New Books for Museum Professionals from the American Alliance of Museums 2025
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Cecile Shellman’s thirtyplus-year-long museum career and deep love for people and learning position her to be an advocate for individuals and communities who have been marginalized and less represented by museums. Her career has taken her from the mountains of Park City to institutions in Boston and New York, and in Western Pennsylvania.
NEW INWARD, OUTWARD, ONWARD, UPWARD
A Lifelong Journey Towards Anti-Oppression and Inclusion in Museums
By Cecile Shellman
“Inward, Outward, Onward, Upward is practical, relatable, and contains valuable insights. It is a ‘mustread’ for museum professionals.”
Anne W. Ackerson, former history museum director “Inward, Outward, Onward, Upward fills a gap in the literature, offering a much-needed resource for museum professionals seeking to work towards inclusivity and anti-oppression.” —Kate Markert, executive director of Hillwood Estate, Museum, & Gardens
Cecile Shellman puts forth an incisive look at diversity, equity, accessibility, inclusion, anti-racism, pro-marginalized people and museums. It asks its readers—museum professionals, paraprofessionals, museum governing bodies, and museum academic programs—to practice the skills of looking inward, developing empathy, working collaboratively across the museum to address the systemic effects of unexamined oppression, and working tirelessly for justice and change.
Leading museum DEAI consultant Cecile Shellman offers more tools to help us talk, think, and work together. Chapters cover such hard topics as “The Individual and the 21st Century Museum: How Museums Have Changed and Why Individuals Need to Adapt,” “Don’t We All Matter? Why Tolerance and Kindness are Not Enough,” and “Understanding the Relationship between Privilege and Power: Making Decisions and Keeping Promises about DEAI Work.” Shellman offers numerous worksheets and forms that can be used by individuals or in group training sessions.
Author Q&A
What do you hope the long-term impact of your book will be on museums and the museum field as a whole? How do you hope it will shape future generations of museum professionals?
“I hope that museums will see this time in our history—and the principles of diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion—as a fulcrum. Our current moment calls for brave individuals, organizations, and institutions to continue in work that uplifts marginalized people and communities. Museums have the sacred responsibility to tell truthful stories about culture for the sake of preservation, community-building, and artistic excellence. I hope that my book can provide the fuel museums need to continue their efforts in brave and safe ways.”
The book emphasizes the importance of “looking inward” as a step in antioppression work. Can you explain what this means for museum professionals and how they can begin this personal reflection?
“Authentic advocacy requires humility, as well as a willingness to effect change. We cannot change others; we can only change ourselves, and the first step in that is to look critically at our own biases, beliefs, behaviors, and interactions. Furthermore, we can influence them when we understand ourselves better and begin to work towards shared goals with purpose. Museum professionals can start by engaging in self-inquiry around their own motives regarding their work—not the pragmatics of exhibitry and curation, but the interpersonal work; the too-often hierarchical nature of museums with all the attendant power dynamics; the inequity that pervades the field, and the rigidity of expectations that often disregard culture.”
WELCOMING MUSEUM VISITORS WITH UNAPPARENT DISABILITIES
Edited by Beth Redmond-Jones
“Museum Visitors with Unapparent Disabilities challenges stereotypes about invisible disabilities and describes a further and needed contribution of museums to a more equitable society. By including a great number of diverse and complementary voices and perspectives, as well as best practices and experiences, this volume marks a valuable step in the development of museum accessibility and the questions it raises.” —Maria Chiara Ciaccheri, researcher and expert, author of Museum Accessibility by Design
Welcoming Museum Visitors with Unapparent Disabilities explores how cultural organizations (i.e. museums, aquariums, art centers) globally serve individuals with mental health and neurodiverse challenges. Opening chapters present the status of mental health in society and the need for inclusive design.
Organized by unapparent disability, the book includes: a medical definition of the condition as defined by the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems 11th Revision (ICD-11) by the World Health Organization; a brief introduction to that condition; personal accounts of the condition and challenges faced when visiting a museum, exhibition, and/or participating in a program; and, global case studies which describe how the hidden disability was supported/addressed and lessons learned.
Beth Redmond-Jones is director of campus planning and development at the Oregon Zoo. Previously, she was vice president of exhibitions at the Monterey Bay Aquarium and vice president of engagement and education at the San Diego Natural History Museum. Beth is an accomplished and award-winning museum professional with extensive experience in exhibitions, museum programming, inclusion practices, master and strategic planning, facilities operations, and financial management.
TRANSFORMING INCLUSION IN MUSEUMS The Power of Collaborative Inquiry
By Porchia Moore, Rose Paquet, and Aletheia Wittman
What should inclusion mean for museum staff and leaders as they envision new ways of being a museum in an emergent future? Museum workers can use this book as a tool for engaging with inclusion anew, and as a terrain for collaborative inquiry and worldbuilding that can help us imagine and realize new potential for museums in the future.
Porchia Moore is an innovative thought-leader, cultural heritage scholar, outdoor enthusiast, writer, artist, curator, and museum consultant specializing in racial equity. She is committed to creating a world that is verdant, free of antiblackness, joy-filled, and uplifts the material culture and world heritage of all peoples. She is co-director of The Incluseum
Rose Paquet is a writer, artist, and facilitator. She works with people to use the power of imagination to dream and enact future possibilities that center community care in its widest understanding. Rose co-founded The Incluseum in 2012 and currently acts as co-director.
Aletheia Wittman is a consultant, coach, and facilitator based in Seattle, Washington. She partners with people and teams navigating inclusive transformation within cultural institutions. She co-founded The Incluseum in 2012 and currently acts as co-director.
2022 • 128 pages
978-1-5381-6190-6
• $42.00 / £35.00 • Paper
978-1-5381-6189-0 • $100.00 / £77.00 • Cloth
978-1-5381-6191-3 • $39.50 / £30.00 • eBook
FROM SMALL WINS TO SWEEPING CHANGE
Working Together to Foster Equity, Inclusion, and Antiracism in Museums
Edited by Priya Frank and Theresa Sotto
Combining practice and guidance, challenges and successes, this book provides a range of frameworks and tools to develop and implement successful DEAI committees and their initiatives. This book offers concrete tips and models for mitigating bias, confronting racism, and advocating for organizational change at any cultural institution.
