The best exhibit fabrication and installations tell important stories that inspire visitors. The following resources were compiled from organizations throughout the nonprofit and museum sector. AAM reviewed and approved each one based on the organization’s authority and expertise and the resource’s usefulness related to the topic. Clicking the links below will take you off the AAM website.

Display

Minnesota Historical Society offers a document that discusses consideration for displaying objects. The guidelines touch upon security, display cases, loans, mounts, light, air quality, and temperature and relative humidity. It also includes a basic display checklist (PDF, 18 pages).

Using Museum Collections in Exhibits

The National Park Service’s (NPS) Museum Handbook (PDF) has a chapter on using museum collections in exhibits. It includes sample wording for a design and development contract that outlines the project description, exhibit team members’ roles, the proposed workplan, budget, and schedule, and an exhibit development checklist that outlines the steps in the process. The NPS requires fabrication contractors to provide an exhibit maintenance manual that includes drawings of artifact mounts, repair and cleaning instructions for exhibit components, and warranties.