From titles covering DEAI and governance to exhibitions and digital, the Alliance partners with Rowman & Littlefield (R&L) to publish the best and most comprehensive literature for and about museum work with a well-established commercial publisher in the museum field. AAM members receive 20% off all AAM titles.

Current Book Titles

Many of our books can be purchased through Rowman & Littlefield, our co-publisher. AAM Members are always entitled to a 20% discount off all AAM Press titles in the Rowman & Littlefield catalog.

Browse the catalog of 2023-2024 New Books for Museum Professionals!

Some of our current titles include: 

• Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion in Museums edited by Johnnetta Betsch Cole and Laura L. Lott
• The Inclusive Museum Leader edited by Cinnamon Catlin-Legutko and Chris Taylor
• Mission Matters by Gail Anderson
• Partnership Power: Essential Museum Strategies for Today’s Networked World by Marsha L. Semmel
• Rights and Reproductions: The Handbook for Cultural Institutions, Second Edition edited by Anne M. Young
• So You Want to Work in a Museum? by Tara Young

Browse all titles

You can order online and use coupon code AAMPRESS20 when ordering, or call toll-free at 800-462-6420 ext. 3024 to order by phone.

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Publish a Book with The AAM Press

AAM is always looking for new book ideas that are of interest to a significant segment of the museum community.

If you’re interested in submitting a proposal as an author or editor, get started by visiting AAM Press or emailing publisher@aam-us.org.

Proposals are reviewed by the AAM Press Editorial Advisory Board.

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Toolkits, Reports, and Publications

We have a growing number of toolkits created to meet your museum’s needs and elevate your practice. Learn more about all our toolkits.

Mastering Your Museum’s Core Documents

This toolkit offers guidance on the needed resources to successfully revise or draft your museum’s core documents. With it comes a combination of tools, guidelines, and action plans to help you understand the importance of—and required elements for—each of the five documents required for Core Documents Verification.

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Strategic Foresight Toolkit

This new resource provides a comprehensive introduction to strategic foresight—a vital skill set that enables individuals and organizations to anticipate change, craft effective plans, and shape the future they want to see.

Enhanced with worksheets, slide presentations, and games, the AAM Strategic Foresight Toolkit can help you in building your own foresight skills. The toolkit can help organizations train staff in the basic tools of futurism and integrate foresight into planning and operations.

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From the Ground Up: A Toolkit for Starting a Museum

People wish to start museums for many different reasons, such as the desire to share their passion with others, to preserve treasured objects for future generations, or to influence public opinion or behavior. Starting a museum is a tremendous amount of work, and this toolkit provides a comprehensive guide to the basics of creating, launching, and operating a sustainable museum.

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Reopening Starter Kit for Museums

While the prospect of safely reopening your museum to the public is an exciting one, the long list of tasks involved can be daunting and stressful. How should you communicate your reopening, what training does staff need, and what signage is needed? We know these are just a few of the questions running through your mind. To make reopening just a little easier, AAM has created a Reopening Starter Kit for Museums, including customizable health and safety posters and decals, messaging templates, and checklists, in one convenient $15 package. AAM Tier 2 and 3, Ally, Industry, and Individual Members receive an additional 30% off the retail price.

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Designing a Museum Volunteer Program Toolkit

Introducing a new edition!

This toolkit has helped hundreds of museum professionals create successful and sustainable volunteer programs. Now in its second edition, you too can get the guidance, policies, worksheets, and real-life examples you need to create an incredible volunteer program at your museum.

Learn about the key components in a museum volunteer program framework; why a museum needs volunteers, and the keys to structuring, developing, and supporting the museum volunteer program. The toolkit retails for $34.99 and is discounted to $29.99 for Tier 2 and Tier 3, Ally, Industry, and Individual AAM members. To receive your member discount, log-in to your AAM account.