Priya Frank has over 25 years of experience in equity, diversity and inclusion work professionally, educationally and personally. Currently, she is the director of equity, diversity, and inclusion at the Seattle Art Museum.
Theresa Sotto has worked at the crossroads of education, equity, and the arts for over 25 years.
She is currently the Ruth R. Marder Director of Learning & Community Engagement at the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore, Maryland.
MUSEUM ACCESSIBILITY BY DESIGN A Systemic Approach to Organizational Change
By Maria Chiara Ciaccheri
“A comprehensive, yet highly readable approach on confronting accessibility within the museum space, while also offering an easy digestible practical guide on how to go about enacting change.”
—J ournal of m us E um E ducation
“Maria Chiara Ciaccheri’s book contributes importantly to understand how to approach accessibility systematically, both conceptually and in practice. The volume contributes to ongoing debate on accessibility and inclusion in significant ways.” t h E i nt E rnational J ournal of m us E um s tudi E s
This book addresses the design of museum accessibility strategy, offering cases, tools and resources to facilitate its critical deployment and guide its evolution in museums through training activities.
Maria Chiara Ciaccheri is a museum consultant, researcher and docent.
2022 • 186 pages
978-1-5381-5603-2 • $48.00 / £37.00 • Paper
978-1-5381-5602-5 • $100.00 / £77.00 • Cloth
978-1-5381-5604-9 • $45.50 / £35.00 • eBook
EFFECTIVE DIVERSITY, EQUITY, ACCESSIBILITY, INCLUSION, AND ANTI-RACISM PRACTICES FOR MUSEUMS
From the Inside Out
By Cecile Shellman
2022 • 130 pages
This book draws from the author’s nearly three-decade career of being “the only one in the room.” Cecile Shellman builds a process for individualizing, identifying, and prioritizing DEAI challenges; acknowledges key universal challenges in goal-setting and goal achieving; and shares resources and tools for making and charting progress.
Cecile Shellman is a full-time consultant in diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion for museums.
978-1-5381-5600-1 • $36.00 / £30.00 • Paper
978-1-5381-5599-8 • $84.00 / £65.00 • Cloth
978-1-5381-5601-8 • $34.00 / £25.00 • eBook
THE INCLUSIVE MUSEUM LEADER
Edited by Cinnamon Catlin-Legutko and Chris Taylor
“The Inclusive Museum Leader provides unique, first-Voice perspectives on how museums can and should position themselves to best service the needs, interests, and priorities of deserving, diverse communities.” —E duardo d íaz , mus E um administrator
The Inclusive Museum Leader offers insights and perspectives from two recognized museum leaders who have joined together to offer practical solutions and opportunities responding to the call for museums to play an active social justice role.
Cinnamon Catlin-Legutko worked as a museum director for more than twenty years.
Chris Taylor spent 15 years working in museums, primarily at the Minnesota Historical Society.
DIVERSITY, EQUITY, ACCESSIBILITY, AND INCLUSION IN MUSEUMS
Edited by Johnnetta Betsch Cole and Laura L. Lott
“The relevance and importance of this book cannot be understated, and it is an impressive accompaniment to AAM’s online collection of DEAI resources. . . . Museums are embedded in practically every town and city in America, and therefore most libraries would do well to purchase this book. Libraries that have a museology collection, or support museology academic or professional programs, as well as libraries that are connected to museums, should also consider purchasing this book.”
— i nt E rnational J ournal of i nformation , d iv E rsity , & i nclusion
Johnnetta Betsch Cole was a principal consultant with Cook Ross, Inc., a leading firm advising organizations on matters of diversity, equity, accessibility and inclusion. Previously, she served as president of Spelman College and Bennett College and director of the National Museum of African Art.
Laura L. Lott was the president and CEO of the American Alliance of Museums (2015-2023), the only organization representing the entire scope of the museum community.
“Falk masterfully bridges the gap between datadriven business practices and the human-centered mission of museums. His value realization framework provides a practical roadmap for institutions to become truly user-focused while staying true to their core purpose. A must-read for forward-thinking museum leaders.”
Leaning into Value provides guidance to museum leaders struggling to navigate today’s often tumultuous, ever-changing economic, political, leisure and educational landscape. Provided is a concrete framework for maximizing institutional success, a continuous Value Realization process that enables museum leaders to effectively: calibrate the needs and interests of their current and potential users; articulate how and why they create value so they can foster enduring relationships with users; create an ever-evolving series of products and services that consistently deliver unique value to an ever-more diverse set of constituencies; and finally, validate their activities through empirical processes that promote evidence-based decision making and catalyze measurable, year-on-year improvements in their organization’s community value.
Author Q&A
John Falk is now the Sea Grant Professor Emeritus of Free-Choice Learning at Oregon State University, and principal researcher at the Institute for Learning Innovation (ILI), an internationally recognized museum-serving nonprofit, which he founded and directed for decades.
As museums evolve, how do you see the role of
technology shaping the user experience? Is this part of the “continuous Value Realization process?”
“The essence of the Value Realization process is connecting with user’s fundamental, well-being-related needs and desires. Those needs and desires are unlikely to dramatically shift in the coming years. What will need to shift is how museums respond to and support those needs and desires. Technology in general, and AI in particular, promise to allow museums to provide more supportive experiences, and to the extent these can be directed towards responding to and helping to satisfy user’s well-being related needs, then yes, they have the promise of significantly impacting and shaping the visitor experiences museums create. However, just applying technology for technology’s sake, absent a direct connection to user’s needs and interests, will not advance, and in fact will hinder museums’ ability to be directly relevant to their publics in the foreseeable future.”
