I am curious about planning amongst other museums. I would like to know what museums due in regards to planning. Where do the ideas come from? Do museums send out surveys to members? Do museums just follow the wishes of the benefactors? Any samples of materials are helpful also, please e-mail me if you have the info to provide.

Michigan Transit Museum
sutterd@hotmail.com

Let me give you two examples of planning at my own maritime museum. It holds true for any historical organization.

We opened a radio/communications at sea exhibit because a man walked in the door with $250,000. in his pocket.His father had been a radio man. So yes, donors can effect planning.

We also are working on a new 6,000 square foot exhibit on our ship BAlclutha. She is our oldest and largest display vessel. It is partly funded and we are looking for more dollars. This is long planned and much discussed.

For railroad museums the planning is mostly that done by the volunteers; perhaps you might want to contact one of the larger state museums; such as at Sacramento or Strasburg,PA.

Ted Miles


ted_miles@NPS.gov

Planning should develop from your mission statement. Decide what you need to do to meet this mission and then prioritize the actions required.

As Ted Miles said there are times that your actions will be donor driven. The ability to get money may change your priorities. But remember, keep to your mission. I doubt that the maritine museum would accept money for a display that was not at all related to the sea or ships.

At the railroad museum that I'm involved with we had a member say he wanted to get a motor car from the Southeast and give it to us. Well, we're in a West Coast state. Based upon our mission statement and our collecting needs we declined the offer.

At an earlier time, we had a donor come to us and we re-worked our siteplan and expanded our collections to accept a gift of equipment and the money for the building to house the equipment. The cars once ran in our state and the next one; but, we had never collected that part of railroading before.

Brian Norden

bnorden@gateway.net

Hi,

You can find some good materials, tips, links, etc. on the websites for the Association of Railway Museums, the American Association of Museums, the National Council of Nonprofit Boards, and other mainstream nonprofit and museum sites.

It is difficult to plan if you haven't first made an assessment of where you are now. What are the strengths of your collection and program? What are the most likely directions your museum can take based on the things you have which have not yet been developed? Also, what are your limitations--land, facilities, gaps in collection, location, etc.?

It's difficult to do strategic planning without a collections policy and a mission statement. You can probably write both of these if you can find some solid examples. Collections policies, if done right, are a definitive guide for your own board, staff and volunteers about why you do what you do as well as how to do it; they are also a strong indicator to foundations about who you are and whether you approach the museum biz seriously and "correctly."

Part of the plan will have to do with funding. The more you offer your community, through exhibits, programs, archives, events, etc. that is truly educational, the more likely you are to get major funding. Part of where you are going comes down to what you can pay for--or basically, what others will help you pay for.

When these discussions get started, there are usually a lot of great ideas out here on RYPN; the sad thing is, a lot of them aren't being implemented at the organizations where we work or volunteer. In many ways, railway museums have strongly resisted following mainstream museum and nonprofit best practices because those often scare people. Folks are afraid that if their boards all become self-perpectuating groups of community and corporate leaders and if many of their current volunteer positions get taken over by executive directors, curators, conservators, events co-ordinators, and public relations specialists, that there won't be anything left for the volunteers to do. So, it's going to take some guts to make some of the things happen that need to happen.

If you can afford it (or get a grant for it) you might consider getting outside professionals help you do your museum assessment as well as help faciliate your planning process. (AAM has some assessment programs listed on its web site.) Even if the professionals don't know railroading, they do know how to do an assessment as well as what ought to go into a plan and what must be left out of it. You need to please yourselves and remain true to what you are and want to do, but you also need acceptance from mainstream museum professionals, educators, community leaders, and foundations. All of them will expect you to compete in the big leagues as an "educational institution" and/or "heritage tourism destination," and not as "just" a bunch of dedicated folks who know railroading inside and out.

My 2.5 cents.

