Museums exist to serve their audiences; however, the scope of this charge is constantly being challenged and changed. This book looks at new roles small museums have taken as they find ways to become irreplaceable members of the community, engaging with and advocating for their audience—from large-scale marketing and public relations efforts to welcome signs and entrances. Book Five encourages small museums to examine their audiences and make them comfortable, program to their needs and in...

Effectively managing people, facilities, and partnerships can make or break an institution. Museum operations encompasses responsibility for the maintenance of your structure, the safety of your visitors, and the security of your staff and collections. This behind-the-scenes administrative effort is rarely what calls people to work in museums, but good organizational management keeps your institution functioning smoothly. This book examines how to find and work well with all the people who...

Small museums face the same challenges as large museums on a tighter budget and with fewer resources. Navigating these obstacles requires strong leadership and effective governance. The creation and use of planning documents and a clear mission and vision are essential to pursuing the long-term health of an organization. This book features concise, grounded approaches to finding and articulating the mission and vision of a small museum. Because a few tools have been invaluable to small mus...

Small museums must adopt policies of financial responsibility and stability if they are to last. Through an organized commitment to transparency and accountability, small museums can achieve sound financial management just like their larger counterparts. This book offers sample fiscal policies, guides to fundraising plans, and budgeting templates to help small museums manage their money effectively. It also details the fundraising methods available to small museums and how to measure your ...

Proper collections care, planning, and conservation is an essential responsibility for a museum of any size, but funding for these obligations often falls to the bottom of funding priorities because its constituencies are the quietest. Small museums need affordable ways to provide basic care for their collections and the tools to lobby for additional funds for the long-term health of collections. Small museums often do not have staff expertise on the maintenance and preservation of these l...

Programs, tours and exhibits are the meat-and-potatoes of what most museums do to meet their missions to educate the public. Interpretation helps make small museums compelling so that the public understands that they are more than a repository of dusty objects. This book considers researching and designing exhibits and best practices for sharing the stories with your audiences. It explores how to orient your organization to be effective interpreters of what you collect, including how to te...