MUSEUM FINANCE Issues, Challenges, and Successes
By Brian Alexander
Museum Finance is a comprehensive guide to financial management and stability for museums that provides context for the financial issues faced by museums and offers suggestions to mitigate them. It will help the reader understand why finances are chronic issues, provide perspective to see challenges more clearly, and offer advice to fix them.
Brian Alexander has worked in museums for over forty years. Among other positions he has been the president & CEO of the National World War I Museum, president & CEO of the Historic Annapolis Foundation, executive vice-president & director of the Shelburne Museum and director of the museum program for the State Historical Society of North Dakota. Currently, he is visiting professor of museum administration at the Cooperstown Graduate Program of the State University of New York.
2023 • 168 pages
978-1-5381-3833-5 • $36.00 / £30.00 • Paper
978-1-5381-3832-8 • $85.00 / £65.00 • Cloth
978-1-5381-3834-2 • $34.00 / £25.00 • eBook
MUSEUM DIPLOMACY
How Cultural Institutions Shape Global Engagement
Edited by Sarah E.K. Smith and Sascha Priewe
Museum Diplomacy features case studies from across the world that cover almost every aspect of museum work. Demonstrating the potential for institutions to advance crosscultural education and foster mutual understanding, the book contributes a new understanding of cultural diplomacy that recognizes the work of museum professionals.
Sarah E.K. Smith is assistant professor and Canada Research Chair in Art, Culture and Global Relations, based in the Faculty of Information and Media Studies at Western University. Her writing and curatorial projects focus on contemporary art, cultural diplomacy, and creative labor.
Sascha Priewe is director of collections and public programs at the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto. Before joining the Aga Khan Museum, he was the associate vice president, strategic initiatives & partnerships, at the Royal Ontario Museum, and curator of Chinese and Korean collections at the British Museum.
2024 • 261 pages
978-1-5381-3721-5 • $55.00 / £42.00 • Paper
978-1-5381-3720-8 • $145.00 / £112.00 • Cloth
978-1-5381-3722-2 • $52.00 / £40.00 • eBook
BEYOND THE NUMBERS
Budgeting for Museum
Professionals
By Kristine Zickuhr
2022 • 142 pages
978-1-5381-5639-1 • $48.00 / £37.00 • Paper
978-1-5381-5638-4 • $104.00 / £80.00 • Cloth
978-1-5381-5640-7 • $45.50 / £35.00 • eBook
MISSION MATTERS
Relevance and Museums in the 21st Century
By Gail Anderson
2019 • 206 pages
978-1-5381-0348-7 • $56.00 / £43.00 • Paper
978-1-5381-0347-0 • $114.00 / £88.00 • Cloth
978-1-5381-0349-4 • $53.00 / £41.00 • eBook
PARTNERSHIP POWER
Essential Museum Strategies for Today’s Networked World
By Marsha L. Semmel
2019 • 388 pages
978-1-5381-0314-2 • $53.00 / £41.00 • Paper
978-1-5381-0313-5 • $117.00 / £90.00 • Cloth
978-1-5381-0315-9 • $50.00 / £38.00 • eBook
RIGHTS AND REPRODUCTIONS
The Handbook for Cultural Institutions Second Edition
Edited by Anne M. Young
2019 • 404 pages
978-1-5381-1266-3 • $77.00 / £59.00 • Paper
978-1-5381-1265-6 • $166.00 / £129.00 • Cloth
978-1-5381-1267-0 • $73.00 / £56.00 • eBook
NATIONAL STANDARDS AND BEST PRACTICES FOR U.S. MUSEUMS
Edited by Elizabeth E. Merritt
2008 • 104 pages
978-1-933253-11-4 • $48.00 / £37.00 • Paper
978-1-4930-8292-6 • $45.50 / £35.00 • eBook
November 2024 • 164 pages
978-1-5381-8563-6 • $46.00 / £35.00 • Paper
978-1-5381-8562-9
$115.00 / £88.00
Cloth
978-1-5381-8564-3 • $43.50 / £35.00 • eBook
NEW LEADERSHIP SUCCESSION AND TRANSITION FOR MUSEUMS AND ARTS ORGANIZATIONS
A Guide for Boards and Chief Executives
By Kaywin Feldman
This book helps facilitate successful leadership transition in museums and arts organizations. It is commonly noted that the greatest number of airline accidents happen during takeoff and landing. The same is true for arts organizations; we are at our most vulnerable during times of transition and it is critical that staff and volunteer leadership succeed in this difficult phase. Surprisingly, staff and boards must invent the practice each time as there is currently no “how to” guide for leadership transition in the arts.
The day that a CEO announces their resignation—whether of their own decision or not—is a milestone moment in an organization’s history. It is a time of high vulnerability for the institution due to the challenges of appointing an effective interim director and high anxiety for staff, board, and community about the future. Search committees are formed and more often than not include patrons and community representatives who are key stakeholders but may lack experience in effective hiring. Once the new executive is appointed, it is critical for the board members and the new director to begin with an intentional and strategic onboarding plan.
The book features three main sections, covering the period from departure announcement to the final farewell; the search and interview process; and onboarding and succession planning. It is written for the boards of arts organizations, search committees, and for staff leadership.
Author Q&A
Kaywin Feldman is director of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. She was appointed in 2019, the first woman to lead the nation’s art museum. As director, Feldman is committed to connecting people to art in a globalized world through the power of wonder and accessibility. Before joining the National Gallery, she served as Nivin and Duncan MacMillan Director and President at the Minneapolis Institute of Art from 2008 to 2019 and led the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art from 1999 to 2007.
You mention that the period of leadership transition in museums and arts organizations is a time of vulnerability. Why is this phase so critical, and what makes it different from other organizational challenges?
“Staff, board, and stakeholder uncertainty makes transition periods so difficult for institutions. Concerns about job security, unforeseen organizational challenges, and threats to their influence and agendas can heighten everyone’s anxiety. Too often, incoming CEOs take a casual approach to the transition, assuming they will figure it out when they arrive at the new job, which can lead to missed opportunities and unnecessary instability.”
What do you think are the most overlooked aspects of leadership transition that this book aims to address?
