Small Museum Association
2009 Annual Conference Call for Papers
The Small Museum Association (SMA) is planning its 25th Annual Conference in Ocean City, Maryland, February 22–24, 2009. Every year, this conference brings together more than 250 museum professionals from a wide range of institutions, primarily from the Mid-Atlantic region—although our member and attendee base has been steadily expanding. The conference aims to improve professionalism within the community of small museums by providing a unique and comfortable environment for individuals and institutions with diverse experiences to meet and learn from each other. Conference sessions typically provide practical, relevant discussions, and examples for small museums and institutions with limited budgets.
This year, the theme of the Annual Conference will be a celebration of the 25th Anniversary of the Small Museum Association. As we honor 25 years of small museums working together throughout the conference, sessions will continue to focus on the use of technology in a small museum setting. Sessions will be arranged in five broad areas, including marketing/development, curatorial, education, museum boards, and volunteers so attendees can concentrate on the area that most suits the needs of their own work and that of their museum. New technologies, particularly those introduced over the last quarter century have changed the way many museums operate. Technology, however your museum is currently using it, can open up a great many opportunities, from improving the efficiency of your gift shop to updating your collections records to managing the business that is your museum. The SMA wants to provide those associated with small museums (volunteers, board members, interns, or staff) with the tools needed to use technology to make their institutions even better and more relevant than they already are.
We invite proposals for sessions based on original research. Proposal topics should in some way touch on the use of technology in all facets of museum work, but especially in the five broad categories mentioned above (marketing/development, curatorial, education, museum boards, and volunteers). Possible session topics include:
• Planning and implementing a fundraising event
• Writing exciting exhibit labels
• Working with your community
• Starting up education programs
• Managing and working with interns
• Developing a well-run board of directors
• Ethics in museum programming
There will be sessions all day on Monday, February 23, and on the morning of Tuesday, February 24, 2009.
Individuals from the museum/historic preservation field and related supporting communities who would like to present at this dynamic and friendly conference are invited to submit proposals to the address below by July 15, 2008; you will be notified by August 29, 2008.
Session Proposal Application
Your Name: _________________________________________________________________
Job Title: ____________________________________________________________________
Institution/Organization/Company: ____________________________________________
Your Address: ______________________________________________________________
Your Phone Number: ________________________________________________________
Your Cell Phone Number: ____________________________________________________
Your Email Address: ________________________________________________________
Preferred Session Date: Mon. (Feb. 23) _____ Tues. (Feb. 24) ____ Either: _____
Preferred Session Length (select one): 60 min. _____ 90 min. _____
Title of Proposed Session:
Description of Proposed Session:
SEND QUESTIONS OR COMPLETED FORMS TO:
John Pentangelo
SMA Speaker Coordinator
USS Constellation Museum
410-539-1797, ext. 446