Washington, DC, 7/11/2007 - The American Association of Museums (AAM) and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) are pleased to announce that 111 U.S. museums will participate in the Museum Assessment Program (MAP) this year.  Museums will undertake one of AAM's four museum assessments:  Institutional, Collections Management, Governance, and Public Dimension.

MAP is a confidential process of self-study, peer review, and implementation.  Museums use the assessment process to strengthen operations, build capacity, and enhance communication throughout the organization and in response to community needs.

Since 1981, the Museum Assessment Program has provided over 5,000 assessments for 3,500 institutions. Museums representing 35 states and Puerto Rico have been accepted to participate in the program this year. Some of the 2007 participants that show the diversity of museums served by MAP include the Arab American National Museum (Dearborn, Mich.); the Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico (San Juan, P.R.); the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum (Austin, Tex.); the Scott Arboretum of Swarthmore College (Swarthmore, Pa.); the Iowa Children's Museum (Coralville, Iowa); the St. Augustine Historical Society (St. Augustine, Fla.); the Japanese Friendship Garden (San Diego, Calif.); and the Baranov Museum (Kodiak, Alaska). You can view a complete list of participants on the AAM website.

"The MAP process was an excellent vehicle for us to discuss important but contentious issues in a candid and open manner," said Stephen Ressel, Director of the George B. Dorr Museum of Natural History in Bar Harbor, Maine. "Many of these discussions focused on large, mission-related issues that otherwise are either tabled or discussed in a hurried, superficial manner because of the myriad of daily tasks that need attention. MAP prompted us to stop and address those issues."

As a result of MAP, participants regularly report an increased level of professionalism, clearer focus on the museum's mission, an energized staff and governing authority, and greater credibility with their stakeholders.  Museums of all types, including art, history, science and technology, children's, natural history, historic houses, nature centers, botanical gardens, and zoos participate in the program.

"We welcome these museums into a process of self-reflection and improvement and congratulate them on their commitment to field-wide excellence," said Ford W. Bell, President of AAM. "Our nation's museums are already high performing and strong organizations. MAP is designed to make them even better."

"The benefits of the Museum Assessment Program are impressive: recipient museums find ways to improve their institutions on every level," said Dr. Anne-Imelda M. Radice, Director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services. "The ultimate beneficiaries, of course, are the people and communities these museums serve.  I am proud of the Institute's role in this important program."

MAP is supported through a cooperative agreement with the Institute of Museum and Library Services. For more information, visit www.aam-us.org/map, call 202/289-9118 or e-mail map@aam-us.org.

About the American Association of Museums
The American Association of Museums (AAM) has been bringing museums together since 1906, helping to develop standards and best practices, gathering and sharing knowledge, and providing advocacy on issues of concern to the entire museum community. With more than 15,000 individual, 3,000 institutional, and 300 corporate members, AAM is dedicated to ensuring that museums remain a vital part of the American landscape, connecting people with the greatest achievements of the human experience, past, present and future. For more information, visit www.aam-us.org. 

About the Institute of Museum and Library Services
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation's 122,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. Its mission is to grow and sustain a "Nation of Learners" because life-long learning is essential to a democratic society and individual success. Through its grant making, convenings, research and publications, the Institute empowers museums and libraries nationwide to provide leadership and services to enhance learning in families and communities, sustain cultural heritage, build twenty-first-century skills, and increase civic participation. To learn more about the Institute, please visit: http://www.imls.gov.

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Jeannine Msojeth (IMLS Contact)
202-653-4757
jmsojeth@imls.gov

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