'd have a fabulous library on site and a dedicated
>question-answerer. But since resources do not permit this, I'd love to
>know ways that educators at other science centres act as teacher
>resources.
>
>Hope that's not too obscure a question.
>
>Sandra Eix, Ph.D.
>Exhibit and Program Development
>Science World British Columbia
>Vancouver, BC
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More information about the Informal Science Education Network and the
Association of Science-Technology Centers may be found at
http://www.astc.org.
To remove your e-mail address from the ISEN-ASTC-L list, send the
message SIGNOFF ISEN-ASTC-L in the BODY of a message to
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***********************************************************************
More information about the Informal Science Education Network and the
Association of Science-Technology Centers may be found at http://www.astc.org.
To remove your e-mail address from the ISEN-ASTC-L list, send the
message SIGNOFF ISEN-ASTC-L in the BODY of a message to
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