In summer of 2013, I created the MuseumPros sub-community on Reddit.com, a social news and content discussion website that ranks 13th in global web traffic. The sub is dedicated to people who work in GLAMs (galleries, libraries, archives and museums) of any topic and in any capacity (full-time, part-time, intern, vendor, etc.). The community has over 10,200 participants who discuss a variety of museum-related topics which have included: resume writing and interviewing, custom mount-making, diversity in acquisitions, and 3d scanning, to name a few. I, along with my co-moderator, also create resources for the community; this has included hosting “Ask Me Anything” sessions with luminaries in the field, writing a job-hunting resource, creating a list of emergency resources, and a graduate-school Q&A.
MuseumPros Annual Holiday Gift Shop Exchange
Each winter, I organize the MuseumPros Holiday Gift Shop Exchange, which is aimed at MuseumPros subscribers, but open to any museum-staffer who wants to participate. Museum staffers send a unique gift of $5-10 value from their own museum’s shop to another museum staffer at a different museum. Each year, the number of participants and the reach grows; about half of the participants send within the United States and the other half send internationally (including Canada, New Zealand, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, and the UK). A gift I received from a museum staffer in the Philippines is included here.
The Community
The MuseumPros community means a lot its participants. Here are some notes that have I received.
- “I love /r/MuseumPros and I think it’s a really valuable resource…. I browse it almost daily.”
- “It’s great to be able to connect with fellow museum workers around the world in such a fun and casual platform…The subreddit has helped me deal with so many problems in the office… I appreciate all the learnings!”
Blaire Moskowitz 