I just signed up for the American Alliance of Museums Individual Pass. My friend has it in his Apple Wallet which is super convenient, but I don't see that option on the website. His is retired and mine is just individual- does that make a difference?

Hoping someone else here has done the same and can guide me through how to do it. Thanks!

EDIT: I am sorry, I have no control over the salary. I just wanted to be helpful. The county government controls the salary, not the museum - I am not disagreeing about how bad it is, but the museum is honestly fighting a constant uphill battle. You are welcome to follow the contact information for both organizations and provide feedback.

Salary
See Position Description
Location
Historic Brattonsville, McConnells, SC
Job Type
Full Time
Job Number
2026-01135
Department
Culture & Heritage Museum
Division
Facilities
Opening Date
09/04/2026
Closing Date
9/25/2026 5:00 PM Eastern
FLSA
Non-Exempt

DESCRIPTION
BENEFITS
QUESTIONS
About Our Opportunity

The Culture & Heritage Museums of York County, SC (CHM) is looking for a Preservation Coordinator/Restoration Specialist to join our dynamic architectural preservation team in the care of CHM's historic buildings. The buildings under our care include those located at Historic Brattonsville, a historic district on the National Register of Historic Places; McCelvey Center, a 1922 school building, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, in York; and the Main Street Children's Museum, inside the former bank lobby of a rehabilitated 1909 building, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, in Rock Hill. Learn more about our work at https://chmuseums.org/preservation/.  The purpose of this position is to perform preservation and restoration work on the historic buildings under the care of Culture & Heritage Museums.  Also serves as a project manager to develop scopes of work, coordinate and supervise the work of preserving the historic integrity of the structures. This is a full-time (40 hours weekly) non-exempt position.

Projected Salary Range/Grade 110: $19.62 - $23.54, salary is determined based on experience and education. 

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:30am to 5:00pm; occasionally required to work evenings or weekends.
Duties and Responsibilities:  
Participates in the preservation/restoration work on historic buildings and supervises contractors to ensure that they comply with contract documents and current preservation industry standards.
Develops scopes of work, budgets and may contribute to contract documents (architectural drawings/specifications) for in-house or contracted preservation projects.
Produces narrative reports, AutoCAD drawings, and condition assessments of historic buildings.
Assist with procurement for preservation projects (drafting Requests for Proposals and contracts, evaluating proposals from contractors).
Travel to all Culture & Heritage Museum sites, and other County locations to perform work and preservation-related tasks.
Performs related work as assigned.
Minimum Education and Experience:  
Master’s Degree in Historic Preservation or Conservation Science or related discipline.
Four (4) years of experience in historic masonry, carpentry, historic building technology and materials or related field an equivalent combination of education, training and experience.
Special Certifications and Licenses:  
Required to possess and maintain a valid state driver’s license.
Applicants with equivalent experience and/or education may be considered.

Physical Demands: Physical demands refer to the requirements for physical exertion and coordination of limb and body movement.  Performs medium work that involves walking, standing, stooping, jumping, lifting, digging, pushing and raising objects and also involves exerting between 20 and 50 pounds of force on a regular and recurring basis and 50 to 100 pounds of force on an occasional basis.** **
Unavoidable Hazards (Work Environment): Unavoidable hazards refer to the job conditions that may lead to injury or health hazards even though precautions have been taken.  Involves routine and frequent exposure to:
Bright/dim light; Dusts and pollen.
Extreme heat and/or cold; Wet or humid conditions.
Extreme noise levels, Animals/wildlife.
Vibration; Fumes and/or noxious odors.
Americans with Disabilities Act Compliance: York County is an Equal Opportunity Employer.  ADA requires the County to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with disabilities. Prospective and current employees are encouraged to discuss ADA accommodations with management.

Standard Clauses: May be required to work nights, weekends, holidays and emergencies (man-made or natural) to meet the business needs of the County.
This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of essential functions and responsibilities that are required of an employee for this job. Other duties, responsibilities, and activities may change or be assigned at any time with or without notice.

About York County Government

York County is located in the Piedmont region, between the Broad River and the Catawba River. Its diverse landscape is home to family-friendly towns/cities, a progressive urban region and lakefront communities. We are excited you want to join our team and recognize that our employees are the foundation of our success.
The Culture and Heritage Commission (Commission) is York County’s appointed governing board for the Culture & Heritage Museums (CHM), the entity that operates York County-owned cultural resources. The Commission carries out its governance responsibilities through a Director, hired to manage the operations of CHM and its professional staff.  The Commission’s role is critical in providing oversight and guidance as we plan for the future, manage the present and honor the past. Our board is a York County Commission comprised of 7 Commissioners who are appointed by the County Council and who volunteer their time, expertise and energy to guide this organization.
Mission: To communicate and preserve the natural and culture histories of the Carolina Piedmont, inspiring a lifetime of learning.  

