Maine Archives & Museums Programs

Basic Collections Care Workshop (20 May 2013)

Mon, 20 May 2013 13:00:00 GMT

Due to overwhelming interest in this topic, MAM is pleased to once again offer:

Basic Collections Care

Presented by Teresa Myers, Teresa Myers Conservation Services

If you have questions about storage or collections care at your institution, are wondering how to begin the task of organizing and archiving your institution’s collections, or are wanting to learn the best practice for handling documents and artifacts, then this workshop is the perfect place to start. This one-day professional development opportunity will create a familiarity with basic collections care through the accessions process. Topics will include: basic artifact condition assessment and handling; application of accession numbers; basic artifact housing; and the importance of record-keeping. The day will include a tour of the Caribou Historical Society. Morning coffee and a box lunch are included with registration.

Schedule

9:00a.m. Coffee and Registration

9:30-11:30 Workshop (Part 1)

11:30-12:15 Tour of the Caribou Historical Society

12:15-1:00 Lunch (provided)

1:00-3:30 Workshop (Part 2)

3:30pm Workshop Closes

Cost (including lunch)

MAM Members: $15.00

Non-Members: $18.00

This workshop is part of MAM's 2013 Spring Workshop Series sponsored by the Maine Cultural Institutions Outreach Project (MCIOP), funded by a grant from the Davis Family Foundation and administered by the Association of Maine Archives and Museums.

For more information: info@mainemuseums.org or 207-400-6965.

21st Century Skills Workshop (21 May 2013)

Tue, 21 May 2013 17:00:00 GMT

These FREE workshops introduce representatives from libraries and historical organizations to the opportunities that local history, technology, and Maine Memory Network provide to develop professional skills, increase the capacity of their institutions, reach and engage their communities, and deepen collaboration with local partners. Community members interested in local history, but not necessarily affiliated with the local library or historical society, are welcome to attend.

This workshop is hosted by Maine Memory Network (a branch of the the Maine Historical Society), in partnership with the Maine State Library and the Association of Maine Archives & Museums Maine Cultural Institutions Outreach Project (MCIOP)

To register, click here and download the application form, or contact Larissa Vigue Picard, Community Partnership Coordinator, for more information at (207) 774-1822 x215 or lvpicard@mainehistory.org.

For more about MAM's Spring Workshop Series, click here!

Board Meeting (17 Jun 2013)

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 14:00:00 GMT

All MAM members are invited to attend MAM's quarterly board meetings. E-mail info@mainemuseums.org for more information and to let us if you are attening so we can ensure adequate space.

Collections Care (24 Jun 2013)

Mon, 24 Jun 2013 13:00:00 GMT

Collections Care Workshop

Monday, June 24, 2013, 9am to 3pm

at the L.C.Bates Museum in Hinckley

Presenters:

Ron Harvey, Tuckerbook Conservation LLC

Paula Work, Registrar and Curator of Zoology, Maine State Museum

Sheri Leahan, Collections Consultant and Acting Director of the Washburn-Norlands Living History Center

Location: L. C. Bates Museum

PO Box 159, 14 Easler Road

Hinckley, Maine 04944

Session 1: 9:30 AM – Caring For Your Collections on Exhibition

Don’t let museum collections be damaged while on exhibition. Learn ideas for providing them with better care. At the end of the session, the conservator, Ron Harvey will be available to answer questions you have about specific exhibition issues. Please bring photographs of problems for discussion. Topics covered include:

Issues of light, humidity, temperature, and dust
Simple and inexpensive ways to exhibit objects safely
Ways to separate acidic objects from other collections
How to keep objects on exhibition in an historic room setting safe
What should volunteers and staff know to help secure exhibited objects

Session 2: 1:00 PM - Continuing Crucial Conversations about Collections: A Roadmap to Exploring what you have, Discovering who you are, and Learning what you can do with it.

Participate in the unveiling of a collections Values Portfolio Workbook – a “how-to” manual for new ways of thinking about collections. Your collections matter, the challenge is helping the public understand why. By having a crucial conversation guided by the new Values Portfolio Workbook, the better equipped you will be to care for your collections, attract supporters, and garner resources. Come and learn how easy it can be to effectively evaluate collections and their many societal values in order to connect with support communities. Hear up-to-date practices on planning for and assessing your collection and hear case studies on how this new workbook has already benefited some local collecting institutions. This project is the result of a Connecting to Collections statewide planning initiative funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

Cost:

The workshop is FREE, but registration is needed.

Morning refreshments and drinks will be provided.

Please plan to bring a sack lunch.