“I wrote this book for three primary reasons: to identify the challenges and opportunities that transitions present; to help boards and leaders focus on leadership qualities needed in today’s volatile and chaotic world; and to lay out the strategy for a successful first year for leaders in new roles.”
What long-term impact do you believe a successful leadership transition can have on the future of a museum or arts organization?
“The best transitions present enormous opportunities for non-profits, including better board engagement and new strategic opportunities for the organization. A well-executed transition also sets the stage for a CEO’s effective first year, thereby laying the groundwork for a successful tenure and long-term organizational impact.”
Credit: Courtesy National Gallery of Art
NEW THINGS GREAT AND SMALL Collection Management Policies
Third Edition
By John E. Simmons
“Simmons takes a complicated subject matter and presents it in an approachable and understandable manner for museums of all sizes. Things Great and Small spells out the intricacies of museum policies writing in a thorough way, proving useful to the novice museum professional as well as the weathered museum veteran and everyone in between. Whether it is a person’s first museum position or their 30th year in the field, Simmons’ work is a must-have for all museum professionals.” — s E bastián E. E ncina , a ssociat E d ir Ector of c uration & E xhibition , m inn E trista m us E um & G ard E ns , m unci E , in
Collection care is a fundamental responsibility for museums and other collecting institutions, and the foundation of collection stewardship is good collection management policies. The new third edition of Things Great and Small continues to be a comprehensive resource for developing, implementing, and revising collection management policies and includes new information for addressing prolonged or permanent closure of museums, wider parameters for collection storage environments, and sustainable collection management practices to cope with climate change.
Drawing on more than 50 years of experience as a collection manager, educator, consultant, and AAM Museum Assessment Program peer reviewer, John E. Simmons reviews the most recent collection management thinking and literature, helps determine which policies an institution needs, and provides guidance on policy content. In this new edition, coverage of critical areas is expanded, including digital objects, intellectual property rights, deaccessioning, decolonization, standards and best practices, collection storage environment parameters, managing off-site storage facilities, health and safety, laws and regulations, risk management, and sustainable collection management practices. With more than 50 tables and charts and model policy templates, this major publication is aimed at museums of all kinds, historic houses and sites, and other collecting institutions.
John E. Simmons has worked in museums for more than 50 years. He currently runs Museologica museum consulting and teaches museology workshops and university classes.
2024 • 312 pages
978-1-5381-8378-6 • $50.00 / £38.00 • Paper
978-1-5381-8377-9 • $110.00 / £85.00 • Cloth
978-1-5381-8379-3 • $47.50 / £37.00 • eBook
DIMENSIONS OF CURATION
Considering Competing Values for Intentional Exhibition Practices
Edited by Ann Rowson Love and Pat Villeneuve
“Villeneuve and Love demonstrate a unique understanding of the nuanced relationships that drive and govern cultural institutions. Rather than presenting a one-size-fits-all narrative, featured essays—from an impressively diverse range of practitioners, scholars, and emerging professionals—illustrate the variety of institutional and communal considerations shaping exhibition development in the twenty first century.” —K E idra d ani E ls n avaroli , m c K ni G ht d octoral f E llow , t E xts and t Echnolo Gy p h d p ro G ram at th E u niv E rsity of c E ntral f lorida , board m E mb E r of a ssociation of a cad E mic m us E ums and G all E ri E s , board of dir Ectors for s urfac E d E si G n a ssociation
This book presents a model to help you to make sense of exhibitions your museum has curated. Whether implicit or intentional, decisions made about interpretive focus, curatorial power, and curatorial intent indelibly shape the resulting exhibition and determine who will be best served or disenfranchised by it.
This book introduces competing values and organizational models that address them; explains the three axes comprising the model and the eight types of exhibitions that result from various combinations of positions on the axes; looks in depth at case studies of the eight different exhibition types; provides candid observations about changing curatorial practices; and offers tools to help museums implement the model.
Two sections of the book feature practice-based examples from museums in the US and internationally. The third section of the book concentrates on practical tools and considerations for the future of exhibition curation.
Ann Rowson Love is associate professor and director of the MA/PhD program Museum Education & Visitor-Centered Curation in the Department of Art Education at Florida State University.
Pat Villeneuve is professor and director of Arts Administration in the Florida State University Department of Art Education and a 2021 Fulbright scholar to Belgium.
It takes many people from many different disciplines to make exhibitions happen. A Collaborative Approach to Exhibition Making is a practical guide for anyone managing this work, because the way we plan and make impacts what we plan and make.
Making exhibitions takes creativity, problemsolving, and a well-supported process. The authors share tested ideas and tools to help collaborative teams build trust, generate ideas, communicate effectively, and develop shared understanding. This book dives into approaches to planning a project, understanding budgets and schedules, facilitating creative development, managing feedback, and selecting contractors. This book offers guidance on all aspects of exhibition making. It includes samples and added perspectives on this work from across many disciplines. Whether you’re leading the creation of a new exhibit or engaged in any part of the exhibition making process, you’ll find useful and insightful methods to support a collaborative approach.
Saich is director of Exhibition Projects at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, where she leads project strategy for major exhibitions and guides collaborative teams through design and creation of visitorcentered experiences.
You discuss the importance of developing shared understanding. How can team leaders ensure everyone is on the same page, especially when team members come from diverse backgrounds and expertise?
“There are several ways to develop shared understanding on teams with a diversity of backgrounds and expertise. The most fundamental way is to include team members in the development of processes that impact their work. This creates a sense of shared ownership as well as shared understanding. We also love the idea of meeting people where they’re at for reviews and feedback sessions. This can look like a meeting in the shop or fabrication space to review design work rather than in a conference room, meeting at the project site to review the schedule and logistics of installation instead of on a screen, or simply offering multiple ways to review and provide feedback to each other on how we’re collaborating and what we produce together.”
You include added perspectives from professionals across many disciplines. How did these varied viewpoints shape the guidance and methods you present in the book?