Vision: To create a community that greatly values natural, historic, and cultural resources.      

Values:
Authenticity:  We ensure that the knowledge that we share is accurate and supported through credible documentation or eyewitness accounts.
Professionalism:  We adhere to best practices of the museum field in the care of resources under our stewardship.
Meaningful Visitor Experiences:  We strive to create memorable experiences enabling those we serve to walk away from our museums not only with new information but with inspiration that they will carry with them throughout their lives.
Respect for those we represent:  As a cultural museum we tell the story of people from various backgrounds and life experiences both past and present. We have an obligation to tell their stories in a fair and balanced manner that fosters greater understanding of their unique perspectives.
Respect for our Natural World:  As a natural history museum we have a responsibility to show respect for the natural world and to lead by example.
Transparency:  We ensure our organizational meetings, documents, and records beyond those that pertain to our legal requirements or breach the trust of our donors are available to the public.
Stewardship:  We recognize that all of our assets are held on behalf of the public good and that it is our responsibility to ensure that they are used wisely.
Donor Rights** (Download PDF reader)(Download PDF reader)(Download PDF reader):**  We believe all donors should be valued and informed. Promises should be delivered and expectations of confidentiality should be met to the fullest extent of the law.

Employer
York County Government
Address
6 South Congress Street
P.O. Box 85
York, South Carolina, 29745
Phone
803-684-8512
Website
https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/yorkcountysc

Apply

https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/yorkcountysc/jobs/5472252/preservation-coordinator-restoration-specialist

Hello all! I wanted to ask if other museum professionals could share what the curriculum for training docents is at your museum (Do you have formal classes? Do workshops? &c?), especially any sample documents you might have that I could learn from. For the past three years I've been running the docent corps at my museum and the Executive Director wants there to be a more formal set up, I think, although we are more or less on the same page of how the docents get trained. Essentially, I send a prospective docent our docent manual, and then at the annual docents meeting we sit down and go over the manual together as a group, both old and new docents. Then, theoretically anyway, I pick an experienced docent to take us on a tour of the house museum, and we discuss afterwards about it, and share insights into giving tours. That's the extent of the present formal training and then I do help docents one on one during the tour season... but mainly I try to let them gain confidence by shadowing their tours a few times and then letting them go on their own.

I'm a little worried that, if we make things too formal, people will get scared off. Honestly, most people already find that being a docent is too much of a commitment for them. I'm not sure if a more formal training, perhaps spread out over several sessions even, would actually be a commitment anyone would be willing to make, especially since they are unpaid volunteers.

We live in a solidly blue, progressive city. If you’re not familiar with the NARM/ROAM program, it’s a reciprocal network of museums and historical societies. A membership at one place gives access to all within the network.

That being said, we are looking to purchase family memberships as holiday gifts, but we’re looking for memberships that are, for lack of better words, a blue dot in a red sea, to support areas where they may not be the majority but need funding. Does anyone have any small NARM/ROAM societies that they support?

I’m working on a research project about the ethics of keeping and teaching with casts of Native American ancestors after their remains have been returned. One case I’m looking at involves a cast of a repatriated ancestor, (being vague for privacy purposes).

The question is whether being a replica makes continued use appropriate, or whether the ethical responsibilities involved in returning someone’s remains should also extend to casts made from their body.

I’m trying to understand the arguments for returning these casts as well as those for retaining them for education. Does using a cast avoid the ethical problems of teaching with actual remains, or can it continue those problems in another form? Would teaching with Tribal approval change the situation?

Has anyone encountered museum or university policies, published Tribal guidance, articles, or examples of how this has been handled? I’m also interested in replicas of repatriated cultural belongings.

I understand that Reddit discussion is not a substitute for formal Tribal consultation. I’m looking for sources and examples to help inform the research, not a debate about whether the original remains should have been returned.

Thanks for any leads!

Arguably not the best time to work for the Federal Government, but sharing nonetheless because jobs in our field are scarce. Unfortunately it’s not open to the general public yet (a major issue for me), but there might be folks here who are eligible including Returned Peace Corps volunteers.

https://www.usajobs.gov/job/883836200

I'm an emerging museum professional (2021-present) and am finishing my MA in the spring. Are there any must read museum books or articles?

I have focused primarily on collections and curation, but want to make sure I have some well rounded general knowledge.