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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 …
Aurora Regional Fire Museum’s MAP Experience

By Susan Zwerling

Susan Zwerling is a Museum Assessment Program Officer for AAM. I recently interviewed Aurora Regional Fire Museum (ARFM) Executive Director Brian Failing (BF) about the museum’s Community Engagement MAP experience. He joined this small …
Big Box: 8 Things to Learn from IKEA about Museum Design

By David Whitemyer, AIA

During a recent holiday shopping excursion to IKEA, while resting on a NORSBORG series chaise and with a belly full of meatballs and lingonberry sauce, I took a few minutes to pretend I was in a museum rather than an overcrowded store. The …
7 Museums to Visit During Hanukkah

By Cecelia Walls

As many of us know, we are currently in the midst of Hanukkah. As I think of my friends and colleagues celebrating the Jewish Festival of Lights, I am reminded of the many museums around the country dedicated to preserving and sharing this …
Receiving the Nancy Hanks award (and what the heck is professional development, anyway)

By Emily Graslie

Emily Graslie is Chief Curiosity Correspondent for The Field Museum in Chicago, and the host, creator, and writer for its educational YouTube series, The Brain Scoop @ehmee Around this time last year I received an email from Elizabeth …
Don Wildman: Why does the Guggenheim Museum look the way it does?

By Don Wildman

In this second in a series, noted Travel Channel host Don Wildman discusses why the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum looks the way it does. Frank Lloyd Wright called it “organic architecture.” In his pre-construction plans, he intended the …
Rescuing Puerto Rico’s Cultural Heritage

By Janet Vaughan

Janet Vaughan is Vice President, Membership & Excellence for the American Alliance of Museums. Not one, but two powerful hurricanes devastated Puerto Rico in less than two weeks’ time in September. The eye of Hurricane Irma passed …
Inviting Children In: Valuing The Youngest Museum Visitors

By Cynthia Raso, Tiffany McGettigan, Meredith Osborne, and Motoko Hioki

Is your museum seeking ways to activate its spaces with the enthusiasm of young learners? As museums strive to be more diverse and inclusive, museums of all types can embrace the larger movement to meaningfully engage young children. In …