Core Standards for Museums in Plain English – American Alliance of Museums

Public Trust & Accountability

Be good
No really—not only be legal, but be ethical
Show everyone how good and ethical you are
(don’t wait for them to ask)
Do good for people
Know which people
And to be on the safe side
Be nice to everyone else, too
Especially if they live next door
Avoid cloning
Look something like the people you are doing good for
And maybe a bit like your neighbors
Let other people help decide what games to play
And what the rules are
Share your toys

Mission and Planning

Know what you want to do
And why it makes a difference to anyone
Then put it in writing
Stick to it
Decide what you want to do next
When you are deciding what to do, ask lots of people for their opinion
Put it in writing
Then do it
If it didn’t work, don’t do it again
If it did work, do

Leadership and Organizational Structure

Make sure everyone is clear about who is doing what
The board knows it is governing
The director knows she is directing
(and the board knows it too)
The staff know they are doing everything else
And have it in writing

Collections Stewardship

Know what stuff you have
Know what stuff you need
Know where it is
Take good care of it
Make sure someone gets some good out of it
Especially people you care about
And your neighbors

Education and Interpretation

Know who you are talking to
Ask them what they want to know
Know what you want to say
(and what you are talking about)
Use appropriate language (or images, or music)
Make sure people understood you
And ask them if they liked it
If not, change it

Financial Stability

Put your money where your mission is
Is it enough money?
Will it be there next year, too?
Know when you will need more $
Know where you are going to get it from
Don’t diddle the books

Facilities and Risk Management

Don’t crowd people
Or things
Make it safe to visit your museum
Or work there
Keep it clean
Keep the toilet paper stocked
And if all else fails, know where the exit is
(and make sure it is clearly marked)

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