FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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IMLS Contact |
American Alliance of Museums Contact |
Washington, DC – The Museum Assessment Program (MAP), a proven initiative that promotes professional practices in museums and the field, has announced its latest group of participants. The program is funded by the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and throughout its 30 years has been administered by the American Alliance of Museums (the Alliance, formerly the American Association of Museums). As part of the IMLS National Leadership program, MAP advances best practices and fosters improvement in museums.
"MAP has been a vital tool for the entire museum field for more than three decades," said Alliance president Ford W. Bell, "and it will continue to be so, both as a launching pad for improvement for museums of all types and sizes and as an integral part of our new Continuum of Excellence, which embodies the commitment to community service embraced by America’s museums."
Over the course of three decades MAP has earned its shared of advocates, among these Deborah Staber, executive director of the L.C. Bates Museum in Hinckley, Maine: "MAP has affected everything we do," Staber said. "Strategically, tactically, operationally, philosophically, the MAP program has made us better in all these areas. And we continue to refer back to past MAP reports for ideas and guidance."
MAP participants include 126 museums from 39 states, encompassing small and mid-sized museums of all types, from the Chesapeake Children's Museum in Annapolis, MD and the Museum of Natural and Cultural History at the University of Oregon, in Eugene, to the Captain Frederick Pabst Mansion in Milwaukee, WI, and the Chabot Space & Science Center in Oakland, CA. The range of MAP participants reflects the broad scope of America’s museums, and a complete list of all MAP participants is available at http://www.aam-us.org/resources/assessment-programs/MAP/current-participants.
This year there are two opportunities to apply for MAP, with application deadlines on December 1 and July 1. This offers museums the chance to determine the optimum time to enter the program.
"I am proud of the legacy of support IMLS has built for the Museum Assessment Program," said Susan H. Hildreth, director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services. "The program continues to prepare participating museums with useful roadmaps for taking the next important steps to success."
Since its creation in 1981, MAP has provided more than 6,000 assessments to over 4,200 institutions across America. To apply to MAP for the December 1 deadline, visit www.aam-us.org/map.
About the Institute of Museum and Library Services
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 123,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. Our grants, policy development, and research helps communities and individuals thrive by providing broad public access to knowledge, cultural heritage, and lifelong learning. To learn more about IMLS, please visit www.imls.gov.
About the American Alliance of Museums
The American Alliance of Museums has been bringing museums together since 1906, helping to develop standards and best practices, gathering and sharing knowledge, and providing advocacy on issues of concern to the entire museum community. With more than 18,000 individual, 3,000 institutional and 300 corporate members, the Alliance is dedicated to ensuring that museums remain a vital part of the American landscape, connecting people with the greatest achievements of the human experience - past, present and future. For more information, visit www.aam-us.org.