Sun Prairie Historical Library & Museum Accepted to American Alliance of Museums Assessment Program

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – DATE
Katie Scanlan
Museum Director
kscanlan@cityofsunprairie.com
(608) 825-0837

Sun Prairie Historical Library & Museum Accepted to American Alliance of Museums Assessment Program

The American Alliance of Museums (AAM), the only organization representing the entire scope of the museum community, recently selected a new cohort of museums to participate in its 2024 Museum Assessment Program, including the Sun Prairie Historical Library & Museum (SPHLM).

Since its inception in 1981, the Museum Assessment Program (MAP) has helped more than 5,000 small and mid-sized museums strengthen operations, plan for the future, and meet industry standards. With 4 types of assessments available, over 60% of AAM-accredited museums have participated in the program.

To participate in the Museum Assessment Program, museums choose from one of four institutional assessment types: Organizational, Collections Stewardship, Education & Interpretation, or Community & Audience Engagement. All four assessment types are grounded in AAM’s Core Standards; are inclusive of Diversity, Equity, Access, and Inclusion (DEAI) issues as they relate to the assessment focus; help museums look at both functional and strategic aspects of their operations; present focused learning modules and action plans for the museum to progress through; and include a peer-reviewed site visit. Over one-third of participating museums found the experience so valuable that they returned to participate another time in the Museum Assessment Program.

SPHLM applied to the MAP Organizational assessment with three primary goals in mind:

1. Enhance the Museum’s relevancy and representation of the Sun Prairie community.

2. Improve collections management of the Museum’s ~35,000 items.

3. Increase operational efficiencies while adhering to professional standards and best practices.

“The Museum Board, staff, and volunteers have been working diligently to raise the standard for our local history museum and improve the experience of visitors and researchers,” said Museum Director Katie Scanlan. “We are pleased to have been accepted into this assessment program and look forward to addressing areas of growth head-on.”

The benefits of participating in MAP are numerous. Museums are able to gain clarity on an institutional roadmap or strategic plan, see positive impacts to their visitor experience or community response to their museum, grow in their ability to identify their strengths and challenges, or gain valuable assistance with updating museum policy, successes in fundraising, and other benefits.

MAP is supported through a cooperative agreement between the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the American Alliance of Museums. Read more about the Alliance’s Museum Assessment Program and Continuum of Excellence.

About the Sun Prairie Historical Library & Museum

The Sun Prairie Historical Library & Museum is located in the heart of Downtown Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, with a mission to collect, preserve, and share local history. The Museum building served as the community’s first freestanding public library built in 1924. In 1967, the library relocated and the Museum was formed by volunteers.

To learn more about the Museum, visit us online at www.cityofsunprairie.com/museum.

About the American Alliance of Museums

The American Alliance of Museums (AAM) is the only organization representing the entire museum field, from art and history museums to science centers and zoos. Since 1906, we have been championing museums through advocacy and providing museum professionals with the resources, knowledge, inspiration, and connections they need to move the field forward. For more information on the American Alliance of Museums, and the impact of museums, visit aam-us.org.