If you have any questions about the workshop, please call the L.C.Bates Museum at 207-238-4250 or email at lcbates@gwh.org

This workshop is supported by

the Institute of Museum and Library Services

Hosted by L.C. Bates Museum, the Maine State Museum and the Association of Maine Archives & Museums Maine Cultural Institutions Outreach Project (MCIOP)

Door prizes will be provided by University Products.

ADVERTISE in the Maine Archives and Museums newsletter! (01 Aug 2013)

Thu, 01 Aug 2013 04:00:00 GMT

REACH OUT TO MAINE’S

COLLECTING INSTITUTIONS

by advertising in MAM's newsletter!

Deadline: June 30

Consider a quarter-page ad in the Maine Archives and Museums newsletter, a quarterly print and online publication produced by and for Maine’s community of museums, archives, and other collecting organizations. The newsletter is direct-mailed to more than 300 member organizations and reaches an even broader audience on-line. The newsletter appears in February, May, August, and November of each year; typical features include exhibitions and major collaborations at or among member institutions; listings of grantmaking and professional development opportunities; program offerings; and more. We’re currently compiling info for our August issue.

Take advantage of:

An easy, direct, and affordable way to reach decision-makers in Maine's cultural institutions.
Direct-mailed to more than 300 individuals
Posted online and shared through MAM's Facebook page and Twitter feed
Low rates
Discounts for members

To find out more, check out the advertising guidelines here. Questions? Contact MAM at info@mainemuseums.org or the newsletter editor at jrouthier@maine.rr.com.

Look for your newsletter in print and online August 2013!

Board Meeting (07 Oct 2013)

Mon, 07 Oct 2013 14:00:00 GMT

All MAM members are invited to attend MAM's quarterly board meetings. E-mail info@mainemuseums.org for more information and to let us if you are attening so we can ensure adequate space.

Call for Proposals: MAM 2013 Fall Conference & Annual Meeting (29 Oct 2013)

Tue, 29 Oct 2013 04:00:00 GMT

Maine Archives & Museums 2013 Fall Conference & Annual Meeting

RECHARGE YOUR MISSION: IDEAS TO IGNITE & INSPIRE

Call for Proposals

Deadline: May 24, 2013

Collecting organizations in Maine are aware of the important roles museums, archives, and historical societies play in shaping the identity and collective history of our communities. We all know the challenges of caring for collections, keeping the doors open, attracting visitors, and seeking funding, but how do we rise above the day-to-day challenges to generate new ideas, inspire stakeholders, and secure new sources of revenue?

Tourism, advocacy efforts, collaboration, social networking, and crowdsourcing are making waves in the world of museums and archives. What broad trends and ideas from the field are applicable to our own work in local collecting organizations? The MAM conference is one way to share your experiences and discuss challenges and solutions with others from around the state and beyond.

The 2013 MAM conference will offer a mixture of sessions, workshops, networking opportunities, and a dynamic keynote address that will leave you feeling recharged, connected, and inspired with new ideas to assist you in the care and management of your collecting institution.

MAM is seeking qualified presenters to submit session proposals that fit this theme and advance MAM’s mission to support and promote Maine’s collecting institutions. Session proposals will be considered in the following formats:

Panel Sessions: One hour and fifteen minute session block with two or more presenters discussing a topic that can inform or inspire participants in their work.
Workshops: One hour and fifteen minute block with one or more presenters offering hands-on opportunities for skill building.
Poster Exhibits: Display material presenting a project or exhibit that your institution would like to share with a larger audience that has relevance to the field at large.

The Program Committee seeks proposals that will inspire organizations of various sizes and disciplines and are especially visionary. Case studies will be considered, but proposals that are clearly more applicable to the field at large will have priority. Topics may include but are not limited to:

Attracting new volunteers and members
Oral history and storytelling
Advocacy
Crisis management and disaster preparedness
Collections policies, management, and housekeeping
Board development and strategic planning
Collaboration with businesses, colleges, government agencies, and other non-profits
Youth initiatives
Fundraising, grant writing, and marketing
Innovative educational or interpretive programming

For more information or to submit a session proposal, please complete the online submission form and e-mail resumes for all speakers to info@mainemuseums.org or send it to PO Box 46, Cumberland Center, ME 04021. Proposals will be reviewed in early June and applicants will be notified by June 21, 2013 about whether their proposal was accepted.

Please note: MAM is unable to offer stipends, honorarium or travel reimbursement to presenters. Presenters who plan to attend other sessions during the conference must register and will receive the discounted Early Bird MAM member rate.