The party is over – at least until January 17. Celebrations of our 350th anniversary continued right up until the end of December. Now it is time for us to take a few weeks during our annual shutdown and prepare for 2019.
From January 1 – 17, The Gables will be closed to visitors, but the staff will be doing anything other than a long winters’ nap. Each department has a list of goals to complete that range from preventative care of our collections to continued work on the HVAC project to staff development opportunities.
We invite you to join us on January 18 when we reopen at 10:00 a.m. to see our site sparkle!
Here are each departments top three goals during shutdown!
Visitor Services:
- Finalize the organization of the Museum Resource Library
- Implement a new software program that will help better schedule our staff of over 50 hourly employees more efficiently
- Establish new training procedures for admissions and guide staff
Executive Director:
- Putting the finishing touches on the new strategic plan
- Create the 2019 organizational work plan
- Work with our business manager to prepare for the annual audit
Collections Care:
- Deep preventative care cleaning of exhibit spaces, including objects and textiles
- Deep cleaning of collection storage spaces
- Helping to prepare the Phippen House for HVAC installation
Marketing:
- Preparing our 2019 events calendar for print and distribution
- Updating our logo for 2019 and beyond
- Revamping our office into a more design-friendly and collaborative workspace.
Development:
- Planning fun member programs for 2019
- Wrapping up 2018 goals and budgets
- Researching and applying for grants
Settlement:
- Creating an ESL curriculum for our programs, informed by our new assessment/evaluation tools.
- Initial planning for Caribbean Connections 2019
- Preparing for the Settlement Programs Strategic Plan process
Functions:
- Working with couples to secure reviews and update wedding sites
- Scheduling for 2019 and beyond
- Create a series of procedures for booking, functions, and other tasks
Preservation and Maintenance:
- Touch up painting in the Nathaniel Hawthorne Birthplace
- HVAC installation in the Phippen House
- Support Collections with cleaning projects in the Turner-Ingersoll Mansion