“Throughout both of our careers, we’ve enjoyed many benefits of learning from peers and colleagues who have different experiences with collaboration and communication across complex teams. Some of the contributors we included come from architecture, general construction, exhibit fabrication, prototyping, and marketing. We wanted to include perspectives from these disciplines in particular because they’re often part of the team too, but not often the voices we hear the most from in the exhibitions field. We also made sure to include reference material from the exhibition and design fields that’ve had significant impact on our perspectives and approach to this work overall. We highly encourage our readers to continually seek new perspectives in their own work—learn from others, share with others, find what works best for you and your teams.”
Scott is manager of exhibition project delivery at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, where she leads project teams that create innovative exhibitions to inspire conservation of the ocean.
Emily
Joey
A VISUAL DICTIONARY OF DECORATIVE AND DOMESTIC ARTS
By Nancy Odegaard and Gerry Wagner Crouse
“With roots in the quest for orderly terminology by pioneer conservator (and Monuments Man) George Stout, beginning in 1938, and continuing through the Getty’s Art and Architecture Thesaurus of the 1980s, a 21stcentury vocabulary is now available in A Visual Dictionary of Decorative and Domestic Arts. We thank respected conservator Nancy Odegaard and talented graphic illustrator Gerry Crouse for this guide to ‘just the right word’ to describe the indescribable details of candlesticks, frames, historical jewelry, and much much more.” —J oyc E h ill s ton E r , p h d , E dward f . and E lizab E th G oodman r os E nb E r G p rof E ssor of m at E rial c ultur E , u niv E rsity of d E lawar E
This full-color visual dictionary contains an unambiguous vocabulary for the parts of handcrafted decorative, domestic, and artistic items. Terminology for a broad array of object types is accompanied by original color illustrations.
Nancy Odegaard is conservator at the Arizona State Museum and professor at the University of Arizona. She utilized three scholar residency awards to conduct intellectual research on the parts or vocabularies for handcrafted domestic and decorative objects. In 2001 she conducted research while a research fellow at the Winterthur Library and Archives, in 2007 she continued research while a fellow at the Getty Conservation Institute, and in 2015 she added research as a fellow at ICCROM in Rome.
Gerry Wagner Crouse has worked in illustration and graphic media for over 20 years. Her graphic artworks have been utilized by Carnegie Museum of Natural History and Buhl Planetarium, Houston Museum of Natural History Science Planetarium, Louisiana Art and Science Museum, and National Geographic Television. Currently, she works by contract with museums, tribal communities, contract resource management firms, planetariums, and educational agencies.
2023 • 182 pages
978-1-5381-4887-7 • $85.00 / £65.00
978-1-5381-4888-4
TO GIVE AND TO RECEIVE A Handbook on Collection Gifts and Donations for Museums and Donors
Second Edition
Edited
by Sharon
Smith
Theobald
2021 • 210 pages
978-1-5381-2884-8 • $54.00 / £42.00 • Paper
978-1-5381-2883-1 • $111.00 / £85.00 • Cloth
978-1-5381-2885-5 • $51.00 / £39.00 • eBook
ON THE ROAD AGAIN
Developing and Managing Traveling Exhibitions
Second Edition
By Rebecca Buck, Jean Gilmore, and Irene Taurins
“On the Road Again, 2nd edition, provides a useful and practical introduction to planning, preparing, and successfully circulating a traveling exhibition. The title is directed especially to small and midsized museums, but its content may also benefit special collections, archives, and other cultural heritage practitioners interested in the topic. ”— rbm : a J ournal of r ar E b oo Ks , m anuscripts , and c ultural h E ritaGE
2020 • 116 pages
978-1-5381-3077-3 • $41.00 / £35.00 • Paper
978-1-5381-3076-6 • $94.00 / £72.00 • Cloth
978-1-5381-3078-0 • $39.00 / £30.00 • eBook
MUSEUM REGISTRATION METHODS
Sixth Edition
Edited by John E. Simmons and Toni M. Kiser
2020 • 604 pages
978-1-5381-1311-0 • $111.00 / £85.00 • Paper
978-1-5381-1310-3 • $204.00 / £158.00 • Cloth
978-1-5381-1312-7 • $105.50 / £82.00 • eBook
COLLECTION CONUNDRUMS
Solving Collections Management Mysteries
Edited by Rebecca A. Buck and Jean Allman Gilmore
2007 • 150 pages
978-1-933253-08-4 • $45.00 / £35.00 • Paper
978-1-4930-8209-4 • $42.50 / £35.00 • eBook
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT & OUTREACH
ACTIVATING THE ART MUSEUM
Designing Experiences for the Health Professions
By Ruth Slavin, Ray Williams, and Corinne Zimmermann
This book offers a framework for collaboration between art museum educators and health professionals. It includes advice on selecting meaningful and provocative works of art; models of responsive workshop design, compelling descriptions of gallery experiences; and references to supporting medical literature.
Ruth Slavin has over thirty years of leadership experience in art museums, most recently as deputy director for education at the University of Michigan Museum of Art (UMMA) where she initiated partnerships with faculty in medicine, nursing and social work.
Ray Williams has established robust partnerships with medical educators and clinicians as the director of education at both the Harvard Art Museums and, since 2012, the Blanton Museum of Art at The University of Texas at Austin.
Corinne Zimmermann has been a museum educator for thirty years. Through Corinne Zimmermann Consultancy, she custom designs trainings and workshops for the health professions and business organizations.
2023 • 216 pages
978-1-5381-5854-8 • $55.00 / £42.00 • Paper
978-1-5381-5855-5 • $52.00 / £40.00 • eBook
THE EXHIBITION AND EXPERIENCE DESIGN HANDBOOK
By Timothy J. McNeil
“Cleverly organized around common design tropes, the book proves to be a comprehensive look at the history of exhibition design right up to the presentday proliferation of various cutting-edge technologies. The book will be welcomed by the field and embraced as foundational in exhibition design curriculums.” —J am E s v ol KE rt , mus E um consultant , E xhibition a ssociat E s
This full-color book uses real-world examples, museum and exhibition design studio profiles, historical and contemporary voices, and draw on the author’s own creative practice and exhibition making experience, as well as contributions from his extensive network of international museum, attraction, and design professionals.
