[NHCOLL-L:420] Museum Assessment Program

[Tim White]

Dear SPNHC and ASC Colleagues,

Since joining the Museum Assessment Program in July I have been working to
improve the ways in which MAP addresses collections care in general, and
natural history collections in particular.  I am concerned to find that
natural history museums are under-represented among those accessing
Institute of Museum and Library Services grant money to pay for MAP.  I am
writing to encourage you to apply for the March 15th , 2000 deadline for
IMLS funding for MAP assessments.  Over $100,000 in IMLS MAP funds went
unused last year - enough to fund over 40 museums in the program.  The
grants are non-competitive, and the application is easy to fill out.  I
hope that many of you take advantage of this opportunity.

How is the Program Changing to Meet Your Needs?
This fall a large group of museum colleagues, including SPNHC members,
helped MAP revise the Self-Study process for all three MAP assessments:
Institutional, Collections Management, and Public Dimension.  I am very
impressed with the new Self-Study Workbook that has resulted from this
input. The self-study process is more comprehensive and interactive, and at
the same time we have made the questions clearer and easier to complete.
The new Workbook now addresses material of particular concern to natural
history collections, including integrated pest management, toxins in
collections, and legal and permitting issues.

One of the biggest changes is that all the Assessments now include
activities that help museum staff explore the operations of their
organization.  Each participating Museum chooses and completes three that
fit its resources and goals for the assessment process. Activities in the
Collections Management Assessment address: 
· non-collections staff's perceptions regarding collections, 
· the Board's legal and ethical responsibilities for collections, 
· disaster preparedness,
· acquisitions, 
· deaccessioning, 
· records keeping.  

As past Chair of the SPNHC Education and Training Committee, I am confident
that these assessments can help your museum address your concerns and
improve your operations.  For more information visit www.aam-us.org/map.htm
or contact MAP staff at 202-289-9118; map at aam-us.org for an application.

Yours sincerely,

Elizabeth Merritt
Assistant Director, Museum Advancement & Excellence, American Association
of Museums
Chair, Professionalism Committee, Society for the Preservation of Natural
History Collections


Tim

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Tim White, Senior Collection Manager     Yale University 
Division of Invertebrate Paleontology    170 Whitney Ave., PO Box 208118
Peabody Museum of Natural History        New Haven, CT 06520-8118
                  
                                                                          
203.432.3767 (voice); 203.432.9816 (fax)                                  
tim.white at yale.edu (email), www.peabody.yale.edu (www)  
                  
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