Today
marked an exciting day, my first solo shift at the Newseum. Dressed in my
finest khakis and uniform polo and windbreaker, bearing my maroon lanyard
proudly I stepped up to the information desk to receive my assignment. Linda,
one of the two volunteer coordinators, had us sign in and directed us to our
posts. I had the privilege to be stationed in the News History Gallery on floor
five, a dark room containing newspapers from the 15th century to
modern day as well as sidebar theaters and numerous display cases relaying
information about the validity and biases found in the news.
As
I was warned, my main duties in the News History Gallery were pointing visitors
to the bathroom (a staple activity at any post), and pointing visitors to the
fourth floor. Unfortunately the design of the fifth floor makes the steps,
which are located on the far end of the big screen (so called for its 90ft
length) theater, to the fourth floor almost impossible to find. Using my
excellent visitor services training, I was able to skillfully point people in
the right direction. I learned quickly that minimalist answers are best, and
the fewer words needed to answer a question the better. The desire among
visitors to keep interactions with staff brief came across in the number of
people who would begin walking away while I was still directing them, worried
they wouldn’t understand my initial directions. Overall the job is not too
complicated and I can see that my day will depend in part on where I’m
stationed and on how many thousands of visitors we have.
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