Timothy J. McNeil is a professor of design and director/curator of the UC Davis Design Museum at the University of California, Davis where he teaches the next generation of exhibition design thinkers and practitioners.
2023 • 292 pages
978-1-5381-5798-5 • $110.00 / £85.00 • Cloth
978-1-5381-5799-2 • $104.50 / £81.00 • eBook
MAKING DINOSAURS DANCE
A Toolkit for Digital Design in Museums
By Barry Joseph
This book takes the readers behind the scenes to learn how the American Museum of Natural History innovated visitor digital engagement through a public-facing iterative design process while highlighting design techniques used both there and at museums around the world.
Barry Joseph is a driving force at both the strategic and the tactical level in digital engagement, youth development and digital learning. At Global Kids, Inc. then at the American Museum of Natural History, Barry oversaw the design and implementation of over 100 new digital learning youth programs. He worked for over 15 years with museums to innovate visitor-facing experiences through iterative design, with a focus on prototyping and evaluating cutting-edge visitor-facing experiences.
2023 • 192 pages
978-1-5381-5974-3 • $59.00 / £45.00 • Paper
978-1-5381-5973-6
• $125.00 / £96.00 • Cloth
978-1-5381-5975-0 • $56.00 / £43.00 • eBook
CREATING GREAT VISITOR EXPERIENCES A Guide for Museum Professionals
By Colleen Higginbotham
2022 • 140 pages
978-1-5381-5022-1
978-1-5381-5021-4
978-1-5381-5023-8
“An excellent tool for the field, this volume is a necessary resource for libraries supporting museum studies and aligned programs. Highly recommended. Graduate students, researchers, faculty, professionals.”
— c hoic E r E vi E ws
Creating Great Visitor Experiences helps museums define their service, hire and train a dynamic frontline team, and spread a culture of service throughout their institution.
Colleen Higginbotham is the deputy director for visitor experience at the Chrysler Museum of Art in Norfolk, VA.
• $47.00 / £36.00 • Paper
• $95.00 / £73.00 • Cloth
• $44.50 / £35.00 • eBook
STORYTELLING IN MUSEUMS
Edited by Adina Langer
This book demonstrates how museums can use personal stories to make visitors feel welcome while inspiring them to engage with new ideas. It also explores the responsibilities of museum practitioners toward the storytellers included in their narratives and how those responsibilities shift over time and manifest in different contexts.
Adina Langer has focused her museum career on interpreting traumatic historical events for diverse audiences while emphasizing the dignity and individuality of the people who experienced them. An active curator, oral historian, educator, presenter, editor, blogger, and published author, she has created or co-curated more than eighteen exhibits with permanent homes at three museums, presence on the Web, and a busy schedule traveling the library, school, and community center circuit
2022 • 280 pages
978-1-5381-5694-0 • $52.00 / £40.00 • Paper
978-1-5381-5693-3 • $121.00 / £93.00 • Cloth
978-1-5381-5695-7 • $49.00 / £38.00 • eBook
FAMILY SPACES IN ART MUSEUMS
Creating Curiosity, Wonder, and Play
By Julia Forbes and Marianna Adams
With Jeanine Ancelet
Here is a practical guide based on deep research that helps art museum educators understand the role and value of spaces designed for families and helps them to create dedicated spaces for intergenerational play and learning.
Julia Forbes is the Shannon Landing Amos Head of Museum Interpretation at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, Georgia. She manages the development of all materials (docent-led tours, audio tours, interpretive gallery tools, labels, mobile technologies, etc.) used by visitors to learn about the Museum’s permanent collection and special exhibitions, including the Greene Family Learning Gallery.
Marianna Adams, president of Audience Focus Inc., has designed, managed, and implemented a wide range of visitor research, interpretive planning, and professional development across the country, Canada, Bermuda, Mexico, and the EU.
2022 • 112 pages
978-1-5381-4885-3 • $40.00 / £30.00 • Paper
978-1-5381-4884-6 • $100.00 / £77.00 • Cloth
978-1-5381-4886-0 • $38.00 / £30.00 • eBook
MUSEUM METAMORPHOSIS
Cultivating Change Through Cultural Citizenship
By nico wheadon
2022 • 260 pages
This book uses curated roundtables, case studies and interviews with cultural innovators and changemakers in contemporary art who offer tools to dismantle institutional hierarchies and reshape museums into more vital and relevant forms.
nico wheadon is an independent art advisor, curator, educator and writer, and is founder and principal of bldg fund, LLC She is an adjunct professor at Brown University and Hartford Art School, and serves on the board of governors at the National Academy of Design.
978-1-5381-3043-8 • $44.00 / £35.00 • Paper
978-1-5381-3042-1 • $111.00 / £85.00 • Cloth
978-1-5381-3044-5 • $41.50 / £35.00 • eBook
COME, STAY, LEARN, PLAY
A Guide to Making the Museum Experience
By Andrea Gallagher Nalls
2022 • 136 pages
978-1-5381-4663-7 • $41.00 / £35.00 • Paper
978-1-5381-4662-0 • $95.00 / £73.00 • Cloth
978-1-5381-4664-4 • $39.00 / £30.00 • eBook
MUSEUMS AS AGENTS OF CHANGE
A Guide to Becoming a Changemaker
By Mike Murawski
2021 • 148 pages
978-1-5381-0895-6 • $39.00 / £30.00 • Paper
978-1-5381-0894-9 • $88.00 / £68.00 • Cloth
978-1-5381-0896-3 • $37.00 / £30.00 • eBook
EDUCATION
BRINGING TEACHERS TO THE HISTORY MUSEUM
A Guide to Facilitating Teacher Professional Development
Edited by Lora Cooper, Linnea Grim, and Gary Sandling
This guide utilizes recent research and insights from the fields of museum education and teacher education to provide a how-to guide of best practices for museums and sites offering professional development fellowships and workshops to P-12 classroom teachers.
