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New Directions in Interactive Media for Museums

By Alan Govenar

The challenges of integrating interactive media into the museum experience are manifold. New technologies can engage but also potentially alienate museum visitors who have different cultural backgrounds and varying degrees of knowledge …
Say Cheese! 3 Ways Museums Can Compete with Instagrammable Pop-Ups

By David Whitemyer, AIA

This article is loosely based on a session panel that I facilitated at the 2018 New England Museum Association (NEMA) conference titled, “Let Me Take a Selfie: The Power of Photo Ops and ‘Instagrammable’ Moments in Museums.” Panelists …
Museums and AI: Could Robots Be Your New Coworkers?

By Seema Rao

What is AI? How does it impact our lives every day? How are museums already using it? How might they use it in the future? This post, one of three on the topic of artificial intelligence in museums, introduces the technology and answers …
5 Questions on the New Equity and Inclusion Statement at the Science Museum of Minnesota

By American Alliance of Museums

Earlier this year the Science Museum of Minnesota unveiled a new Statement on Equity and Inclusion. We recently asked Kim Ramsden, director of communications for the museum, how this statement came about and how the museum moved it from a …
Making SPACE: An innovative high school program creating artists and winning awards

By Lydia Ross and Ricardo Gamboa

This post originally appeared on the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) DNA blog on October 3, 2018, and is republished here with permission. Each year AAM’s Education Committee (EdCom) Professional Network recognizes outstanding museum …
CAMPing Out: Making Museums More LGBTQ-friendly with Chicagoland Alliance of Museums with PRIDE

By Katie Slivovsky and David Carrasquillo

Part 1: Katie Slivovsky, Exhibit Development Director, LGBTQ Access & Inclusion Chair, Chicago Children’s Museum Something wonderful is brewing in Chicago—and I don’t mean craft beer. I’m talking about the 80-plus staff from over 25 …
Pursuing Learning through Intentional Practice

By Randi Korn

Most museum staff yearn to affect those who visit their museum; they want to create meaningful experiences that will be remembered long after people’s encounters. Stephen Weil believed that museums are uniquely suited to make a positive …
The World is Better Because of Museums

By American Alliance of Museums

Museum professionals from across the globe share personal stories about how museums play a vital role in society and can have a powerful, positive impact in the lives of the individuals and greater communities they serve. Transcript Laura …
An ‘Endangered’ Artifact Allows a Small Museum to Better Tell Its Story

By Shiloh Aderhold Holley

In the Summer of 2017, a supporter of the Edith Bolling Wilson Birthplace Museum notified us that the former First Lady’s original 1904 automobile operator’s permit was for sale on eBay. Shortly after the news spread, an anonymous donor …
Assessing Museum Financial Sustainability: What Kind of Monster is Under Your Bed?

By Susan Zwerling

Has anyone besides me ever had a bad dream about financial sustainability? How about any nightmares along the lines of “What if the museum has to close down”? These kinds of disturbing thoughts can occur during a big crisis, or when there …