Overview of the Organisation
Toitū Otago Settlers Museum (TOSM) is a regional museum that focuses on the history of the early settlers to Otago. As New Zealand’s first great city, Dunedin holds a lot of history and was one of the main settlement sites of New Zealand.
Toitū is considered a Dunedin City Council facility and underwent a redevelopment several years ago. The museum reopened its doors in December of 2012 and has since seen a large increase of visitor numbers in comparison to the ‘old’ museum.
Kiri Griffin – Collections Manager
Job Description
Kiri Griffin is currently the Collections Manager of Toitū; and as a member of the Toitū Otago Settlers Museum Management Team she oversees collections, conservation, and archives, whilst supporting the work of exhibitions, visitor experience, and communications and operations. Key responsibilities of the collections manager include managing the Museum 's collections team, developing and implementing collection policies and procedures to ensure the long term preservation and access to the Museum collections.
The official “position purpose” in the job description states:
The Collections Manager is a member of the Toitū Otago Settlers Museum (TOSM) Management Team and is responsible for the care and safety of all of the Museum’s collections, including the Archives collection. The job holder will manage all aspects of the collection management systems, policies and procedures, including facilitating access to the collections
Museums serve as a way to connect with the public on a large scale, and the knowledge held within exhibits can be a fruitful experience for those who choose to visit these institutions. Experiencing all that a museum has to offer, no matter how well intentioned, can at times be confusing and overwhelming to the individuals visiting the site. The Smithsonian’s Museum of the American Indian dedicates itself to Native Americans in North and South America, and worked tirelessly with varying tribes to create a new standard. Some visitors and scholars found their work to be successful in design and approach while others found it to be lacking in execution. This institution does not approach Native American history in a familiar fashion; however it does cover an expansive period of time, and produces a great amount of detail while generating powerful emotions.
In the short story “Totem” by Thomas King, the relationship between the totem pole and the museum workers is negative. The relationship is depicted as being overpowering, authoritative, and entitled when the workers continually try to remove the totem pole from the museum. Ultimately, the totem pole symbolizes the struggles and perseverance of the Indigenous people in Canada.
In the short story “Totem” by Thomas King, the relationship between the totem pole and the museum workers is predominantly negative. The relationship between the totem pole and the museum workers is depicted as being overpowering, authoritative, and entitled when the workers unceasingly try to remove the totem pole from the museum. Ultimately, the totem pole symbolizes the struggles, resilience, and perseverance of the Indigenous people in Canada.
Museums have long served a purpose as cultural staples. For every museum, big and small, careful consideration is used in selecting its contents. When securing new items for a museum, it is most important to consider public appeal, educational value, and cost-effectiveness.
Measurement: We can measure Customer / Community Perspective by calculating the number of visitors per year. We can measure museum’s visits per capita, which will give us an understanding of our position in relation to other competitors. As well, we can conduct a survey by visitors on the level of satisfaction they have experienced during their visit to the museum. Also, we can do a more thorough questionnaire within local community as to what kind of improvements / additions, new exhibits they would like to see at Otago museum. This will help us to increase the service quality level.
The museum focuses on teaching and making visitors aware of the local culture that once was. Its main exhibits are farming tools and items you would see and use on a working
Many do not know that the IMA houses two different libraries. The Stout Reference Library and the Horticultural Society Library provide numerous resources for their visitors, which mainly consist of students, IMA Staff, docents, collectors, researchers and even members of the community. The Stout Reference Library “focuses on the encyclopedia collection of the Indianapolis Museum of Art, while also providing general information about art and art history of all periods.” (Stout Reference Library, 2017) The Horticultural Society Library “houses more than 2,000 volumes, including general reference books and books on landscaping, specific plant families and horticulture.” (Horticultural Society Library, 2017) I mention the libraries because this semester, I am technically considered a library and archives intern at the IMA. My mentor however is the archivist, Samantha Norling. She has done impressive work at the IMA in such a short time. She jump-started the Archives online portal, which consists of thousands of digitized items from the archives. The IMA received a “generous grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH)” (Documenting Modern Living, 2017), that allowed for 17,000 items from the Miller House and Garden archival collection to be digitized.
In the short story “Totem” by Thomas King, it is very evident that the relationship between the totem pole and the museum workers is a rather negative relationship. The relationship is depicted in “Totem” as an overpowering, authoritative, and entitled relationship. The relationship between the totem pole and the museum workers is depicted through the museum workers such as Mrs. Hill, Walter Hooton, and the other worker’s reaction and constant need to remove the totem pole.
5) What is housed at the Phoebe A. Hearst Museum that is of interest to the Muwekma, and what are the legal and ethical issues the museum faces with it?
History is vital because it passes down information and wisdom. For this reason, there are museums and monuments that are taken care of to keep its appearance and significance alive as well as realistic. ‘Iolani Palace, once home to the late Queen Lili‘uokalani, is no exception. ‘Iolani Palace is a historic landmark that plays a vital key in Hawaiian history and culture. ‘Iolani Palace was built to serve as a monarchial seat and residence for the king or queen at the time and now functions as a museum. It is important for people to be aware of the changes that happened at ‘Iolani Palace because it plays a significant role in Hawaiian history. The significance of ‘Iolani Palace will always be represented in its history and foundation of Hawai’i; therefore, it should continue to receive funds to educate people from around the world.
Brown, Deidre. 2009. Maori architecture : from fale to wharenui and beyond. Rosedale, N.Z: Penguin.
The premises of the Museum are also well kept. I was also amazed to find out that the visit to the Museum is completely free. Since it’s a public place, no one charges any person for the things that they view at the place.
The Executive Director of the Museum begins to restore this organization with clear point of view, that the
Biculturalism has a massive role in Aoteaora New Zealand’s society and has a massive impact in its history. Having a clear understanding of it is crucial in order to be more appreciative of how diverse New Zealand’s society has become, and it also helps us discern the negative aspects of diversity and multiculturalism. By examining and understanding biculturalism, it helps us discern the Treaty of Waitangi’s role and influences in the human services provision here in New Zealand.
The Maori, “Children of Heaven”, are the indigenous people of New Zealand. It has been thought that Polynesian navigator Kupe, discovered New Zealand in 950 AD, and named the island Aotearoa, “Land of the long white cloud”.1 The Maori migrated to New Zealand from the tropical islands of