1. Robert Stein, Dallas Museum of Art
@rjstein
WHAT’S A MUSEUM
TECHNOLOGIST ANYWAY?

2. “We have all a better
guide in ourselves, if
we would attend to it,
than any other person
can be.”
- Jane Austen, Mansfield Park

3. WE’VE GOT LOTS
OF QUESTIONS

4. 378 RESPONSES
4/2/2013 – 4/16/2013
SAMPLE SIZE = 358 FOR
THIS PRESENTATION

5. Survey Respondents by Gender Survey Respondents by Educational Attainment
(n=358) (n=358)
2% 1% 2%
Associates Degree
College or University
30% Degree
44%
Female Graduate or Post-
Male Graduate Degree
56%
High School
65%
I prefer not to
answer
Survey Respondents by Age (n=358)
40.00%
35.00%
30.00%
25.00%
20.00%
15.00%
10.00%
5.00%
0.00%
20s 30s 40s 50s 60s

6. How long have you worked in/around museums? (n=358)
2%
11%
41% < 1 year
18% 1-3 years
3-5 years
5-10 years
10 years or more
28%

7. Gender Distribution by Tenure (n=358)
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50% Male
40% Female
30%
20%
10%
0%
< 1 year 1-3 years 3-5 years 5-10 years 10 years or more

8. Do you Currently use Media, Technology, or the Web in a
Professional Capacity to Support the Mission of a Museum?
1%
6%
17% Yes - I work for a museum directly
Yes - I work for a company that
supports museums
Yes - I am a student or professor
that studies museums and
technology
76%
No - but I'm struck by how
attractive and intelligent you all
are

9. Do you Consider Yourself a Museum Technologist?
(n=358)
32%
Yes
No
68%

10. Identification as a Museum Technologist by
Tenure in Museums (n=358)
100%
90%
80%
Do you Consider Yourself a Museum 70%
Technologist? (n=358) 60% No
50% Yes
40%
< 1 year 1-3 3-5 5-10 10 years
years years years or more
32%
Yes
No Identification as a Museum Technologist by
Gender (n=358)
68% 100%
80%
60%
No
40%
Yes
20%
0%
Female Male

11. Identification as a Museum Technologist by Employer Type
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40% Yes
30% No
20%
10%
0%
Yes - I work for a Yes - I work for a Yes - I am a student or No - but I'm struck by
museum directly company that supports professor that studies how attractive and
museums museums and intelligent you all are
technology

12. SKILLS AND TRAINING

13. WHAT SKILLS ARE
CRUCIAL TO SUCCESS IN
MUSEUM
TECHNOLOGY, MEDIA, AN
D THE WEB?

14. What tasks do you typically perform as a part of
your job? (n=358)
Helpdesk
IT
Exhibit Design
Attending Meetings
Cataloging Tasks
In-Gallery Interactives
Leading Teams
Evaluation
Educational Programming
Media Creation
Content Creation
Software
0 50 100 150 200 250 300

15. Most Frequent Areas of Professional Training (n=358)
0 20 40 60 80 100 120
Art and/or Design
Technology
Museum Studies
History
Science
Education
Creative Media
Marketing
Creative Media

16. My Daily Work is Primarily in the Area of My Professional
Training (n=358)
39%
Yes
No
61%

17. 68% OF RESPONDENTS SELF-IDENTIFY AS A
MUSEUM TECHNOLOGIST, BUT ONLY 30% HAVE
ANY PROFESSIONAL TRAINING IN TECHNOLOGY
(108/358)

18. Professional Tasks by Gender (n=158)
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
Female
20%
Male
10%
0%

19. THE IMPACT OF
PROFESSIONAL
NETWORKS

20. Connection to Peers in Other Museums (n=358)
4% I do not feel connected to
other museum professionals
at this time.
16%
There are only a few
colleagues I know and feel
39% connected to (1-5)
There are a handful of
colleagues I know and feel
connected to (5-10)
20% There are many colleagues I
know and feel connected to
(10-15)
There are dozens of
museum colleagues I know
21% and feel connected to (15+)

21. Degree of Professional Connection by Tenure in Museums (n=358)
100%
90%
There are dozens of museum
80% colleagues I know and feel
connected to (15+)
70%
There are many colleagues I know
60% and feel connected to (10-15)
50% There are a handful of colleagues I
40% know and feel connected to (5-10)
30% There are only a few colleagues I
know and feel connected to (1-5)
20%
10% I do not feel connected to other
museum professionals at this
0% time.
< 1 year 1-3 years 3-5 years 5-10 years 10 years or
more

22. Degree of Professional Connection by Tenure in Museums (n=358)
100%
90%
There are dozens of museum
80% colleagues I know and feel
connected to (15+)
70%
There are many colleagues I know
60% and feel connected to (10-15)
50% There are a handful of colleagues I
40% know and feel connected to (5-10)
30% There are only a few colleagues I
know and feel connected to (1-5)
20%
10% I do not feel connected to other
museum professionals at this
0% time.
< 1 year 1-3 years 3-5 years 5-10 years 10 years or
more

23. CAREER PATH
Flickr Credit ~/skinnyde

24. Anticipated Frequency of Job Change (n=358)
35.00%
30.00%
25.00%
20.00%
15.00%
10.00%
5.00%
0.00%
> 10 years 1-3 years 3-5 years 5-7 years 7-10 years Annually

25. How do you feel you can best accomplish your long-term career
goals? (n=358)
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
Current Position Different Role Different Museum Different Industry Uncertain

26. Likely Factors to Leave the Museum Field (n=358)
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Salary A change of pace to Starting my own Leading a larger Working for a high
try something business team profile business
different

27. If you were to stay in the museum field, what factors
would keep you here? Importance 0-5 (n=358)
3 4 5
Personal enjoyment in your work
The ability to see the positive impact of
your work
Work / Life balance
Opportunities for professional
advancement
A close network of colleagues
Stability and predictability

28. Influence of Professional Network Strength on Likely Career
Path (n=358)
4.5
4
3.5
3
2.5
2
Current Position Different Role Different Museum Different Industry Uncertain
Average Degree of Professional Connection

29. I feel that my direct supervisor accurately I feel that my direct supervisor understands the
understands and appreciates my role in the nuances of technology, media, and the web for
museum. 1-5 (n=358) museums. 1-5 (n=358)
Neutral Unfavorable Neutral
21% 15% 22%
Unfavorable
29%
Favorable Favorable
64% 49%

30. I feel that the senior leadership at my museum I feel that the senior leadership at my museum
accurately understands and appreciates my accurately understands the nuances of
work in the museum. 1-5 (n=358) tech, media, and the web. 1-5 (n=358)
Neutral Unfavorable Neutral
32% 24% 29%
Unfavorable
41%
Favorable Favorable
44% 30%

31. Perceived Management Ratings (0-5)
Influence on Likely Career Path (n=358)
4.5
4
Supervisors Appreciation of my
work
3.5
Supervisors knowledge of
media, tech, and web
3
Senior Management appreciation
of my work
2.5
Senior Management knowledge
Current Different Different Different Uncertain
of media, tech, and web
2 Position Role Museum Industry
1.5

32. WE’VE STILL GOT LOTS
OF QUESTIONS

33. HOW ABOUT YOU?