"Small Museums and Accreditation II" - "Secrets of Accreditation"

Free Accreditation Resource for Small Museums Now Available
Museums interested in accreditation are invited to get a free copy of "Small Museums and Accreditation II: Profiles of Small Accredited Museums." Continuing the model used in the original 2005 version, this invaluable CD provides a comprehensive picture of the accreditation of nine small museums, all accredited within the past two to four years and with annual operating expenses between $100,000 and $330,000.

Included on the CD are copies of each museum's accreditation self-study questionnaire, site visit report, Accreditation Commission decision letters and strategic plans. The museums' directors also contribute tips and insights on the accreditation experience. A self-executing web-based presentation walks users through the materials while explaining the basics of accreditation, from the standards and how they are applied to all the steps in the process.

To request a copy of "Small Museums and Accreditation II," e-mail your name and mailing address to smallmus-accred@aam-us.org, call the Accreditation Program staff at 202-218-7689 or fax your request to 202-289-6578. The CD is PC-compatible and requires Windows, Adobe Acrobat Reader and an Internet browser.

The Accreditation Program produced the CD with support from AAM's Small Museum Administrator's Standing Professional Committee. AAM thanks the following museums for generously granting permission to share their accreditation documents: Arms Family Museum of Local History, Youngstown, Ohio; Carlyle House Historic Park, Alexandria, Va.; Frontier Army Museum, Fort Leavenworth, Kans.; Historical Society of Frederick County, Frederick, Md.; Litchfield Historical Society Museum, Conn.; Oberlin Heritage Center, Ohio; Philip and Muriel Berman Museum of Art, Collegeville, Pa.; Silver City Museum, N.Mex., and Western Museum of Mining and Industry, Colorado Springs, Colo. For more information and a list of accredited museums, visit the accreditation section of the AAM website.

Sign Up Now for "Secrets of Accreditation"

Is your museum planning to apply for accreditation, starting a reaccreditation review in the next three years or considering whether and when to begin the accreditation process? Attend AAM's seminar "Secrets of Accreditation" on Sept. 6–7 at the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum in Austin. Through presentations by members of the Accreditation Commission, an accredited museum director/site reviewer and Accreditation Program staff, as well as interactive exercises and small group discussions, you will:

• Learn what accreditation standards are—in plain language—and how they apply to your museum
• Discover how to ensure a smooth process and a successful outcome
  
• Gain valuable tips to maximize benefits, minimize delays and avoid setbacks
• Learn effective approaches to prepare for and manage each step of the accreditation process
• Get advice from your peers, from how they benefit from accreditation to effectively "selling" it to boards/parent organizations

Newly added this year are breakout sessions for accredited museums and applicants as part of the seminar, as well as the option of having an individual conference with accreditation staff the morning after the conference. Registration closes Aug. 10; as the seminar is limited to 80 people and has sold out in advance of the deadline before, participants are encouraged to sign up early. For more details and to register, visit the AAM website or contact Carla Santos, assistant manager of meetings and professional education, at 202-218-7677 or csantos@aam-us.org.

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