Lora Cooper, continuing education coordinator at Monticello, facilitates the interdisciplinary work of providing professional development to historical interpreters and classroom teachers.
Linnea Grim, vice president of guest experiences at Monticello, is passionate about creating meaningful learning experiences for all guests and is especially interested in building relationships with educators.
Gary Sandling, vice president and Chief Content Officer at Monticello, has worked in public history for more than two decades and at Monticello since 2005.
2022 • 158 pages
978-1-5381-4546-3 • $40.00 / £30.00 • Paper
978-1-5381-4545-6 • $84.00 / £65.00 • Cloth
978-1-5381-4547-0 • $38.00 / £30.00 • eBook
MUSEUM EDUCATION FOR TODAY’S AUDIENCES
Meeting Expectations with New Models
Edited by Jason L. Porter and Mary Kay Cunningham
“One of the powerful things about Museum Education for Today’s Audiences: it feels as though it is written by friends and colleagues, by people you know well and who really understand what our work is like, by those who you would ask for advice from as you tackle some thorny issues. In being so, it works to uplift the reader and their practice through not just providing access to tools, but also giving us the opportunities to explore how best we might use them in our own settings and contexts.”—GE m J ournal
This book will help museum educators meet visitors’ changing expectations, train and prepare responsive educators, and develop models for the future
Jason L. Porter is the Kayla Skinner Deputy Director for Education and Public Engagement at Seattle Art Museum.
In the last 25+ years, Mary Kay Cunningham has served over 35 different cultural institutions or attractions in the diverse roles of consultant, manager, museum educator, volunteer coordinator, and docent. She founded Dialogue Consulting in 2001.
2022 • 314 pages
978-1-5381-4860-0 • $52.00 / £40.00 • Paper
978-1-5381-4859-4
978-1-5381-4861-7
$121.00 / £93.00 • Cloth
$49.00 / £38.00 • eBook
CREATING MEANINGFUL MUSEUM EXPERIENCES FOR K–12 AUDIENCES
How to Connect with Teachers and Engage Students
Edited by Tara Young
2022 • 288 pages
978-1-5381-4679-8 • $51.00 / £39.00 • Paper
978-1-5381-4678-1 • $108.00 / £83.00 • Cloth
978-1-5381-4680-4 • $48.50 / £37.00 • eBook
FINDING HISTORY WHERE YOU LEAST EXPECT IT
Site-Based Strategies for Teaching about the Past
Edited by Jill M. Gradwell and Kathryn H. Leacock
2020 • 194 pages
978-1-5381-4088-8 • $38.00 / £30.00 • Paper
978-1-5381-4087-1 • $88.00 / £68.00 • Cloth
978-1-5381-4089-5 • $36.00 / £30.00 • eBook
DESIGNING FOR EMPATHY Perspectives on the Museum Experience
Edited by Elif M. Gokcigdem
“Designing for Empathy is a timely and intriguing collection of essays that argues for museums to dedicate themselves to the creation of experiences which promote empathy and affective concern as a way to both strengthen society and heal our broken social fabric. . . . There is much to be admired in Gokcigdem’s latest contribution to discussions about the role of empathy in museums.”
t h E p ublic h istorian
2019 • 466 pages
978-1-5381-1829-0 • $74.00 / £57.00 • Paper
978-1-5381-1828-3 • $147.00 / £113.00 • Cloth
978-1-5381-1830-6 • $70.00 / £54.00 • eBook
MUSEUM GALLERY ACTIVITIES
A Handbook
By Sharon Vatsky
2019 • 168 pages
978-1-5381-0864-2 • $44.00 / £35.00 • Paper
978-1-5381-0863-5 • $99.00 / £76.00 • Cloth
978-1-5381-0865-9 • $41.50 / £35.00 • eBook
Paul Marty is professor in the School of Information in the College of Communication and Information at Florida State University. His research and teaching interests include museum informatics; technology, innovation, and culture; experience design; and the information society. He has worked with museums, and in the field of museum informatics, since the mid-1990s.
Katherine Jones is program director for the Museum Studies program at the Harvard University Extension School. She has taught in the Museum Studies program at the Harvard Extension School since 1997 and has served as the Research Advisor since 2004.
NEW
THE INVISIBLE HISTORY OF MUSEUM COMPUTING
The Behind-the-Scenes Magic of Museum Technology Professionals
By Paul Marty and Katherine Jones
The Invisible History of Museum Computing uses engaging quotes from a one-of-a-kind collection of oral histories gathered by the authors from more than fifty current and former museum technology professionals working in the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Australia to shine a light on the invisible, behindthe-scenes work of museum computing.
This book provides a critical analysis of key trends in museum computing that collectively drove the museum technology profession forward from the 1960s to the present day, and offers an “annotated history” of museum computing that shares engaging quotes from the museum technology professionals who participated in this oral history project, places their memories in the appropriate historical context, and uses their personal stories to tell the history of museum computing from the perspective of the very people who lived through it.
Filled with a positive spirit of inspiration, innovation, and boundless enthusiasm, this book brings to life the history of museum computing in a way that has never been done before as it explores the overarching trends that influenced the field of museum computing over the past sixty years and explains why that history continues to matter today as museums move forward into their digital future.
Author Q&A
What role did personal memory and storytelling play in shaping the narrative of the book? How did the voices of the professionals you interviewed help bring the history of museum computing to life?
“Personal memory and storytelling were everything to this project. Having the recorded voices of our oral history participants—with the emphases, pauses, and slight mistakes inherent to the oral history process—added colorful commentary and character to the histories we recorded. We asked our participants to share stories about their work behind the scenes at museums with computing technologies. We told them we were looking for stories that may never have been shared before, stories that preserve memories that few people know or might guess happened, and stories that document how often the hard work of the museum technology profession goes unseen both inside and outside the museum. We asked our participants to help us bring the story of their profession to life by sharing memories that put a human face on the history of museum computing. By capturing, preserving, and sharing these stories, this book takes the extensive work of museum computing that happens behind the scenes, and brings that history, and the accomplishments of museum technology professionals, into the light.”
