The webinars that AAM is offering are the best thing that AAM has done for us since Accreditation! Training & travel was one of the first line items cut from our budget. These programs are affordable, relevant, and valuable. As we do performance plans for this year, the AAM webinars are an integrated part of professional development. We are also connecting with other professionals in the area by inviting them to join with us in the learning experience. Thank you.
–Ruth Haas, Director, Cape Fear Museum of History & Science


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Register for all 6 webinars and cover professional development for your entire staff for $150! Fellowships are also available.

Museum Essentials Webinar Series
In collaboration with the Museum Assessment Program (MAP) and AAM Standing Professional Committees (SPCs)
Sponsored by LearningTimes

Responding directly to the expressed needs of the field, AAM Professional Development has created a new series of webinars rooted in the basics of museum management, collections care, governance, and the public dimension of museums. Entitled Museum Essentials, the six-part series begins July 1.

Museum Essentials is based on the standards and practices of the Museum Assessment Program (MAP) which is designed to ensure the highest museum performance in governance, administration, responsibility and accountability to both museum collections and museum audiences. Administered by AAM in conjunction with the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), MAP has for 25 years empowered museums to excel in all aspects of operations, collections management, public programs and strategic planning. Participants in the Museum Essentials series will benefit from the experiences of MAP leaders and practitioners. Click here to learn more about MAP.

Webinar Series Moderators:
Greg Stevens, Assistant Director for Professional Development, American Association of Museums
Jonathan Finkelstein, Founder and Executive Producer, LearningTimes

Strategic Thinking and Planning in Today's Economic Climate
July 1, 2009
2-3:30 p.m. (Eastern)
In collaboration with the Museum Assessment Program (MAP) and the AAM Museum Management Committee (MMC) 
Sponsored by LearningTimes

Led by John Durel, Organizational Consultant and Leadership Coach Durel Consulting Partners/Qm2, Baltimore, MD

As museums strive to remain financially viable through cost reductions and shifting resources to maximize revenue in the short term, they should also do things now to strengthen their sustainability over the long term. Rather than just getting through this economic downturn, museums should use it as an opportunity to build a stronger organization with greater capacity to remain viable in the future. Drawing on proven organizational concepts from the business sector, John Durel will discuss four essential elements of long term sustainability. The stronger the organization is in each element, the more likely it will emerge even stronger as it responds to challenges that come its way.
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Collections Conundrums
July 15, 2009
2-3:30 p.m. (Eastern)
In collaboration with the Museum Assessment Program (MAP) and the AAM Registrar’s Committee (RC-AAM)
Sponsored by LearningTimes

Led by
Jeanne Benas*, Registrar, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
Rebecca A. Buck**, Deputy Director for Collection Services, Newark Museum
Jean Gilmore**, Registrar, Brandywine River Museum

*Chair, AAM Registrars Committee (RC-AAM)
**Co-authors of the AAM-published best-sellers New Museum Registration Methods (1998); On the Road Again: Developing and Managing Traveling Exhibitions (2003) and Collection Conundrums: Solving Collections Management Mysteries (2007).

Museum registrars, collections managers and curators: Join experienced colleagues in a practical review of collection issues made more difficult by dwindling resources, energy and time. Topics to be covered include institutional guidelines, processing incoming objects, accessioning, and keeping track of collections. Come armed with your toughest collection conundrums and your best efforts to “stump the experts.”
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Interpretive Planning Basics: Planning for Visitor Experiences
September 9, 2009
2-3:30 p.m. (Eastern)
In collaboration with the Museum Assessment Program (MAP) and the AAM Committee on Education (EdCom)
Sponsored by LearningTimes

Led by Marcella Wells, President, Wells Resources, Inc., Ft. Collins, CO  

Join this 90-minute exploration of the interpretive planning process as it relates to visitor experiences, educational opportunities, and interpretation in informal learning institutions. Interpretive planning specialist Marcella Wells will address the critical components of an interpretive plan and engage participants in online interaction about their specific questions related to visitor experience planning in their institution. After participating in this webinar, attendees will be better able to:

• Articulate the rationale for visitor experience planning
• Describe a basic visitor experience/interpretive planning process in terms of questions to be addressed and logical format
• Set specific goals for planning in their home institution 

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Audience Research and Evaluation: Why it Matters Now More Than Ever
September 23, 2009
2-3:30 p.m. (Eastern)
In collaboration with the Museum Assessment Program (MAP) and the AAM Committee on Research and Evaluation (CARE)
Sponsored by LearningTimes

Led By
Christine Reich, Manager of Informal Education Research and Evaluation, Museum of Science
Steven Yalowitz, Senior Research Associate, Institute for Learning Innovation

This webinar will provide an overview of essential planning for audience research in your institution, and practical tips and tools for implementing effective research and evaluation of your (real and virtual) audiences. Explore the landscape of essential components for evaluation planning, including an examination of institutional mission, vision and purpose and articulation of goals for any research or evaluation study. “Drilldown” into the process components of a research program emphasizing practical tips for thinking and acting strategically about audience research.
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HR Basics: Evaluating and Coaching Employees
October 21, 2009
2-3:30 p.m. (Eastern)
In collaboration with the Museum Assessment Program (MAP) and the AAM Museum Management Committee (MMC)
Sponsored by LearningTimes

Led by
Ellen Corradini, Director of Human Resources, The Corning Museum of Glass
Charlotte Montgomery, Director of Resource Allocation, Illinois State Museum

Writing performance evaluations and coaching employees through performance problems are among the most challenging aspects of any manager’s job. It becomes even more challenging as our budgets shrink and we have to do more with less. But ignoring or not properly addressing personnel problems can be costly to your museum. This 90-minute webinar will give supervisors and managers valuable information about legal and other aspects of the performance evaluation process, coaching and terminating employees. They will also learn about self assessment tools in the evaluation process and will gain an appreciation for this new way of conducting performance evaluations.
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Project Management Basics
November 4, 2009
2-3:30 p.m. (Eastern)
In collaboration with the Museum Assessment Program (MAP) and the AAM Museum Management Committee (MMC)
Sponsored by LearningTimes

Led by Myriam Springuel, President, Springuel Consulting, Sarasota, FL

Where do we start? Where are we going? How will we get there? What does “success” look like? Learn the basics of project management in this lively and practical workshop. Participants will learn about what changes when you go from “doing” the work to “managing” the project. We will discuss project management tools; how to plan the work of all those involved, including employees and contractors; how to create budgets and timelines; and how to negotiate on behalf of the project. We will also explore different project management styles, giving you insights on how to build on your strengths to create effective project teams – that colleagues want to work with (the true test of how effectively you will get the project completed!).
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Fellowships
AAM, the AAM Standing Professional Committees (SPC) and the AAM Emerging Museum Professionals (EMP) are pleased to offer a limited number of fellowships to qualified individual AAM members for the upcoming Museum Essentials webinar series, scheduled for July-November 2009. Fellowships for any of the seminars are offered by these groups:

• Committee on Diversity in Museums (DivCom)
• Committee on Audience Research and Evaluation (CARE)
• Small Museum Administrators’ Committee (SMAC-AAM)
• Museum Management Committee (MMC)
• Registrars Committee (RC-AAM)
• Media and Technology Committee (M&T)
• AAM Emerging Museum Professionals (EMP)

Click here for more information and the fellowship application form.