This assessment of American museums focuses on why museums are important to our culture, what they can contribute to the quality of human experience, and their overall purpose. Leaders in the museum community explore and identify trends affecting the future of museums and describe the opportunities and responsibilities facing museums in the 21st century.

Museums for a New Century: A Report of the Commission on Museums for a New Century

Business & Money

American Alliance of Museums

Industries

American Alliance Of Museums

This landmark report affirms the contributions museums make to the educational needs of the nation. The report helps museums define how well they are carrying out their educational mission and serving the public. The principles are accompanied by specific recommendations, which museums can implement to meet challenges as the stewards of educational excellence and equity.

Excellence and Equity: Education and the Public Dimension of Museums

This landmark publication identifies strategies for determining the extent and content of museum learning and the visitor experience. Takes into account prior knowledge and experience; subsequent, reinforcing experiences; motivation and attitudes; culture and background; social mediation; design and representation; and the physical setting. Includes possible measurement techniques for the museum context, and recommendations for future research in museum training.

Public Institutions for Personal Learning: Establishing a Research Agenda

Finally! Standards for signs and labels that address the needs of wheelchair users and the visually impaired visitor. Copious photographs, diagrams, and sample labels for orientation signs, directional signs, and gallery labels demonstrate that what makes a label accessible also makes it more effective for all museum visitors. The manual also provides standards for typesize, contrast, and installation, as well as a glossary.

Standards Manual for Signs and Labels

Arts & Photography

Graphic Design

Museum Studies Programs: Guide to Evaluation provides prospective students with the necessary tools to conduct their own individually tailored analysis of how well a museum studies program will meet their particular needs. It is also designed to provide museum studies programs with solid guidelines for self-assessment and peer review.

Museum Studies Programs: Guide to Evaluation

Turn your conservation needs assessment into a long-range plan! This publication leads you through the process of writing a long-range preservation plan for collections care. Intended for museums, historical societies, libraries, and archives that have had a conservation-needs assessment and seek assistance in developing a written plan, this step-by-step guide lessens the need for an outside consultant. The workbook contains guidelines and worksheets for drafting a plan, a checklist to follow throughout the process, information on updating and marketing the plan once it is written, and a sample plan. Published in an easy-to-manage loose-leaf notebook, the worksheets can be removed and photocopied. The worksheets also are supplied on an IBM-compatible floppy disk included in the workbook.

Preservation Planning: Guidelines for Writing a Long-Range Plan

Ogden, Sherelyn

Collections, Catalogs & Exhibitions

This study of visitor behavior in educational exhibitions includes an easy-to-use method for assessing the impact of exhibitions by examining the amount of time visitors spend in exhibits and where they pay attention. The author discusses a database that tracks the length of time people spend in exhibitions and where they stop, defines variables, and presents two new indexes for comparing visitor use of exhibitions. Case studies show how the indexes have been used to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of exhibitions.

Paying Attention: Visitors and Museum Exhibitions

Serrell, Beverly

What your visitors think is important! This collection of articles explains how visitor studies can influence and improve museum exhibits, program planning, and services. In simple language, the articles cover different kinds of evaluation, from "front-end" to "summative," and discuss how to convince decision makers of the merits of conducting evaluation. The articles are supplemented with practical case studies that demonstrate the benefits of evaluation in museums, and lists of reading materials, organizations, and resources.

Introduction to Museum Evaluation

Few issues that museums face are as complex as deaccessioning - the permanent removal of an accessioned object from a museum's collection. One must simultaneously consider such factors as mission and collections policy, legal and ethical restrictions, donors' wishes, and the public interest. This book is intended to assist those who are responsible for developing a deaccession program. Includes collections disposal policies from several museums, as well as statements from professional organizations, including AAM, AAMD, and AASLH.

A Deaccession Reader

Weil, Stephen E.

In Museums: Places of Learning, the authors explore all aspects of educational theory, museum education practice, and visitor studies in a straightforward, concise, and readable manner. Useful in relating the educational contributions of museums to the wider educational issues of society and to public service, this book is a must-read for every museum board and staff member.

Museums: Places of Learning (Professional Practice Series)

Alexander, Mary

Hein, George E.

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Books by American Alliance Of Museums