National Standards & best practices for U.S. museums / the American Association of Museums ; Commentary by Elizabeth E. Merritt.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

American Association of Museums

Contributor:

Merritt, Elizabeth E.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Museums--United States--Handbooks, manuals, etc.

Museums.

Museums--Standards--United States--Handbooks, manuals, etc.

Museum techniques--United States--Handbooks, manuals, etc.

Museum techniques.

Museums--United States--Management--Handbooks, manuals, etc.

Museums--Management.

Museums--Standards.

United States.

Genre:

Handbooks and manuals.

Physical Description:

92 pages ; 26 cm

Other Title:

National standards and best practices for United States museums

Place of Publication:

Washington, DC : American Association of Museums, [2008]

Summary:

For the first time, the U.S. museum profession's current operating Standards in areas from public accountability to facilities and risk management are available in a single publication. This guide is an essential reference work for the museum community, presenting the ideals that should be upheld by every museum striving to maintain excellence in its operations. An introductory Section explains how virtually anyone associated with museums will find the book valuable, from trustees to staff to funders and the media. It is followed by a full outline of the Standards, including the overarching Characteristics of Excellence and the seven areas of performance they address. Throughout the book is Commentary by Elizabeth E. Merritt, former director of AAM's Museum Advancement and Excellence Department and founding director of AAM's Center for the Future of Museums.

Contents:

Preface / Ford W. Bell

Section 1: Introduction. Who should use this book and how ; What is a museum? ; Why Standards? ; What are "Standards and best practices"? ; Where do Standards come from? ; How can museums use the Standards? ; Who else uses the Standards, and how?

Section 2: Standards and best practices. Core questions ; Commentary ; Characteristics of excellence for U.S. museums ; Characteristics of excellence for U.S. museums "in translation"

I. Public trust and accountability. Standards regarding public trust and accountability ; Commentary ; Standards regarding ethics ; Commentary ; The AAM code of ethics for museums ; Standards regarding an institutional code of ethics ; Commentary

II. Mission and planning. Standards regarding institutional mission statements ; Commentary ; Standards regarding institutional planning ; Commentary

III. Leadership and organizational structure. Standards regarding governance ; Commentary ; Standards regarding delegation of authority ; Commentary

IV. Collections stewardship. Standards regarding collections stewardship ; Commentary ; Best practices regarding loaning collections to non-museum entities ; Commentary ; Standards regarding the unlawful appropriation of objects during the Nazi era ; Best practices regarding the unlawful appropriation of objects during the Nazi era ; Commentary

V. Education and interpretation. Standards regarding education and interpretation ; Commentary ; Standards regarding exhibiting borrowed objects ; Commentary

VI. Financial stability. Standards regarding financial stability ; Commentary ; Standards regarding developing and managing business and individual donor support ; Commentary ; Standards regarding retrenchment or downsizing

VII. Facilities and risk management. Standards regarding facilities and risk management ; Commentary

Section 3: Completing the picture. The universe of museum standards and best practices ; Other major sources of standards relevant to museums ; AAM standing professional committees and standards ; Trends and potential future standards ; Troubleshooting

Appendix: Dates of approval of standards and best practices.

Other Format:

Online version: American Association of Museums. National Standards & best practices for U.S. museums.

ISBN:

9781933253114

1933253118

OCLC:

213765658

Publisher Number:

90104427911