Small Museum Association
2008 Annual Conference Call for Papers


The Small Museums Association (SMA) is planning its 24th Annual Conference
in Ocean City, Maryland, February 24-26, 2008. 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 Annual Conference will be the use of technology in
five broad areas, including fundraising, curating, education, museum boards,
and volunteers, which will allow attendees to concentrate on the area that
most suits the needs of their own work and that of their museum. Technology
in the world of museums is continually evolving-and is continually changing
museums themselves. 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
(fundraising, curating, 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 25, and on the morning of
Tuesday, February 26, 2008. 

Individuals from the museum/historic preservation 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 20,
2007; you will be notified by August 31, 2007.

Session Proposal Application


Your Name: _______________________________________________________________
Institution/Organization/Company:
_____________________________________________
Your Address: ______________________________________________________________
Your Phone Number: ________________________________________________________
Your Cell Phone Number: ____________________________________________________
Your Email Address: ________________________________________________________

Preferred Session Date: Mon. (Feb. 25) _____ Tues. (Feb. 26) ____
Either: _____ 
Preferred Session Length (select one): 60 min. _____	90 min. _____

Title of Proposed Session:


Description of Proposed Session: 
	




Contact Katherine H. Maas, SMA Speakers Coordinator
GW Museum Studies Program
[log in to unmask]

with questions or completed forms

=========================================================
Important Subscriber Information:

The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes).

If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).