[Openglam_members] Me, US, blahblah

[Sarah Stierch]

(Pardon the semi professional semi personal email here...this might be
TL:DR but the people who care will read it I suppose)

Hi everyone,

As some of you may know, I used to be *very* involved in OpenGLAM. I worked
for OKF and helped launch the OpenGLAM initiative in the USA. Sadly that
partnership ended when I decided to accept a full time job at the Wikimedia
Foundation (a large part of that was due to the need I had for health
insurance, which still wasn't accessible to all in the US, no offense to
the mission :)  ).

Well life has changed. I wanted to give ya'll some updates:

1. I'm no longer working at the Wikimedia Foundation, if you didn't know by
now. I'm not legally allowed to talk about why, and I hope you'll respect
that. Life hasn't been easy, but, that's how it goes sometimes.

2. This allows me now to re-devote my life to what I have spent the
majority of my adulthood studying, researching, and obsessing about -
GLAMs.

3. I attended my first GLAM conference in ages this week, the American
Alliance of Museums conference. I wrote a blog about it, which will soon be
reposted by OpenGLAM, I hope you'll read it. I will leave it for Lieke to
post :)

4. It led me to the conclusion that people in the US still have no fucking
idea what OpenGLAM is. To be blunt. We gave the first MUSE Award out
[*the*American museum award for technology] for "Open" and people were
saying it
was a catch all category for whatever "didn't fit in the other categories."
FAIL. And at an Sweden won it, btw, with the LSH project (which I blogged
about on OpenGLAM a while back). And that is just one example...

5. Since losing my job I have started consulting. A large portion of my
work is grantwriting right now. I never liked doing it, but, the pay is
good and nothing makes me happier to see a client today email me to say
they received $7500 USD to buy 30 iPads and other equipment for a digital
project they are working on (and this is a museum with a $300,000 budget!).
I am rebranding to be an open culture consultant that offers grantwriting
services. My services are not expensive. Most of my clients are small
museums right now. But, I have bigger better plans and will always love
help at finding work.

6. WHat does this all mean?
       a. i'm back

       b. i intend on making our monthly calls

       c. i want to talk to folks about having OpenGLAM booths at
conferences, at least US conferences. I can't afford to magically have
banners and swag, let alone always travel (I have to pay for conferences on
my own pretty much), so, that's something I need to think about, too. And i
hope ya'll can help me think about it. we need hands on activities, action
and to sit people down and brainwash them. That is one thing I do
best...cult leader of OPEN

       d. i want to submit some talks at conferences about general OpenGLAM
(what is it), presentation suggestions welcome. I know they exist.

       e. i want to host another US OpenGLAM bootcamp - I did an event at
University of California Berkeley a few years back. I'm currently a fellow
at Berkeley and they want to host another one, but, I need feedback on if I
should do it here again or someplace else. If someplace else...more money
will be needed and sponsorship that's bigger than just....$500 to throw an
event (my travel and accommodations, things like that)

      f. the presentation i co-submitted with Jon Voss wasn't accepted so
there will be no magical Berlin OKF for me this year. last year I had to
decline due to my work with WMF, this year...no submission acceptance (this
less of a chance of finding funding). OK that the submission wasn't
accepted, disappointing because the lack of US GLAM folks seems to
be....nil this year. But ya'll will make it without us.. ;)

PHEW

I missed you.

-Sarah


-- 

Sarah Stierch

-----

Diverse and engaging consulting for your organization.

www.sarahstierch.com
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