You have gathered oral histories from over fifty museum technology professionals. What surprised you most about the stories and insights shared by these individuals?
“[W]hat we did not expect from this project was the boundless enthusiasm for the field that pervades these histories. As we analyzed these oral histories looking for themes that transcended more than sixty years of museum computing, we found ourselves surprised and encouraged by the sense of joy, excitement, inspiration, enthusiasm, and yes, even magic that we saw shining across the decades. And so, we knew we had an obligation to the field not only to share the history we captured, but to convey that sense of delight, that spirit of enthusiasm, in an effort to inspire the next generation of museum technology professionals.”
RICHES, RIVALS, & RADICALS
A History of Museums in the United States Third Edition
By Marjorie Schwarzer
This beautiful full-color book tells the stories behind the people and events that have transformed America’s museums from their beginnings into today’s vibrant cultural institutions. Updates include material on digital curation, emergent exhibitions about civil rights, immersive museum environments, and more.
Marjorie Schwarzer has been active in the museum field for over forty years, most recently as professor and administrative director of the graduate museum studies program at the University of San Francisco. She has published widely on museum issues, including: leadership, gender equity, digital technology, and exhibition typologies.
2021 • 296 pages
978-1-5381-2807-7
• $77.00 / £59.00 • Paper
978-1-5381-2806-0
• $146.00 / £112.00 • Cloth
978-1-5381-2808-4
• $73.00 / £56.00 • eBook
ART & ENERGY
How Culture Changes
By Barry Lord
In Art & Energy, Barry Lord argues that human creativity is deeply linked to the resources available on earth for our survival. By analyzing art, artists, and museums across eras and continents, Lord demonstrates how our cultural values and artistic expression are formed by our efforts to access and control the energy sources that make these cultures possible.
Barry Lord was a leading international figure in cultural planning and management and the author or coauthor of seven books, including Artists, Patrons, and the Public: Why Culture Changes. He was co-president of Lord Cultural Resources.
2014 • 280 pages
978-1-933253-91-6
• $60.00 / £46.00 • Paper
978-1-933253-94-7
• $57.00 / £44.00 • eBook
CROWN JEWELS
Five Great National Parks Around the World and the Challenges They Face
Edited by Randolph Delehanty
2013 • 160 pages
Crown Jewels: Five Great National Parks Around the World and the Challenges They Face takes a look at the impediments facing national parks from rapid environmental change, worldwide economic recession, and political pressures of varying degree.
Randolph Delehanty is a historian and exhibitions curator at the Presidio of San Francisco. He was the founding director of the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, New Orleans, and has taught at San Francisco State University. He is the author of books on California, the American West, and the South.
Edited by Jennifer Dickey, Samir El Azhar, and Catherine Lewis
“[R]ecommended for museum professionals interested in creating impact in their careers as well as in the global community.”
— c oll Ections : a J ournal for m us E um and a rchiv E p rof E ssionals
Through international cases studies, essayists in Museums in a Global Context: National Identity, International Understanding consider the politics of museum interpretation in the global context, issues of cultural patrimony and heritage tourism, the risks of crossing boundaries and borders to present controversial subjects, and strategies for engaging audiences and communities.
Jennifer Dickey is associate professor and the coordinator of public history at Kennesaw State University, Georgia.
Samir El Azhar is professor in the Department of English and American Studies in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at Ben M’Sik University, Casablanca, Morocco.
Catherine Lewis is executive director of museum, archives, and rare books, and professor of history at Kennesaw State University, Georgia.
“With decades of museum work under her belt, Young is uniquely qualified to answer the titular question. Indeed, this is a thorough, thoughtful book that will be of interest to a variety of job seekers, from teens just starting to consider a path to subject specialists looking for a career change to committed potential museum workers who aren’t sure if a professional degree is necessary. . . . Each chapter ends with a profile of a museum worker that describes their career path and the best and worst parts of the job. A realistic, practical guide.”
b oo K list
This book discusses some of the benefits of working in museums; explains how museums differ according to size, type, and organizational structure; and goes through dozens of museum positions in detail. It is designed to introduce college students, graduate students, and/or young professionals to the museum field.
Tara Young is an experienced museum professional and a professor of museum studies at Tufts University. Currently an independent consultant, she has held positions at several museums on both coasts. Most recently, she served on the founding staff of the Museum of Russian Icons, in Clinton, MA, which received AAM accreditation in 2015.
A Life in Museums is the guide for museum workers of all ages and stages— full of sound advice, practical tips, and illuminating personal stories that span the array of museum disciplines. Topics range from personal branding and resume writing to managing from the middle and leadership at all levels; from professional writing to keeping a career journal; and from navigating within your institution to knowing when it’s time to move on.
Greg Stevens is a lecturer in the Museum Studies master’s program at Johns Hopkins University and founding principle of Purple Cow Career and Talent Development LLC, which empowers individuals to navigate professional journeys with confidence and creativity. Previously, he was the director of the master’s in Museum Professions program at Seton Hall University and director of professional development programs at the American Alliance of Museums.
Wendy Luke is the founder of The HR Sage and has over twenty years of experience working with museums to solve their toughest people problems.
2012 • 222 pages
978-1-933253-70-1 • $55.00 / £42.00 • Paper
978-1-4422-7676-5 • $52.00 / £40.00 • eBook
TEACHING THE MUSEUM
Careers in Museum Education
Edited by Leah M. Melber
2014 • 160 pages
Teaching the Museum offers insights, anecdotes, and valuable advice on how to get started and how to succeed in this rapidly growing field. Twenty contributors with decades of museum experience point out the opportunities for new graduates and seasoned teachers alike who want to explore this exciting profession.
Leah M. Melber is president & CEO, Adventure Science, Nashville, Tennessee.
978-1-933253-92-3 • $52.00 / £40.00 • Paper
978-1-4422-7681-9 • $49.00 / £38.00 • eBook
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