ABSTRACT
Whatever course your museum career takes in the United States, you will have the pleasure of meeting and working with volunteers. (Less so in other countries of the world, but that is changing.) You will, in some capacity, work for and alongside them. Museum trustees are volunteers; so, too, are docents. In fact, volunteers work in nearly every aspect of museum operations. It is very important for you who may be planning a museum career to understand the vital contributions volunteers make to museums, and the special outlook working with them demands. The most amazing fact about museum staffing is that volunteers actually outnumber paid museum staff by three to one. They come in both genders and from all educational and cultural backgrounds. According to the AAM 1990 survey, some 376,020 Americans volunteer in museums, and they contribute in countless ways. Some serve in museums' public arenas - answering questions at information desks, leading tours, and clerking in museum shops. Many contribute professional skills - keeping hands-on science exhibits in working order, researching an artist's career for a catalog chronology, or leading a workshop for children. In all these capacities, volunteers are committed to the importance of museum work and dedicated to the museums they serve.
