The One Main Thing I Learned This Week

As the new executive director of the museum, I have been very focused on getting up the left side of the inevitable learning curve. With a great staff and engaged Board of Directors, we have addressed some very fundamental aspects of running a museum - improving policies and procedures, building a new fundraising program, better managing our collections, and discussing what the next 35 years holds for a museum dedicated to printing. I have met so many wonderful people who have both deep ties to the museum as well as new friends we have worked to bring into our community. With so much to do, it can sometimes feel like we're alone and, maybe, a little overlooked in our work. This past week has changed that notion for me.

In just a few days, I have learned that not only are we not alone, we have a wonderful community of people who are ready to help and want to see us succeed. So many people, organizations and companies have reached out to us as we recover from last week's fire. We have been offered remote workspaces, alternate venues for our events and workshops, and professional guidance as we deal with assessing damage to our collections. Right now, all I can do is say, "Thank you" from the bottom of my heart. I can only hope to repay the kindness and support we have received in kind sometime in the near future.

Please take a minute to visit the "Thank You!" page on our web site to see some of the folks who have made the stress of the past week just a little more bearable.

Down But Not Out!

What a week! I never would have guessed when I came to work on Tuesday that, by that evening, my entire world and focus would change. First, I heard the alarms and then, saw the smoke. A call to 911. A rush to find keys for firefighters. Making sure the only other person in the building with me was out. Then, the long wait as fire truck after fire truck arrived to put out the fire - a museum director's worst nightmare, especially the director of a museum with a collection of rare books, fine art prints and historic newspapers - a lot of paper, in other words.

In the end, everyone is safe and 99% of the collection is safe. It was simply a fluke; that rare case when a light fixture decides to go bad and spark a blaze. Luckily, we were here, waiting for the regular monthly meeting of the photo club. If it had happened any other evening, I'm not sure how lucky we would have been.

Clean up has begun. The wet books and papers are safely in cold storage. The rest of the permanent collection on display is packed and will undergo a conservation assessment in the coming weeks. Next up, two to three weeks of deep cleaning to get the smoke out of the ceiling (including the ceiling tiles), the walls and floors. The museum will be cleaner than it has been since at any other time in its history. Then, we paint and restore the museum to new. We might also have an opportunity to re-imagine a few exhibits before objects are reinstalled.

Yes, we're exhausted and some are stressed and overwhelmed more than others, but I have to say how much I appreciate the outpouring of support from our members and friends, and the dedication of staff in helping me think through mission-critical tasks.

We might be down for a few months, but when we come back, we'll be better than ever. The presses will run again!

Hope is important because it can make the present moment less difficult to bear. If we believe that tomorrow will be better, we can bear a hardship today.
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/t/thichnhath531564.html?src=t_hardship

Hope is important because it can make the present moment less difficult to bear. If we believe that tomorrow will be better, we can bear a hardship today. Thich Nhat Hanh
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/t/thichnhath531564.html?src=t_hardship

Hope is important because it can make the present moment less difficult to bear. If we believe that tomorrow will be better, we can bear a hardship today. Thich Nhat Hanh
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/t/thichnhath531564.html?src=t_hardship

Hope is important because it can make the present moment less difficult to bear. If we believe that tomorrow will be better, we can bear a hardship today. Thich Nhat Hanh
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/hardship.html

Hope is important because it can make the present moment less difficult to bear. If we believe that tomorrow will be better, we can bear a hardship today. Thich Nhat Hanh
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/hardship.html

Hope is important because it can make the present moment less difficult to bear. If we believe that tomorrow will be better, we can bear a hardship today. Thich Nhat Hanh
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/hardship.html