Mount St. Mary's
College will offer a new course in
archives management and museum studies
during the spring semester of 2004. The
course is open to the public and will be
held on Tuesday nights from 6:00 p.m. to
9:00 p.m., beginning the week of January
19, 2004.
The course is
aimed at students interested in conducting
original research into historical
materials, or who may be thinking of
exploring careers in education or
non-traditional history-related fields
such as museums or archives. It's also
perfect for those who just want a
behind-the-scenes look at museum and
archival work.
Mount archivist,
Rebecca Fitzgerald, will teach the first
half of the course: an introduction into
the theory and practice of archives
management and its role in preserving and
providing access to historical records.
Students will learn about research-related
topics such as copyright, privacy, fair
use, and ethical standards.
Heidi Campbell-Shoaf,
curator of the Historical Society of
Frederick County, will lead the second
half of the course, introducing students
to the field of museum work. Students will
study the history, philosophy and ethics
involved; review the different disciplines
practiced within the museum community; and
explore the basic skills and techniques
used by museum professionals.
Field trips are
planned to complement the coursework.
Possible site visits include the
Historical Society and Taney House in
Frederick County, as well as a tour of the
Mount Archives.
Rebecca
Fitzgerald, CA, obtained an MLS degree,
with a concentration in archives
management, from the University of
Maryland at College Park. Before joining
the Mount, she worked for History
Associates, Inc., as a consultant on
several archives and records management
projects. She was appointed archivist and
director of special collections at the
Mount in 2000, and is a certified
archivist. Heidi Campbell-Shoaf holds an
M.A. in American history, with a graduate
minor in public history from Kent State
University in Kent, Ohio. She worked for
the Western Reserve Historical Society in
Cleveland, Ohio and at the National
Headquarters of the Daughters of the
American Revolution in Washington, D.C.,
before coming to the Historical Society of
Frederick County.
For more
information on the course, or to register,
please contact the Registrar's Office at
Mount St. Mary's College at 301-447-5215.
Prospective students not registered at the
Mount will need to fill out a short
application and registration form, and pay
the audit fee of $65 per credit hour.