Professional Resources

Reference guides, articles and tools to help you and your museum succeed.


The Bookstore

The most informative and authoritative professional literature on every aspect of museum operations. 


Sample Documents

Our collection contains over 1,000 documents of sample policies, plans and forms from museums of all types and sizes. Most of the samples were written by accredited museums.

The collection of sample documents is fairly large and updated regularly. Information Center staff typically send three to five examples of each document type requested so you can see how different museums approach an issue. Although there is no limit to the number of requests you submit, it is recommended that you limit requests to five document types at a time.

If you are unsure of what type of sample document to request, please send us an email describing your museum's most pressing needs and challenges and we will try to find appropriate resources for you.

Send a request for a sample document type to infocenter@aam-us.org with your museum's discipline or type, budget range and governance.

Collections Stewardship Documents

  • Archive and Library Management Policies
  • Collections Plans
  • Collections Plans - Forms
  • Collection Management Agreements (also called Repository Agreements)
  • Collections Management Policies
  • Collections Management - Forms
  • Conservation Plans
  • Copyright & Reproduction Policies
  • Courier Policies
  • Cyclical Maintenance/Housekeeping Procedures
  • Handling Procedures
  • Integrated Pest Management Policies
  • Loans to Non-Museum Entities Policies
  • NAGPRA Policies
  • Preservation Policies

Education and Interpretation Documents

  • Clothing Policies
  • Education Plans
  • Education Policies
  • Evaluation Materials
  • Exhibition Agreements
  • Exhibition Policies & Procedures
  • Furnishing Plans
  • Interpretive Plans
  • Publication Policies
  • Style Guides

Facilities and Risk Management Documents

  • Disaster/Emergency Plans
  • Security Guard Manuals

Financial Stability Documents

  • Development & Membership Plans
  • Development & Membership Policies
  • Endowment Policies
  • Facility Use Agreements
  • Filming, Photography, and Sound Recording Agreements
  • Financial Policies & Procedures
  • Mothballing Historic Structures Material

Governance and Support Organization Documents

  • Bylaws for External Organizations
  • Bylaws for Internal Groups
  • Bylaws for Museums & Parent Organizations
  • Delegation of Authority Statements
  • Governance Manuals (Table of Contents)
  • Governance Transition Plans
  • Institutional Codes of Ethics
  • Management Agreements
  • Record Retention Policies
  • Statements of Support
  • Whistleblower Protection Policies

Human Resources Documents

  • Computer Policies
  • Diversity Statements
  • Organizational Charts
  • Performance Appraisal Forms
  • Personnel Policies
  • Position Descriptions (please specify the position type needed)
  • Travel Policies
  • Volunteer Application Forms
  • Volunteer Handbooks

Marketing and Public Relations Documents

  • Marketing Plans
  • Marketing & Public Relations Policies
  • Social Media Policies

Mission and Institutional Planning Documents

  • Business Plans
  • Institutional Plans (includes strategic and operating plans)
  • Mission Statements (includes vision & values statements)