Museum Studies Intern at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History – Spring 2019
When first learning about the Ethics Intern position, I was under the impression that I was going to spend a lot of time at my desk taking notes and observing in office meetings. Instead, I was tasked with researching and compiling information from several sources for the new Carnegie Museum of Natural History (CMNH) Code of Ethics. My research consisted of reviewing other museums Ethics Codes, cross-referencing different international and national ethics guides, meeting with the CMNH Ethics committee, and meeting with other CMNH heads of departments that would be affected by the newly updated rules. By the end of the internship, I was to make several suggestions for updates and additions to the Ethics Code to the Director of the CMNH and the Ethics committee to take into consideration for the new CMNH Code of Ethics.
In my meetings with several department heads, I learned a lot about how different rules and policies affect different departments. Before becoming an intern at the CMNH my experience with museums ethics and policy it was limited with a focus on art. In my meetings with other departments, I gained additional knowledge of policy and regulations and their impact on various studies. However, because of my role in this project, I was able to gain a deeper understanding of the overarching policies governing each. My understanding of “Ethical” correctly shifted beyond the decision of displaying an object to include other aspects. Such as the logistics of receiving an object, conservation, public engagement, inclusivity, and professional conduct. The best part of my learning experience was my meetings with other museum professionals and hearing their take on different aspects of the Ethics policy, and I was able to learn from their different field affected their views.
I did learn a lot about the policy aspect of the museum, during my time as an intern. I also learned more about professionalism in museums and the inner workings of departments in a Natural History museum. As I move forward in my career, I will be looking back on this experience as something that allowed me to learn and grow as a worker and have a more complete understanding of policies and the inner workings of museums as a whole.