Small museums face the same challenges as large museums on a tighter budget and with fewer resources. Navigating these obstacles requires strong leadership and effective governance. The creation and use of planning documents and a clear mission and vision are essential to pursuing the long-term health of an organization. This book features concise, grounded approaches to finding and articulating the mission and vision of a small museum. Because a few tools have been invaluable to small museum leaders, the book also highlights the MAP and CAP assessment process, accreditation, and provides...

Small museums must adopt policies of financial responsibility and stability if they are to last. Through an organized commitment to transparency and accountability, small museums can achieve sound financial management just like their larger counterparts. This book offers sample fiscal policies, guides to fundraising plans, and budgeting templates to help small museums manage their money effectively. It also details the fundraising methods available to small museums and how to measure your progress towards funding goals. Lastly, the book surveys many common legal issues relating to small...

Effectively managing people, facilities, and partnerships can make or break an institution. In this book, we look at managing those paid or unpaid staff who contribute daily to the museum, provide tools for operations, address maintenance and safety issues, and discuss collaboration with outside organizations.

Museums exist to serve their audiences; however, the scope of this charge is constantly being challenged and changed. This book looks at new roles small museums have taken as they find ways to become irreplaceable members of the community, engaging with and advocating for their audience--from large-scale marketing and public relations efforts to welcome signs and entrances. Book Five encourages small museums to examine their audiences and make them comfortable, program to their needs and interests, and spread the word about the museum's good work. It also features several case studies of...

Programs, tours and exhibits are the meat-and-potatoes of what most museums do to meet their missions to educate the public. Interpretation helps make small museums compelling so that the public understands that they are more than a repository of dusty objects. This book considers researching and designing exhibits and best practices for sharing the stories with your audiences. It explores how to orient your organization to be effective interpreters of what you collect, including how to tell engaging stories and how to address difficult issues you may have ignored in the past, like slavery,...

Proper collections care, planning, and conservation is an essential responsibility for a museum of any size, but funding for these obligations often falls to the bottom of funding priorities because its constituencies are the quietest. Small museums need affordable ways to provide basic care for their collections and the tools to lobby for additional funds for the long-term health of collections. Small museums often do not have staff expertise on the maintenance and preservation of these large and expensive pieces of history. This book offers practical tips for collections care, including...