AAM MAP grants

[Sally Shelton]

I am sending along the following with the kind permission of Beth Merritt, to whom all questions and responses should be directed. 


Dear Colleagues,

Since joining the Museum Assessment Program in July I have been working to improve the ways in which MAP addresses collections care in general, and natural history collections in particular.  I am concerned to find that natural history museums are under-represented among those accessing Institute of Museum and Library Services grant money to pay for MAP.  I am writing to encourage you to apply for the March 15th , 2000 deadline for IMLS funding for MAP assessments.  Over $100,000 in IMLS MAP funds went unused last year - enough to fund over 40 museums in the program.  The grants are non-competitive, and the application is easy to fill out.  I hope that many of you take advantage of this opportunity.

How is the Program Changing to Meet Your Needs?
This fall a large group of museum colleagues helped MAP revise the Self-Study process for all three MAP assessments: Institutional, Collections Management, and Public Dimension.  I am very impressed with the new Self-Study Workbook that has resulted from this input. The self-study process is more comprehensive and interactive, and at the same time we have made the questions clearer and easier to complete.  The new Workbook now addresses material of particular concern to natural history collections, including integrated pest management, toxins in collections, and legal and permitting issues.

One of the biggest changes is that all the Assessments now include activities that help museum staff explore the operations of their organization.  Each participating Museum chooses and completes three that fit its resources and goals for the assessment process. Activities in the Collections Management Assessment address: 

· non-collections staff's perceptions regarding collections, 
· the Board's legal and ethical responsibilities for collections, 
· disaster preparedness,
· acquisitions, 
· deaccessioning, 
· records keeping.  

As past Chair of the SPNHC Education and Training Committee, I am confident that these assessments can help your museum address your concerns and improve your operations.  For more information visit www.aam-us.org/map.htm  or contact MAP staff at 202-289-9118; map at aam-us.org for an application.

Yours sincerely,

Elizabeth Merritt

Assistant Director, Museum Advancement & Excellence, American Association of Museums

Chair, Professionalism Committee, Society for the Preservation of Natural
History Collections