Volunteer Docents Recognized 
January 04, 2013
The Herkimer Community Museum staff and advisory committee members were recognized recently for their volunteer service as museum docents. Herkimer County Community College President Ann Marie Murray hosted a reception for the docents at her home and presented them with certificates of appreciation. The certificates included a quote from Alberto Acosta of the International Museum Institute of New York, owner of the collections on display in the museum: “Docents reveal the greater mysteries held in each object, creating a path to self-discovery and understanding of the world around us.”
Located at 301 North Prospect Street, the Herkimer Community Museum opened in March, primarily as an educational resource for students and teachers in Herkimer County schools. The museum is also open to the public. Museum docents guide visitors through museum exhibits by providing information on the works or artifacts on display, pointing out particular details of interest and explaining how the items relate to one another within the context of an exhibit. In preparation for leading groups through the exhibits, volunteers studied dinosaur life and evolution, paleontology, and ancient Egypt.
The docents include retired school teachers Margaret Stoffolano, Claudia Gloo, Joyce Cristiano and Mary Ann Collins, all residents of the Village of Herkimer, as well as HCCC history instructor Dr. John McLean of Little Falls and HCCC student Samantha Mook of Frankfort.
The Herkimer Community Museum is open Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. More information on the exhibits, special events and activities, and volunteer opportunities may be found on the museum’s website: http://www.herkimercommunitymuseum.com.
Pictured from left: Daniel Sargent, Assistant to the President, HCCC/Museum Director; Margaret Stoffolano, volunteer docent; Deborah West, onsite coordinator for the Museum; Claudia Gloo, volunteer docent; and Joyce Cristiano, volunteer docent.