--Malcolm

grinnellglacier@yahoo.com

> Hi,

> You can find some good materials, tips,
> links, etc. on the websites for the
> Association of Railway Museums, the American
> Association of Museums, the National Council
> of Nonprofit Boards, and other mainstream
> nonprofit and museum sites.

> It is difficult to plan if you haven't first
> made an assessment of where you are now.
> What are the strengths of your collection
> and program? What are the most likely
> directions your museum can take based on the
> things you have which have not yet been
> developed? Also, what are your
> limitations--land, facilities, gaps in
> collection, location, etc.?

> It's difficult to do strategic planning
> without a collections policy and a mission
> statement. You can probably write both of
> these if you can find some solid examples.
> Collections policies, if done right, are a
> definitive guide for your own board, staff
> and volunteers about why you do what you do
> as well as how to do it; they are also a
> strong indicator to foundations about who
> you are and whether you approach the museum
> biz seriously and "correctly."

> Part of the plan will have to do with
> funding. The more you offer your community,
> through exhibits, programs, archives,
> events, etc. that is truly educational, the
> more likely you are to get major funding.
> Part of where you are going comes down to
> what you can pay for--or basically, what
> others will help you pay for.

> When these discussions get started, there
> are usually a lot of great ideas out here on
> RYPN; the sad thing is, a lot of them aren't
> being implemented at the organizations where
> we work or volunteer. In many ways, railway
> museums have strongly resisted following
> mainstream museum and nonprofit best
> practices because those often scare people.
> Folks are afraid that if their boards all
> become self-perpectuating groups of
> community and corporate leaders and if many
> of their current volunteer positions get
> taken over by executive directors, curators,
> conservators, events co-ordinators, and
> public relations specialists, that there
> won't be anything left for the volunteers to
> do. So, it's going to take some guts to make
> some of the things happen that need to
> happen.

> If you can afford it (or get a grant for it)
> you might consider getting outside
> professionals help you do your museum
> assessment as well as help faciliate your
> planning process. (AAM has some assessment
> programs listed on its web site.) Even if
> the professionals don't know railroading,
> they do know how to do an assessment as well
> as what ought to go into a plan and what
> must be left out of it. You need to please
> yourselves and remain true to what you are
> and want to do, but you also need acceptance
> from mainstream museum professionals,
> educators, community leaders, and
> foundations. All of them will expect you to
> compete in the big leagues as an
> "educational institution" and/or
> "heritage tourism destination,"
> and not as "just" a bunch of
> dedicated folks who know railroading inside
> and out.

> My 2.5 cents.

> --Malcolm
A great deal of good thought here in the prevoius responses. On thing about plans and that is that they are a lot of hard work,but in the end this process is probably the most important effort that you will ever undertake in the development of your museum. A solid plan is not only a document for the present,but it is also the guidepost to the future. We all need to make sure that what we are preserving lives beyond our lifetimes. It is too easy to think only of the here and now but the real challenge is in the future when others come along to take up the reigns. They will likely not have as deep an interest in,or knowledge of,railway preservation,but with a solid plan to go from they will be able to chart a sound course for the future.
From our experience at the West Coast Railway Heritage Park,I would STRONGLY recommend that you hire an outside consultant to work up your plan. This is important for we often can't see the forest for the trees as we are so close to our passion we will miss the obvious that is of great interest to the public in general. The public,after all will become your biggest supporters and will carry your message far and wide,if they have had an enjoyable and educational experience at your museum.
One last point: prepare a business plan for your museum. There is no sense in creating something that can't survive on a solid business footing. This will help you to come to grips with the reality of operating and funding the museum and will also be of great benefit in your fundraising efforts. Good Luck!

http://www.wcra.org
grantf@apexmail.com

As one currently frustrated by having nothing like a plan, just some ideas as to direction and short term goals, been much on my mind as well.

Along with the great points brought up so far, I would add that a plan is an evolving thing that will never be finished. Darwin works for organizations as well as biology.

I would also encourage frequent reexamination and constant communication during the evolutionary process.

Dave

irondave@bellsouth.net