StarGazing in the Desert

One of the most popular events we hold at the Imperial Valley Desert Museum is the StarGazing in the Desert. It's a great opportunity for people, especially families, who haven't been out to the museum before to check us out, there are arts and crafts for the kids, and a talk and astronomy photographs to see, as well as getting to actually look through telescopes.  We usually have 4-6 people bring out telescopes and set them up around the building so you can get different views.

Steve Benton and Neal Hitch checking out Jupiter

This was our sixth StarGazing party and the first where I have been one of the main people in charge. As the Museum Archivist at previous functions my job was to represent the museum, engage visitors,   make sure the volunteers had everything they needed (including taking over for them when they needed breaks), take photographs for our social media sites, work the gift shop, and anything else that came up. As Head Curator, this time I was doing all of the above but more of it and with more institutional responsibility on my head.

Overall it went really well. 165 people came, the talk on the Voyager missions was standing room only, a last minute raffle managed to raise enough money to pay for the event, and the new items I had picked up for the gift shop last week were a big hit.

Our volunteers were wonderful, helping with everything from telescopes and gift shop to snake patrol (walking around with a heavy duty flashlight and walking stick to light people's way when they were walking in the dark and surreptitiously keep an eye out for any unwanted snake visitors). Our idea for button making instead of clay was a hit and a lot easier to set up, break down, and clean up after.  I even got the chance to step outside and look at the stars myself! The Pleiades, Orion's Nebula, and Jupiter were out in full force last night- perfect, clear skies for viewing after a very cloudy night the night before, and I even saw Jupiter's 4 main moons and brown belts.  The new supernova wasn't visible from where we were, which was disappointing, but other than that you couldn't have asked for better.  The kids had a blast coloring and making buttons and looking through the telescopes. I heard several versions of "Stars are awesome!" as they ran from one telescope to the other.  Enthusiastic kids always give you a little extra boost when you look back on an event.

It all goes to show that a great group of volunteers and a lot of enthusiasm can make an event so successful that people can't wait to come back for the next time!

Steve and a junior astronomer excited over clear skies

Westward Ho!

It is a truth universally acknowledged that jobs are hard to come by in today's economy.  For the most part, we have all come to accept that the days of getting hired right out of school and working for the same company for 20-30 years are long gone. In the field of archives and library science there are still some permanent positions that come up on job post feeds or websites, which are instantly overwhelmed with applicants who range from just out of school to having 50 years of experience.  The norm now in our field is the grant funded, project position. We are now almost all  "Project Archivists", no matter what our official title may be in the workplace.  And as with all things, projects come down to money.

My position at the Imperial Valley Desert Museum developing their archives ended, as we knew it would, over the summer when the money for the project ran out.  It was actually a longer stint than we had initially thought and I enjoyed every minute there.  Developing an archive and helping to build a new museum are not opportunities that come along often.  After that job I went back to my home base on Long Island and continued the search for a job in my field.  The owners of Book Revue were nice enough to take me back (I had worked there for years before going to Simmons for grad school), even knowing I was actively searching for another job, so I was able to pay the bills and keep from going completely stir crazy while I hunted. I am very grateful to have their support and the safety net of always being able to go back to work there.

But then, to my surprise, I got a call from the IVDM's director that the museum had gotten more money and did I want to come back out and pick up where I left off in the archives?  They could guarantee money for at least three more months of the project, and were willing to support me as I went to the Small Museum Association's Annual Conference in Ocean City, Maryland in February to present on the Gold Fever! exhibit we had developed.  Going back out west, seeing and working with old friends, living in and exploring the desert, and expanding my experience and resume at a great new museum? You can guess it didn't take much thinking before I said yes!

This Thursday I will head west again.  Taking an airplane instead of boats and ox drawn wagons should mean I get there faster than those struck with gold fever in 1849 did (6 months or more).  But considering the disaster that has become the airports and airlines in the Northeast due to ridiculously cold weather, wind, and snow, that's not the guarantee you would expect. Wish me luck as I travel west and expect more blog posts to follow!