AAM Press ReleaseMuseums Helping Museums: A Relief Effort for the Gulf RegionWashington, DC, 10/3/2005 - The American Association of Museums (AAM) is pleased to announce that seventeen museum service organizations will sponsor a national initiative, "Museums Helping Museums: A Relief Effort for the Gulf Region." During the month of October, these organizations will ask museums across the country to join together to assist their colleagues in the Gulf region as they work to conserve the public collections and to rebuild in the aftermath of the recent hurricanes. Communities along the Gulf coast have suffered a tremendous loss of natural and cultural heritage. Some museums have been destroyed and many others have experienced damage to or loss of collections and infrastructure. There is an urgent need not only to assist these institutions to reconstruct and stabilize their collections but also to provide support until their communities can be rebuilt and financial support systems re-established. "In light of this great tragedy, the American museum community must help our sister institutions in the Gulf region as they work to restore the vital educational, cultural, and economic roles of their museums," said Edward H. Able, President & CEO of AAM. "This is an opportunity for the entire museum field to recognize the irreplaceable contribution that all museums make to their communities and to assist in the long recovery process. We salute those museums across the country who will participate in this effort as well as the leadership of the museum associations who have joined together to sponsor this critical work." Associations jointly sponsoring this initiative include:American Association of Museums American Public Gardens Association Association of African American Museums Association of Art Museum Directors Association of Midwest Museums Association of Science Museum Directors California Association of Museums Council of American Jewish Museums Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums Mountain-Plains Museums Association Museums Association of New York Museum Store Association New England Museum Association Oklahoma Museums Association Texas Association of Museums Virginia Association of Museums Western Museums AssociationAll monies collected will go to an assistance fund established by the Southeastern Museums Conference (SEMC), and will be distributed according to policies established by the SEMC Council. Funds will be used for direct assistance to museums and museum professionals in the affected region. Assistance will be available to museums of all types, including art, history, science, children's, zoos and aquaria, and gardens. Participating Museums are being asked to consider:-Donating a portion of their admissions -Offering visitors the option to add a contribution to regular admission fees -Erecting a donation box for contributions from the public -Donating a percentage of museum shop sales -Participating in another wayA list of participating museums is available at www.aam-us.org/sp/mhm. AAM will release the results of the initiative in November. For more information about "Museums Helping Museums" and reports on institutions in the affected area, please visit AAM's website at www.aam-us.org.As the national service organization representing the American museum community, the American Association of Museums' mission is to enhance the value of museums to their communities through leadership, advocacy and service. Since its founding in 1906, AAM has grown to more than 16,500 members, including more than 10,500 individual members, 2,700 corporate members, and more than 3,200 museums. ###Press Contact:Jason Hall202/289-9125

If at all possible, I encourage museums in our community to participate in this initiative. The cause is good, participating can be as simple as setting out a supplimentary donation box, and the opportunity for our community to generate positive publicity in the local press, as well as recognition for participating side-by-side with major museums in a community-wide initiative, is excellent.Please, take this idea to your managements and boards and see if there is something you can do. And if you do participate, be sure to let the campaign coordinators know so you receive recognition, and be sure to have your own press strategy in place around it.