In a special Home Alone edition, I tackle a thought provoking piece from our mail bag.  Claire Milldrum, who is studying Art History and Peace & Justice Studies at Wellesley College, wrote me a wonderful letter and asked a few questions about What it's like to be a local museum director.  Her letter got me diving deep into some of the big questions, and big thoughts, and she also asked for some advice.

Guests Rebecca Millham and Dave Kennedy give us a short review of attending the annual conference of the Mountain-Plains Museums Association, which was in Lincoln, Nebraska this year.  Photos can be found on your choice of social media platforms under #mpma2013.  Rebecca is a student in the Texas Tech University Museum Science Program (of which host Benjamin Clark is also an alum), and Dave Kennedy joins us from Enid, Oklahoma, where he is Curator of Collections at the Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center.  We also discuss how museums are like books and whether the curator is in fact dead!  As always, send me postcards from your museum, or from your travels to other museums this fall -- Benjamin L Clark, 120 3rd Ave. SE, Sidney MT  59270.  I promise I'll send one to you!

In this double bonus, triple-header episode of Museum Voices, we hear from Jodie Foley, State Archivist for the state of Montana.  As State Archivist, Jodie is also involved with the State Historic Records Advisory Board (SHRAB) for Montana, so she's the perfect person to fill us in on this program that brings new and emerging archival professionals to our institutions.  We also hear from Adrienne Evans, one of the SHRAB awardees who is working at the Heritage Museum in Libby, Montana, and also from Trent Purdy, the other awardee, at Copper Village Museum in Anaconda, Montana.The deadline for session proposals is looming for the annual Museums Association of Montana meeting in March.  I know you've been working on some ideas -- tell us about it so we can get you on the schedule for March.Also, in case you didn't catch my address at the end -- send me postcards from your museum, or from your travels to other museums this summer -- Benjamin L Clark, 120 3rd Ave. SE, Sidney MT  59270.  I'll send you one back!  Cross my heart.

In this episode of Museum Voices, we hear from Melissa Koch, Curator of the Huntley Project Museum of Irrigated Agriculture in Huntley, Montana.  She recently joined the board of directors of the Museums Association of Montana and discusses some of the opportunities for museum folks around the state.  Also, in case you didn't catch my address at the end -- send me postcards from your museum -- Benjamin L Clark, 120 3rd Ave. SE, Sidney MT  59270.  I'll send you one back!  Cross my heart.

I have a nice chat with Rebecca Baken of the Yellowstone County Museum in Billings and Laurie Mari from Libby, at the Heritage Museum.  They both had some great observations on the Museums Association of Montana Conference in Havre this year, and some suggestions for the conference when we go to Helena March 19-22, 2014.  Check out some of our conference photos on Facebook.  According to my guests, absolutely everyone should go.  Also, in case you didn't catch my address at the end to send me postcards when you visit a museum -- Benjamin L Clark, 120 3rd Ave. SE, Sidney MT  59270.  I'll send you one back, and I'll do something fun with the postcards I get.

Bill Peterson admits he likes shiny loud things, and we learn more about some of the challenges in combining four cultural institutions under one parent organization.  We also learn that coin-op laundromats are great fundraisers if you happen to be close to a lot of bikers.   All this and much more on this episode of Museum Voices!

Enjoy our 1st Episode of Museum Voices - featuring Dr. Bob Brown Executive Director at the Historical Museum at Fort Missoula.