This week was my week heading to BVMC during the summer semester.

Rather than take additional photography or modeling this week, I just worked on continuing to process existing files while at home.

However, I still went over to BVMC for one last in-semester visit. I spent most of my time there this week talking to folks, particularly the volunteer curators, about what else we (UCF) can do for them in the future. I’ve taken notes on other needs, both things they said they want and things that I’ve observed as a need, and am working to parse those out into more concrete lists.

For example, there is an essentially infinite amount of work that needs to be done with their cataloging system – not very much is in Past Perfect. Most of their paper files are somewhat disorganized and organized by donor name rather than by accession number, making it hard to find a particular item, unless you happen to already know who donated it. A volunteer is working to standardize that process. There is much work there than an intern or, frankly a series of interns, could do to help them move toward creating a better paper trail, accession numbers for each item, and organizing their paperwork, and also cataloging on Past Perfect.

They have an offsite storage unit which is, I’m told, “chaotic.” This could, perhaps, be an opportunity for a Phi Alpha Theta work day. There is someone “in charge” of the storage area, and the BVMC is willing to commit funds to purchasing storage shelves, but doesn’t have the manpower to relocate everything from piles of boxes.

Curation would also be interested in some occasional rotating/temporary exhibitions – this might be an opportunity for a student or future intern to get experience brainstorming, curating, and writing for an exhibition, which would be a phenomenal CV builder for anyone interested in moving into the museum space professionally.

I’ll continue to think on these and try to parse out what could make sense as a semester long internship, a 15 hour service learning for the professionalizing courses, or just as a one-off work day that PAT could tackle. I think there is benefit to having a continuing relationship with BVMC.

I am also working with BVMC to figure out a date within the next few weeks to go back and report my findings in a meeting with BVMC staff/board members/volunteers and discuss what I worked on over the semester and what I think I personally can do for them going forward, and what I think I can facilitate the greater UCF history community doing going forward.