Center for the Future of Museums Blog

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Combat Ageism. Your Future Self Will Thank You.

By Elizabeth Merritt

Of the many -isms we are grappling with as individuals and as a society, one of the strangest is ageism. Strange because, in the best case, we will all reach old age. So we are effectively discriminating against our own future selves. …
The next COVID scenario: Delta Force

By Elizabeth Merritt

The near term future is looking much brighter than it was in March 2020, when I published my first set of scenarios exploring how the COVID-19 pandemic might play out. While the death toll in the US has surpassed 600,000 (a grim statistic …
Digital Readiness and Pandemic Adaptations

By Elizabeth Merritt

On February 10, 2021, the American Alliance of Museums and the John S. Knight Foundation hosted an online conversation about “Digital Readiness and Pandemic Adaptations.” The webinar recording and transcription are available to AAM members …
Navigating a Disrupted Future at #AAM2021

By Elizabeth Merritt

How is a talk different from a written report? How is a digital presentation different from its analog kin? Earlier this week I gave my annual TrendsWatch session at the #AAM2021 virtual conference. As usual, I used the presentation as an …
A Futures Approach to Museum Planning

By Elizabeth Merritt

Nothing gives me greater joy than learning how the futurist materials created by CFM have helped museums and museum people in their work. Today on the blog, Ty Smith and Jeremy Taylor tell us how the California State Railroad Museum used …
Your Guide to the Future at #AAM2021

By Elizabeth Merritt

I began publishing a “guide to the future” for each AAM annual meeting nearly a decade ago. This was, in part, a response to feedback from attendees (especially first-timers) that the conference was a bit overwhelming. To help attendees …
Combatting Burnout in the Museum Sector

By Elizabeth Merritt

Last month the Alliance released the results of “Measuring the Impact of COVID-19 on People in the Museum Field.” Respondents (the majority of who identified themselves as full-time or part-time museum staff) tell us that the pandemic has …
Serving the Needs of the Community During a Pandemic

By Elizabeth Merritt

During the COVID-19 pandemic, museums have proven themselves to be part of the essential infrastructure of our country, supporting their communities in myriad ways. Sometimes this support is grounded in mainstream museum practice—exhibits …
Investing for Values and Mission

By Elizabeth Merritt

Editor’s Note: This year AAM’s TrendsWatch leads with a call for museums to help close the racial gaps in wealth and power that divide the United States. As the report points out, one way museums can do this is through restorative …
Invite Your Visitors and Participants To Be Seen in a National Research Portrait — Especially if Your Museum Serves BIPOC or Rural Communities

By Elizabeth Merritt

Sometimes “anyone can participate” isn’t as inclusive as it seems. There can be all sorts of invisible barriers, including who even hears the invitation to begin with. Sometimes it takes an extra effort to make sure that …