Humm . . . paying extra for special events, travel opportunities, publications other than the newsletter . . . it all sounds strangely like a museum membership . . . Robb Hyde Canton Museum of Art Ross Weeks wrote: > > <snip> from Henry Crawford > >As for _Museum News_, I never considered it to be anything more than > a > >marketing tool, much like a corporate annual report. It lets the > outside > >world know what we're doing in a slick (upscale, if you will) way, > >providing insight into the big broad issues. It's ok for that > purpose. > >Mind you, there is some information I get from MN, but for the most > part, > >it's usually the superficial kind (who has moved where, etc.) It's > not > >something I read cover to cover. As for grass roots information we > all > can > >use, like grant deadlines, legislative updates, and such, AVISO > serves the > >profession much more effectively. > > I have before me the annual billing for AAM membership. Here is the > gist > of the renewal letter: > > ".....your support enables AAM to provide you...with essential > benefits and > services to proactively address your museum's current and future > needs." > > These benefits are: > > "Professional Standards" transmitted via special publications for sale > and > programs for an extra fee > "Continuing education & professional development" for those who have > the > budgets to travel great distances, pay the fees and mostly to > find the > spare time > it all takes > "Representation" ..... in general, promoting throughout the USA the > value > of museums <as if we aren't doing that on our own, in general> > "Group purchase programs" for those who can't find better prices for > the > services > > Continuing, > > "In addition, as an AAM member you receive AAM publications......." > without > identifying what these publications are or describing their purpose. > > Sam Stokes writes: > > <snip>The Fort MacArthur Museum ... will soon be getting > our first paid staff, a "Historic Site Coordinator." > > >For a shoestring operation such as ours, we have found that > membership in > the > >AMA is completely a waste of our hard earned money. Museum News > almost > >never has anything pertaining to us, and is full of advertisements > for > items and > >services we could never afford. > > >I imagine that there are hundreds of operations out there such as > ours. > The > >AMA appears to be ignoring a large sector of the museum community. > > >Two cents, from the bottom half of the museum world....< > > Sam, I'd say it would be more like three-fourths of the museum world > thirsty for useful and relevant material in "AAM publications" that > come > with the membership fee. THAT is the "member benefit" downplayed in > the > renewal letter.