Museum Professions - Admissions Coordinator
All this week we have been celebrating #MuseumWeek: an international online event celebrating and showcasing all things from cultural institutions over 7 days, 7 themes, 7 hashtags. Today’s theme is “professions”, so we thought we’d take this opportunity to ask some of our lovely staff here at the RAM a couple questions about their careers, what some of the coolest projects they’ve worked on here, and their favourite museum (other than the RAM of course!).
Christina Harbak, Admissions Coordinator
I set-up and manage the ticketing system, annual pass program, gift card program and most procedures to do with front-of-house. On a smaller scale, I supervise all of the admissions staff and the day-to-day tasks at the admissions desk. I am also responsible for capturing data and reporting on how many people are visiting us on a daily, weekly, monthly and yearly basis!
While a lot of my role involves behind the scenes preparation and creating procedures, it is creating a friendly and welcoming atmosphere in the lobby that matters most. My staff speak to each person visiting the museum galleries, so customer service, museum knowledge and creating a memorable experience is essential in my role.
Coolest project you’ve worked on during your time at the RAM?
One of my favourite projects I have worked on at RAM thus far has been training for staff related to accessibility. Having worked in customer service roles for over 10 years now, I noticed how little training I had received about accessible spaces, respectful language and working with people of diverse abilities. My education and my friends/coworkers have both fuelled my focus on accessibility, and I am planning to share those experiences, knowledge and tools with my staff. It is important for my team to have current information about best practices and be confident in the language and approach they use to connecting with visitors. My research into accessibility for RAM spans physical space, gender, person-first language, sensory stimulation and most importantly, compassion. I am excited to build a team of folks who care about their work and who can connect with visitors in accessible, meaningful ways.
When did you decide to pursue this career path? Why did you peruse this career path?
I decided I wanted to work in a museum when I was searching for summer jobs in 2012, and found some really neat positions through the City of Edmonton. I completely changed my degree program (from drama to recreation) and turned my studies to focus on museums, cultural sites and tourism. I have always loved visiting museums, and was incredibly excited when I discovered all of the different jobs that make museums possible. My passion for life-long learning can extend beyond my personal life because through this career I am able to connect visitors from all over the world to fascinating stories and artifacts. I think it is so rare to find a workplace that I want to stay at after my workday is over. I have had many jobs at museums and cultural sites, but RAM is the most exciting one so far.
What’s your favourite museum other than the RAM?
It is difficult to choose one museum as my favourite, as I have so many favourites in Alberta. The museum I have visited most is the Atlas Coal Mine, which is a national historic site just outside of Drumheller. I have visited every summer since 2012, and have been on every tour offered multiple times. It is my favourite site because they are so honest with the stories they tell – the good, the bad and the ugly. All of their interpreters are so passionate and engaging with the visitors, which is one of the best parts of the experience. The folks there do a great job of combining the past with the present and acknowledge the realities of maintaining the last wooden tipple in Canada (hint: it is expensive!). If I lived in Drumheller, I would definitely work there.
