Exhibitsmith

Exhibitsmith the Podcast is back! I'm bringing new voices to the podcast, to have engaging discussions about the roles museums, archives, and libraries play in our world. We talk about how and why these institutions matter, and how everyone can do their part to both support them and benefit from them. Please subscribe to the podcast on your favorite platform so you don't miss an exciting new episode.

[This episode originally aired ...

Let's be real here - I'm not an eternal optimist. I'm actually far from it. However, every so often I read something about a censorship campaign that is just so ridiculous that I can't help but roll my eyes, sigh, and be thankful that I've been made aware of it.

In January 2026, the Trump / Vance Administration ordered exhibit panels about enslaved persons to be removed from The President's House, an outdoor historic site located n...

Exhibitsmith the Podcast is back! I'm bringing new voices to the podcast, to have engaging discussions about the roles museums, archives, and libraries play in our world. We talk about how and why these institutions matter, and how everyone can do their part to both support them and benefit from them. Please subscribe to the podcast on your favorite platform so you don't miss an exciting new episode.

[This episode originally aired ...

In this brand new episode, I share a photo digitization "life hack" that might just change everything. With the holidays very quickly approaching, you might be inclined to thumb through your cousin's or uncle's or grandmother's family photo albums and think, "I wish I had copies of these photos". Well, why don't you? Listen to this short episode about how I quickly and easily did just that - and how I was able to share those photo...

This month I'm rereleasing one of my favorite family heirloom stories. I hope you enjoy it! Sometimes the objects that are important to you aren't the prettiest. Sometimes they're best left in a box, but that doesn't mean they're unimportant or forgotten. In this episode, hear the heartwarming story about an unfortunate-looking bank and its sweet history, and learn three important questions to ask yourself about the past, present, ...

Is your organization prepared to handle an emergency? What about the organizations you frequent as a visitor or a guest? What if a staff member breaks their arm, or a visitor has an allergic reaction? And what about larger emergencies and tragedies? Are we prepared?

My guest, Jim Sturgill, is the perfect person to tackle these tough questions. A paramedic whose career began in the museum field, Jim now helps museums prepare for the...

Paramedic and museum professional Jim Sturgill joins me on the podcast for an amazing conversation about emergency preparedness at museums and cultural sites.

Today’s chat focuses on how we can prepare our museums and similar spaces for human emergencies. Are we prepared to care for the people who work, volunteer, and visit our sites?

With over thirty years in the museum field and twenty years in EMS/public safety, Jim brings a uni...

October is American Archives Month and I'm revisiting this episode from Season One, which is all about scrapbooks. 

Anyone who has an old or aging scrapbook in their life knows what I'm talking about. The tape is brittle, the glue has stained everything. The pages are yellowed, made from acidic paper. If you try to peel off a photo, you’re left with a torn page, and the back of the photos is a mess. Things like newsprint - are a lo...

Museum Registrar Christina Thompson joined me on the podcast for a fantastic conversation about the years she spent as a costumed historical interpreter in central Iowa. With a professional background in museum collections work and an insatiable love of learning, Christina brought both passion and expertise to the different roles she embodied at sites throughout the fictional historical town of Walnut Hill.

During our chat, she exp...

Exhibitsmith the Podcast is back! I'm bringing new voices to the podcast, to have engaging discussions about the roles museums, archives, and libraries play in our world. We talk about how and why these institutions matter, and how everyone can do their part to both support them and benefit from them. Please subscribe to the podcast on your favorite platform so you don't miss an exciting new episode.

Today I am relaunching the four...

Do you know what a school librarian does all day? How about a Librarian in charge of *four* school libraries? District Library Media Specialist Jill Sullivan-Bennin joined me on the podcast to talk about the many (many) hats she wears every day at the Sherrard Community School District in Western Illinois. Jill has overseen the library activities for all four buildings in her rural school district since 2014. Jill and her small st...

Today I am relaunching the third episode. I hope you enjoy it.

[This episode originally aired on March 1, 2024.]

Today, I'm sharing a story about a day that changed my perspective on museum behind the scenes tours forever. All it took were some hard-to-please kids, a few old typewriters, and a little unexpected museum magic.

Exhibitsmith the Podcast is back! I'm working behind the scenes to bring new voices to the podcast, to have ...

Art Museum Director Nathan Kemler joined me on the podcast to talk about why museums matter and how museums can be leaders in community engagement. We discuss the inspiring ways Nathan and his staff make their collection accessible to throughout the Grand Valley State University campus, as well as how they collaborate with the community at large to fulfill their mission.

I hope you enjoy the episode!

Nathan is the Director of Galle...

Exhibitsmith the Podcast is back! I'm working behind the scenes to bring new voices to the podcast, to have engaging discussions about the roles museums, archives, and libraries play in our world. We talk about how and why these institutions matter, and how everyone can do their part to both support them and benefit from them. Please subscribe to the podcast on your favorite platform so you don't miss an exciting new episode.

Today...

Archivist Dave Hofer joined me on the podcast to talk about his mid-life career change, the transferable skills he didn't realize he had, and how to leverage yourself to reach your career goals. We also chat about digitization and recording technology and how things have changed in the archives over the past 20+ years.

I hope you enjoy the episode!

Dave Hofer is an Archivist and Librarian with experience at the Art Institute of Chi...

Surprise - the podcast is back and it's better than ever. We have some fantastic interviews to share, from colleagues who work in museums, archives, and libraries. We'll talk about why these jobs - and institutions - are important, how to deal with family heirlooms and "stuff", how to leverage yourself for career success, and so much more. We will also be re-releasing our episodes from Season One and I'll be adding a few more episo...

Exhibitsmith the Podcast is back! Or at least it will be soon. I'm working behind the scenes to bring new voices to the podcast, to have engaging discussions about the roles museums, archives, and libraries play in our world. We talk about how and why these institutions matter, and how everyone can do their part to both support them and benefit from them. Please subscribe to the podcast on your favorite platform so you don't miss a...

As we look ahead to the new year, which will, no doubt, be filled to the brim with tabloid images and talking heads, this episode encourages you take a moment to think about life before photos changed the world, and how (for better and worse) it has changed our lives. Photography has meant very different things to us collectively since its debut in 1839. This episode explores the different ways photography has shaped our society ov...