HomeMy WebLinkAbout8.1 Museum Assess Program Ph III-UpdateAGENDA STATEMENT
HERITAGE AND CULTURAL ARTS COMMISSION
MEETING DATE: August 11, 2011
SUBJECT: Museum Assessment Program Phase III - Update
Prepared by Elizabeth Isles, Heritage Park & Museums Director
ATTACHMENTS: None
RECOMMENDATION: Receive Report
FINANCIAL STATEMENT: $350 participation cost paid in FY 2010-2011. Received goods and
services valued at $4,000 will be paid by the American Association
of Museums and the Institute of Museums and Library Services
DESCRIPTION: This is the Heritage Park and Museum's third Museum Assessment
Program which focuses on Collections Stewardship. In 2010, Staff applied for and received a Collections
Stewardship Museum Assessment Program (CSMAP) grant for the Dublin Heritage Park and Museums.
The Museum Assessment Program (MAP) is a confidential, consultative process, designed to help
museums understand how they compare to standards and best practices in the field. MAP helps museums
understand how other institutions deal with similar challenges and provides suggestions for improvement.
There are three stages to each of the four two-year long assessments: Self-Study; Peer Review; and
Implementation.
A MAP "Institutional Assessment" Phase I was completed in 2006 and the "Public Dimension
Assessment" Phase II was completed in 2009. The two previous MAP reports provided direction on
specific goals to accomplish and most of the recommendations have been implemented based on available
resources.
The Collections Stewardship Assessment focuses on collections policies, planning, access and
documentation within the context of the museum's total operations. The scope of the assessment includes:
collections care and use; acquisitions and de-accessioning; legal, ethical and safety issues; and
documentation, inventory, and emergency planning..
Common outcomes for the Collections Stewardship Assessment are:
• Increase staff and/or governing authority's knowledge about collections standards and best practices
• Improve the museum's ability to:
o write a collections plan
o raise funds to support the collections
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o improve collections stewardship
o prioritize long-term collections management issues
o develop/review/revise collections policies and procedures
o manage risk
• Assess needs in the areas of collections management staffing
• Prepare for accreditation or re-accreditation
Activities in the Collections Stewardship Assessment focus on:
o non-collections staffs perceptions regarding collections
o legal and ethical responsibilities for collections
o disaster preparedness
o acquisitions
o de-accessioning
o record keeping
Staff has completed a Self-Study Workbook and worked with the American Association of Museums to
select Ms. Cindi Olsen as the peer reviewer. Ms. Olsen received her Bachelors of Arts in History from
the University of Wisconsin, a Masters in Public History from Western Michigan University and a
Certificate from the Seminar for Historical Administration. She is currently the Administrator of the
Minnesota Historical Society, Saint Paul. Ms. Olsen has worked in history museums since 1997
including the Alexander Ramsey House, the Studebaker National Museum, the Star-Spangled Banner
Flag House and 1812 Museum, the Lakes Center for Maritime Studies Research, the Madeline Island
Historical Museum, and the Pabst Mansion Assistant to the Curator Milwaukee WI.
The MAP III visit will take place August 17-18, 2011. Staff and Collections Volunteers will meet with
Ms. Olsen to review the City's collections, storage resources and offices. A small group of volunteers
who have specialized training in museum collections methods and the Past Perfect Museum Software
Program will meet with Ms. Olsen and show her what they've accomplished. These volunteers are Terry
Berry, Steve Minniear, Desiree Clary and Jennifer McCort. Following her site visit, Ms. Olsen will
submit a report and make recommendations for improvement. In the past, Staff typically brings the report
to the Heritage and Cultural Arts Commission and the Commission is asked to rank the recommendations
for future implementation.
The City has paid a participation cost of $350 out of the Fiscal Year 2010-2011 Budget. The following
costs are covered by the American Association of Museums (AAM) and the Institute of Museums and
Library Services (IMLS) through a Cooperative Agreement. The costs are valued at approximately
$4,000
• MAP Self-Study Workbook
• Approved Peer Reviewer travel expenses; one Peer Reviewer per assessment; cap of $950. Travel
expenses include transportation, food, and lodging.
• Peer Reviewer Honorarium of $400
• MAP Bookshelf from the AAM Bookstore
• Access to the AAM Museum Essentials Webinar Series
• Access to the AAM Information Center
• MAP staff guidance and feedback
• National recognition
• Certificate of completion
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RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends that the Heritage and Cultural Arts Commission
receive the report.
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