What I've Learned & What I'm Learning

I have finally chosen a thesis topic that I am passionate about and gathered a host of sources discussing best practices for museum professionals engaging with climate change within their institution, how to best contextualize climate change to visitors, how historic buildings are directly effected by changes in the climate at large (as well as how this influences the microclimates which develop inside the building), the structural and behavioral changes seen in buildings affected by a changing climate, and how museum objects respond to shifts in both microclimate as well as the climate at large. My bibliography and sources seem very promising and have my interest in a death grip; I am incredibly eager to dig into these readings and really develop a more fulfilled and full understanding as to how our shifting environmental conditions are directly impacting objects of visual culture such as museum objects and buildings. Research into the ways that local Rochesterian cultural institutions and professionals have engaged the public on the topic of climate change and sustainability as well as how these professionals use climate controls in a museum setting seems both exciting and informative. The interviews, especially, will be very interesting I am sure.

I look forward to beginning writing and continuing research on my project! Please, let me know if you have any questions or if I did not explain a facet of my topic accessibly (or at all).

Sports Museums

    At this point I have just about figured out my research question. I would like to take a look at how marginalized groups are represented in sports museums, using the National Baseball Hall of  Fame in Cooperstown as a case study. From my research I have learned that the study of sports, and sports museums, is a fairly new field that is receiving more attention from scholars. Sports can provide insight into different cultures, and their values throughout history. For example, one can learn a lot about the history of African Americans in the United States by taking a look at how they were represented in baseball. Baseball in particular has the most literature available because it is considered to be America's pastime.
     I still need to do more research on the history of marginalized groups in sports, particularly baseball because I am using the Hall of Fame as a case study. From this additional research I will be able to conclude which groups are considered to be marginalized, and then decide which groups I would like to focus my paper on. I would also like to have a good idea of how much space sports museums typically devote to these marginalized groups.

Deaf Studies Library and Archive

National Deaf Studies Library and Archive Consortium is one of existing research models that i am currently working on. Consortium was designed to promote and develop resources for its members and to provide access to digital resources to documentation of Deaf experience, Cultures and histories for research and learning.  Same time, the National Deaf Studies Library and Archive Consortium is still in process of additional support with grants and interviewing facilities to manage the consortium.  The process of authorization of ownership, copyright and grant application is still new to me and i find it really interesting.

There are other existing models under certain groups but often issues occurs on these models (ex: Upgrade, update and/or in the transition of changing platforms). These models allowed me to do more research on which online platform is best as permanent use for digital library without any issues / concerns of changing platforms and providing more staff training. Also, to research more about range of service and collaborated projects using three-tiered infrastructure of three  type of partners (full-service hubs, Hosting hubs, and collection partners).

This research process had led me to meet several individuals who work in these field and two of them became my advisors for my thesis. I have selected Mary Beth Kiztel as my primary advisor and Joan naturale as my secondary advisor.