Let’s face it. Few of us are drawn to museum work because we want to tackle national museum standards. We love history, stories, photographs, artifacts, historic structures, and the other joys of our work. Thinking about national standards can make us feel overwhelmed; a reminder of how little time there is to accomplish all that needs to be done.  

Attention to museum standards is necessary, however. Standards, like those that address the “legal, ethical, and effective care of collections and historic structures,” are part of the foundation upon which museums and historic sites make decisions and earn and keep public trust.

Determining how well your organization is meeting national standards is much more manageable if you have a structure connected to that foundation, like the framework of a house. Programs like AASLH’s StEPs program are the framework that helps organizations, including all-volunteer ones, identify strengths and areas needing improvement. For organizations that have lost their direction, StEPs is a valuable tool for pulling them out of the rut they fell in years or even decades ago.

Is it time for your organization to join the 950 history organizations across the country already enrolled in StEPs?

Join us on Wednesday, January 24th for a free info webinar on the StEPs program. More information and registration.