{"id":2512,"date":"2026-08-21T12:15:47","date_gmt":"2026-08-21T12:15:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/staffblogs.le.ac.uk\/library\/?p=2512"},"modified":"2026-08-21T12:15:48","modified_gmt":"2026-08-21T12:15:48","slug":"museum-studies-placement-2026-weeks-3-5","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staffblogs.le.ac.uk\/library\/2026\/08\/21\/museum-studies-placement-2026-weeks-3-5\/","title":{"rendered":"Museum Studies Placement 2026 weeks 3-5"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Here Luna, who is a current student on the Museum Studies MA, reflects on some of the tasks she has done and things she has learnt on the placement so far. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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As my placement has progressed into weeks three to five, I have gradually become more familiar with the work and the collections. As I have become more confident, I have\u00a0realised\u00a0that working efficiently is only one part of archival work. It is also important to return to previously processed materials from time to time and check that the information recorded is\u00a0accurate\u00a0and consistent.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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One skill I have been developing is creating descriptions for accession\u00a0boxlists. This requires me to\u00a0identify\u00a0the key features of an item quickly. Its title, physical\u00a0appearance\u00a0and information about its original owner or context can all help me build a fuller description. I have also learned how to\u00a0identify\u00a0similarities and differences among large groups of materials and use these observations to\u00a0organise\u00a0them into meaningful groups. Interestingly, each group can\u00a0contain\u00a0further similarities and differences. I find this process both challenging and enjoyable,\u00a0almost like\u00a0a form of brainstorming.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Archive
Archive documents in acid-free folders and boxes<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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I have also developed an appreciation for the physical experience of working with archival materials. The distinctive green and grey protective boxes used to house the collections have a particular charm. The texture and slight resistance of the boxes as they are opened and closed make the process feel almost ritualistic, as if I am taking part in a small ceremony dedicated to each collection.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Recently, I have also been working with archival materials relating to the University of Leicester\u2019s Museum Studies\u00a0programme, including records of distance learning. Seeing students studying the same subject that I am studying now has been surprisingly moving. Through teaching materials and learning activities, I can sense the commitment of both staff and students to exploring museum knowledge. I have noticed how course content changed over time in response to developments and student feedback.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"University
University of Leicester printed annual reports and archive photographs<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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While reading these records, I sometimes found myself nodding along with the students of the past. In a way, the archive allowed me to learn alongside them,\u00a0even across many years. This is one of the things I find most valuable about archival collections: they can create connections between people,\u00a0experiences\u00a0and knowledge across time.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Thank you Luna! We are glad you are enjoying your placement, and looking forward to hearing more from you. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Here Luna, who is a current student on the Museum Studies MA, reflects on some of the tasks she has done and things she has learnt on the placement so far. As my placement has progressed into weeks three to five, I have gradually become more familiar with the work and the collections. As I […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":286,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,1],"tags":[22,37],"class_list":["post-2512","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-archives-and-special-collections","category-uncategorized","tag-archives","tag-museums"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/staffblogs.le.ac.uk\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2512","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/staffblogs.le.ac.uk\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/staffblogs.le.ac.uk\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staffblogs.le.ac.uk\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/286"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staffblogs.le.ac.uk\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2512"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/staffblogs.le.ac.uk\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2512\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2514,"href":"https:\/\/staffblogs.le.ac.uk\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2512\/revisions\/2514"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/staffblogs.le.ac.uk\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2512"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staffblogs.le.ac.uk\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2512"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staffblogs.le.ac.uk\/library\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2512"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}