What kind of work do
volunteers do?
Volunteer work at the Pacific
Museum of the Earth frequently depends on which projects are currently
in progress and what the curator most needs help with at any given
time. However, general duties are described below.
Staff
the gift shop: Volunteers are
trained to use the till program and are asked to commit to coming in
every week at a given day and time. The shop is generally slow, but it
is very important that it always staffed. Volunteers are permitted to
bring classwork and/or discreet music into the gift shop for the
duration of their shift.
Assist
with display set up: Whenever a
new display is ready to be installed, the curator will enlist the help
of a volunteer to open the display, remove the existing minerals and
props, and set up the new display. Assisting with display set up often
also permits input into the display design.
Display
maintenance: This largely
consists of dusting display cases and cleaning plexiglass, but can also
involve replacement of tattered labels and repositioning of minerals
that have shifted withing the display.
Assist
with collections management:
Volunteers are needed to return samples and empty sample trays to their
assigned places within the collection, to perform catalog checks (i.e.,
comparing database entries to the specimens actually existing in
storage), and to identify samples that may be suitable for display and
remove them from storage for consideration by the curator. In the near
future assistance will be needed with tracking down missing samples and
resolving conflicts between the database and the hard copy
documentation.
Provide
security and staff at museum events:
When the museum hosts members' events and departmental events a certain
number of people are needed to staff the membership table, the check in
table, and the gift shop. Volunteers are also needed who can refrain
from consuming alcohold and keep an eye on attendees, reporting to the
curator if they suspect any attendee is becoming a problem for the
event.
Assist
with rockhound show staffing:
The museum regularly attends weekend rockhound shows for outreach and
promotion purposes. Volunteers are needed to give the museum curator a
break from sitting at the table so that she can see the show itself and
to help with table set up and tear down.
How to become a volunteer
If you'd like to become a
volunteer for the Pacific Museum of the Earth, contact the curator at
604-822-6992 or pme AT eos.ubc.ca.
Please be prepared with the
number of hours you would like to commit to the museum and the days and
times when you are available. You may also be asked to provide a
resume. You and the curator will work out a tentative schedule. Your
first five days of volunteer work will be considered a trial period
during which you and the curator will decide whether or not the
experience is proving valuable.
We hope you will consider
helping out at the Pacific Museum of the Earth! We are very much in
need of volunteers to help our projects move forward.
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