Alliance Blog

The Alliance blog provides the museum community with a place to share stories and insights, in their own voice, reaching thousands of people across the global museum field.

Explore all Publications from the Alliance.

Explore the AAM Resource Library by topic, and further filter by subtopic or resource types to find what matters most to you!

Digital Storytelling coming to a museum near you: 3 reasons to use Lume

By Gretchen Halverson

Gretchen Halverson is the Media and Technology Assistant at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. The reinstallation of the African galleries at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia) in 2013 involved the drastic reduction in the number of …
Goldilocks data: Benefiting from the data that’s “just right” might be easier—and harder—than you think.

By Tom Shapiro

There’s big data, there’s your own organization’s internal data (aka hyper-local data), and, increasingly, there’s Goldilocks data—the “just right” blend of timely information, relevant context, and affordability. All three types can …
Lorem Ipsum: 5 Keys to Speaking the Same Language as Your Project Team

By David Whitemyer, AIA

My financial planner talks at lightning speed, using terms like “asset class diversification,” “large-cap funds,” and “variable annuity.” Embarrassingly, I don’t know what any of it means, and it’s overwhelming. I simply want him to …
The Elephant in the Room

By John Fraser

In the January 2018 special issue of Curator: The Museum Journal, several authors explore the issue of ivory and what it means to museums collections today. Here’s a review from the Editor John Fraser and the Guest Editors for the Special …
Sharing Outcomes from “Don’t Raid the Cookie Jar” – Opening remarks by Laura Lott

By Laura Lott

This post is adapted from opening remarks made by Alliance CEO Laura Lott at “Don’t Raid the Cookie Jar: Creating Early Interventions to Prevent Deaccessioning Crises,” a convening held December 14-15, 2017 in Cambridge, …
What does collaborative learning look like for museum professionals?

By Ivy Young

Museum associations, like the organizations they serve, face significant shifts in responding to 21st-century learning models that emphasize opportunities for building new skills and practices in self-directed, participant-centered, and …
Seamless Coordination: 7 Reasons to Hire Your Architect and Exhibit Designer at the Same Time

By David Whitemyer, AIA

A museum expansion, or the design and construction of a brand new museum, usually begins by hiring an architect, and may also include bringing on engineers, estimators, interior designers, and other building specialists. This makes a lot …
Learn more about C.J. Roberts, the newest AAM Accreditation Commissioner

By Joseph Klem

The following is an interview with newly appointed Accreditation Commissioner, C.J. Roberts, on what this new appointment means to him and the field. 1. You were part of the Tampa Bay History Center from its inception. Tell me how that …
Time and Space Self-Care Plan

By Seema Rao

Resolution-makers often accidentally set themselves up for failure. They set goals that are totally out of character. They imagine they will change a dozen bad habits overnight. When within a few weeks, they somehow remain unchanged, the …
Top Ten Takeaways from the Museums & Schools: The LA Convening

By Sage Morgan Hubbard

Greetings, and Happy New Year! This is Sage Morgan-Hubbard and Megan Lantz from AAM writing to share some of our top takeaways from Museums & Schools: The LA Convening. AAM co-hosted this event with the Partnership for Los Angeles …