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Speaking Up: Museum Advocacy in Action

Museums of all kinds are critical educational, cultural, and scientific institutions in our society, but the value of their work is not always fully understood. This practical guide for nonprofit advocacy provides tips on how to tell the stories of your museum’s important activities and contributions to policymakers, the press, and the public. The toolkit retails for $34.99 and is discounted to $29.99 for Tier 2 and Tier 3, Ally, Industry, and Individual AAM members. To receive your member discount, log-in to your AAM account. The toolkit retails for $34.99 and is discounted to $29.99 for Tier 2 and Tier 3, Ally, Industry, and Individual AAM members. To receive your member discount, log-in to your AAM account.

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The 2017 National Museum Salary Survey

Prepared in partnership with the six regional museum associations (Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, Mountain-Plains, New England, Southeastern, and Western) and five state museum associations (California, Florida, New York, Texas, and Virginia), the 2017 National Museum Salary Survey is the only comprehensive study of its kind for our diverse field. The full report is available for $100, or $60 for Tier 2 and Tier 3 museum members of AAM and of the regional and state project partner organizations. Smaller “snapshot” reports for specific staffing categories are available for $20 each.

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Museum Board Leadership 2017: A National Report

Good governance is essential to the work of museum trustees and directors, providing the very foundation for the museum’s success. Together the board and the director set the direction of the museum, obtain and manage the resources needed for it to fulfill its mission and ensure that the museum is accountable to the public. Museum boards and trustees are the connective tissue that links the museum and its mission to the community it serves. AAM’s strategic plan calls for strengthening those connections by engaging museum boards and helping museum directors build and maintain the highest standards of good governance.A new report, Museum Board Leadership 2017, commissioned by AAM, grades boards on a wide variety of policies, practices, and performance. The survey was conducted in partnership with BoardSource and Northern Trust.

Download the report (PDF): Free

 

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National Standards and Best Practices for U.S. Museums

For the first time, the U.S. museum profession’s current operating standards in areas from public accountability to facilities and risk management are available in a single publication. This guide is an essential reference work for the museum community, presenting the ideals that should be upheld by every museum striving to maintain excellence in its operations. An introductory section explains how virtually anyone associated with museums will find the book valuable, from trustees to staff to funders and the media. It is followed by a full outline of the standards, including the overarching Characteristics of Excellence and the seven areas of performance they address. Throughout the book is commentary by Elizabeth E. Merritt, former director of AAM’s Museum Advancement and Excellence Department and founding director of AAM’s Center for the Future of Museums.

As an AAM membership benefit, staff who work at a member museum may download this book as a free PDF. Just add the PDF to your cart. There will be no charge at checkout.

Please note: one free download per staff member

Purchase copies of this title in print from Rowman and Littlefield.

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Building the Future of Education: Museums and the Learning Ecosystem

Building the Future of Education: Museums and the Learning Ecosystem summarizes the content and shares ideas coming out of a convening organized by the Alliance and The Henry Ford. Essays by educators, students, researchers and reformers explore how leaders from the worlds of education and museums can work together to create immersive, experiential learning opportunities for youth.

Download as PDF: Free

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Direct Care of Collections: Ethics, Guidelines and Recommendations

Direct Care of Collections: Ethics, Guidelines and Recommendations provides field-wide guidance on the use of proceeds from the sale of deaccessioned objects. It focuses specifically on direct care, a phrase that has caused confusion since it was first used in the AAM Code of Ethics for Museums in 1993.

Download as PDF: Free

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General Facility Report

The updated (2019) General Facility Report provides the opportunity to record the latest information about an institution’s physical specifications and staff practices. The streamlined standard form expedites the exchange of information critical to lenders and insurers. Architects and designers will want to use this form as a handy checklist for construction and engineering. This report is also a useful self-assessment tool for the building and its protection systems. Complete the downloadable PDF once and, with periodic updates on your computer, keep all the information current.

Institutions not within an environmental disaster zone can complete the even more streamlined short form.

Purchase as PDF: $19.95 ($10 discount for members)