Altamira Press The Small Museum Toolkit

As a small museum staff person, you are responsible for a lot, including areas outside of your expertise or training. You need a quick reference that makes the process of becoming a sustainable, valued institution less overwhelming. The Small Museum Toolkit is a collection of six books that serves as a launching point for small museum staff to pursue best practices and meet museum standards. These brief volumes address governance, financial management, human resources, audience relations, interpretation, and stewardship for small museums and historic sites. The Small Museum Toolkit, written by thirty-four experienced museum professionals, helps you define the questions you should be asking, gives you tools to achieve your goals, and guides you where to go for help. Books in the Small Museum Toolkit set Book One – Leadership, Mission, and Governance Book Two – Financial Resource Development and Management Book Three – Organizational Management Book Four – Reaching and Responding to the Audience Book Five – Interpretation: Education, Programs, and Exhibits Book Six – Stewardship: Collections and Historic Preservation Review Benjamin Ives Gilman described the most pleasant of museum visits as one in the company of someone who knows and loves the objects on view. Reading the Small Museum Toolkit is a bit like such a 'visit.' Each author serves as a knowledgeable guide helping the reader understand museum practices in the most pleasant way. The information in these pages is so approachable that I recommend it not only to museum staff and volunteers, but also museum board members.--Mary Alexander Finally, a practical, easy to read book series designed specifically for staff at small museums and historical societies! The Small Museum Toolkit will be a welcome addition to small museum bookshelves everywhere.--Wands, Scott About the Author Cinnamon Catlin-Legutko is chief executive officer at the Abbe Museum in Bar Harbor, Maine. She was the founding chair of the AASLH Small Museums Committee and serves as a peer reviewer for the American Association of Museums. Stacy Klingler is assistant director of Local History Services at the Indiana Historical Society. She serves as chair of the AASLH Small Museums Committee and is a member of the Field Services Alliance.