A photo showing three people seated at a table, working with original collections. All have gloves on and are writing notes or looking at the objects.

Collections Stewardship

The Collections Stewardship Professional Network is a community of practice focused on the stewardship of collections, archives, and exhibitions, including direct care, handling, documentation, shipping, housing, information management, and all activities related to collections of various types and sizes.

Vision

Empowering collections professionals to thrive and advancing standards across the museum community.

Mission

The Collections Stewardship Professional Network of AAM advocates for the diverse body of professionals dedicated to the stewardship of collections, and strengthens our members’ knowledge base through educating and disseminating best practices, networking, and connecting people to resources.

Values

  • Advocacy: representing the needs of collections professionals
  • Connection: uniting colleagues from around the country and beyond
  • Mentoring: preparing future collections professionals
  • Education: sharing information, standards, and experiences
  • Collaboration: Fostering a sense of mutual cooperation

Resources

The Collections Stewardship listserv is a place to ask for feedback on a range of collections care topics, hear about job openings, and learn about professional development opportunities. Learn more and join the listserv here.

Read more about our Professional Network here.

AAM Member-Only Content

AAM Members get exclusive access to premium digital content including:

  • Featured articles from Museum magazine
  • Access to more than 1,500 resource listings from the Resource Center
  • Tools, reports, and templates for equipping your work in museums
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What Can Data Teach Us About Museum Collections?

By Diana Greenwald
Headshot of Diana Greenwald
Author’s Note: When I initially wrote this blog post several months ago, it was to describe and celebrate an initiative that I spearheaded at the National Gallery of Art that made new …

What Does a Welcoming Online Collections Portal Look Like?

By Cassi Tucker
Headshot of Cassi Tucker
In late February 2020, the Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art at Indiana University became the latest institution to launch an online collections portal, a feature that is increasingly …

Telling Trans Stories Through Collections and Exhibitions

By
View a recording of “Telling Trans Stories Through Collections and Exhibitions,” a webinar organized by the co-chairs of the AAM LGBTQ+ Alliance’s Task Force for Transgender Inclusion. …

Museum Aims To Be A Model For Making Collections Available Via 3D Printing

By Ann Thompson, Wvxu
The Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site in Indianapolis was one of the first museums to offer free 3D printing of its art collection, all in an effort to make it more accessible to the …

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Many Museums Won’t Survive the Virus. How Do You Close One Down?

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Institutions will face ethical and sometimes legal obligations to transfer their collections elsewhere. The process can be costly and time-consuming, expert…

Teaching the World to Value Collections (while making some $$)

By Elizabeth Merritt
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Category: Center for the Future Of Museums Blog
I hope you will join me later this month for a webinar exploring how museums can build income streams around their collections and win hearts and minds in the process. While the session is …

Sharing the Wealth: Museums as Equity Engines

By Elizabeth Merritt
Logo of Center of the Future of Museum's Space Slug
Category: Center for the Future Of Museums Blog
Recently, I’ve been speaking of museums as banks—repositories of enormous wealth of reputation, knowledge, and influence, in addition to the sheer value of their endowments. I’ve advanced …

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