While mulling over the "professional" discussion over at the Future of the NRHS, and also incorporating some of the conversation on the "Private Museum" thread, I recalled the Museum Assessment Program (MAP), a useful tool offered by the American Association of Museums.

Our Museum successful completed the initial steps of MAP about 5 -10 years ago. Our professional volunteer director of administration completed the self-study questionnaire which was followed up by a site visit and evaluation by a staff member from the B&O Museum. The visitor toured our site, reviewed our by-laws, general plan report for facilities and collections, collections policy and other relevant materials. He followed up with a series of recommendations.

My colleagues at I have found the MAP report to be a useful tool. The report formed the basis for establishing many of the goals in our initial strategic plan. We are a better museum for having completed the process. Further information is available at the AAM website:

http://www.aam-us.org/museumresources/map/index.cfm

Your museum does not need to be a member of AAM to participate in the MAP program. I am sure that Erik can add more details.

I have included a poll question and invite your comments.

Wesley Paulson
National Capital Trolley Museum

The MAP program administrator at AAM, my good friend and colleague Jeff Buchheit, will be giving a presentation on MAP and railway museums at this year's ARM-TRAIN meeting at Sacramento. I hope anyone potentially interested in MAP will be able to attend.

A few important things to note about this very valuable program: 1. it's non-competitive: awards to participate are first-come first-served to all qualified applicants; 2. it's nearly free--the major costs are all covered by IMLS with only a nominal co-pay.

Taken together, this makes MAP one of the best values going. You get a package of self-study materials and a focussed peer review from an expert at a museum in the same or a similar field, and the final report is yours to do with as you wish.

I note that my colleague Jeff comes from the Historical Electronics Museum in Baltimore, so he is deeply understanding not only of small museums, but of small museums struggling with unwieldy technological artifacts.

See Jeff at ARM or check out

http://www.aam-us.org/museumresources/map/index.cfm

for more information.

Erik Ledbetter
(wearing his hat as an AAM staff member)