The American Alliance of Museums (AAM), the only organization representing the entire scope of the museum community, recently selected the Western Illinois Museum as part of a new cohort of museums to participate in its 2023 Museum Assessment Program.
Since its inception in 1981, the Museum Assessment Program (MAP) has helped more than 5,000 small and mid-sized museums of all types strengthen operations, plan for the future, and meet standards. When the Western Illinois Museum decided to participate in the Museum Assessment Program, it had to choose from one of five institutional assessment types: Organizational, Collections Stewardship, Education & Interpretation, Community & Audience Engagement, or Board Leadership. With the Museum’s renovation plans including an open shelving collection area, it has selected to focus on Collection Stewardship. The Museum staff and team of volunteers will work to create a plan to improve storage options that will allow artifacts to be visible to guests without compromising their protection and preservation. All five assessment types are grounded in AAM’s Core Standards; are inclusive of Diversity, Equity, Access, and Inclusion (DEAI) issues as they relate to the assessment focus; help museums look at both functional and strategic aspects of their operations, and present focused learning modules and action plans for the museum to progress through; and include a peer-reviewed site visit.
The decision to undertake this assessment rests on an active team of volunteers who are dedicated to learning more about the care of our collection and asking questions about the Western Illinois Museum’s practice of stewardship of its community’s history and culture. The outcome will be to gain clarity on an institutional roadmap, see the positive impacts the Museum is having on its visitor experience or community’s response, and grow in its ability to identify strengths and challenges.
MAP is supported through a cooperative agreement between the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the American Alliance of Museums. Read more about the Alliance’s Museum Assessment Program and Continuum of Excellence.
About the American Alliance of Museums
The American Alliance of Museums (AAM) is the only organization representing the entire museum field, from art and history museums to science centers and zoos. Since 1906, we have been championing museums through advocacy and providing museum professionals with the resources, knowledge, inspiration, and connections they need to move the field forward.
For more information on the American Alliance of Museums, and the impact of museums, visit aam-us.org.