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Wild Times: In which social service nonprofits save the day.

By Elizabeth Merritt

Introduction to This Scenario A wild card scenario explores the kind of low-probability, high-impact event that can disrupt the best-laid plans. Though you shouldn’t obsess about these possibilities, including a few wild cards in your …
AAM Spotlight: Wesam Mohamed, Curator at Ministry of Antiquities, Egypt

By American Alliance of Museums

Through support from the Getty Foundation, Wesam Mohamed was able to attend the 2018 AAM Annual Meeting in Phoenix, AZ. Hear about her journey as a museum professional and how the experience at the Annual Meeting has shaped her career in …
A New Equilibrium: Making the best of a world that’s a lot like today, only more so.

By Elizabeth Merritt

Introduction to This Scenario “A New Equilibrium” describes a future that might result from existing limits and challenges as they play out in coming decades. Using mainstream projections from credible sources, we envision where our …
The A in DEAI: Seven tips for greater accessibility at events

By Nicole Smith

In being a museum professional during the social media age, there are few things cooler than getting to be a Social Media Journalist for the American Alliance of Museum (AAM) conference. In my application, I spoke about how I wanted to …
The Museum Education Act passes the New York State Legislature

By Erika Sanger

Is it done yet? What can I do to help? What happens next? When can we apply for funding? Those are just some of the questions I’ve been getting since the Museum Education Act (MEA) passed the New York State Legislature during the last …
The Importance of The Structured Interview

By Laurie Davis

While most HR/recruitment professionals are well trained in interview practices, departmental hiring managers frequently are not. This factor can lead to unintentional hiring bias, which can ultimately result in departments taking on a …
YES, You Can Advocate! What Nonprofits Can and Can’t Do*

By Ember Farber

Did you know that museums and other nonprofits CAN engage in advocacy and lobbying? In fact, that they are encouraged to do so, and to participate in nonpartisan election activities? There’s a variety of important opportunities for …
A Conversation with Kathleen McLean

By Cecelia Walls

Kathleen McLean is the recipient of the 2018 AAM Distinguished Service to Museums Award, which recognizes an individual’s excellence and contributions to the museum field for at least 20 years. McLean is principal of Independent …
The Ever Evolving American Identity: a New Mission at The Tenement Museum

By Kevin Jennings

What should a museum do when its subject matter becomes one of the most contested political issues of the day? This is the question I was quickly confronted with upon assuming leadership of the Tenement Museum in July 2017. With …
Fragmentation: Underground activists fight for equity, privacy, and economic reform

By Elizabeth Merritt

Introduction to This Scenario “Fragmentation” weaves together some of the anxieties shared by museum people when we asked, “What are your fears about the future?” While we hope that these depressing themes don’t all play out at once, each …