Museum Services

Texas is home to more than 700 local history museums. Whether housed in a historic structure or a state-of-the-art new building, each one is dedicated to telling the story of a community’s unique history. Collectively, they preserve the real places and the real things that tell the whole story of Texas.

The Museum Services Program enables small history museums to better carry out their missions by helping them to increase their capacity for meeting professional standards. We do this by providing:

  • Free consultations
  • Training
  • Communication

Free consultations

Program staff can assist museums in any aspect of museum operations, including but not limited to:

  • Starting, planning, or reorganizing a museum
  • Writing mission statements
  • Strategic planning
  • Disaster preparedness and recovery
  • Educational program development
  • Exhibit planning and design
  • Interpretation of collections
  • Board development and relations
  • Volunteer recruitment and training
  • Special events
  • Collections care
  • Security
  • Fundraising
  • Professional ethics

Training

The 2013 Museum Services Workshop Schedule is coming soon!  In the meantime, the Training Opportunities section lists other training opportunities currently available.

If you are interested in sponsoring and hosting a 2013 workshop, contact Museum Services Program Staff for more information.

The Technical Assistance section provides a number of downloadable resource lists, articles, and other useful information.

Communications

Museum Services Intern Diana Luis

Check out the Highlights and What’s New Sections of this web page for announcements and current news from Museums Services.

Program staff sends email notices on timely information about current trends, available resources, technical tips, upcoming grant deadlines, training opportunities, and other types of assistance. To be added to this email list, contact program staff.

 

 

Fast
Facts

153 million

Photographs in U.S. collecting institutions are at risk

More Fast Facts

What's New

Emergency Preparedness Workshop

Texas Association of Museums

Emergency Preparedness, Response & Recovery in a Day

Thursday, May 16, 2013
8:30 a.m. - 4:oo p.m.

Fort Worth Museum of Science and History (Oak Room)
$45 Registration fee includes box lunch and materials.

This workshop will help participants prepare for and limit various types of damage through risk assessment, disaster planning, and recovery procedures. The workshop focuses on identifying hazards and developing the disaster plan, as well as basic response and recovery.

This workshop is presented by AMIGOS Library Services, Imaging and Preservation Services Division. The Imaging and Preservation Service is funded in part by a grant from the Division of Preservation and Access of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
 

Scholarships for the AASLH Conference

American Assocaition for State and Local History

Small Museums Committee Scholarship

The American Association for State and Local History will hold its 2013 Annual Meeting September 18 - 21 in Birmingham, AL.   AASLH Small Museums Committee is offering $500 scholarships to any AASLH members who are full-time, part-time, paid or volunteer employees of small museums.

Since 2006, the Small Museums Committee has offered scholarships to attend the AASLH Annual Meeting. The $500 scholarship will cover the cost of registration. Any remaining funds can be used to offset travel and/or lodging expenses.

To qualify, the applicant must work for a museum with a budget of $250,000 or less and either be an individual member of AASLH or work for an institutional member.

Visit the Small Museums Committee website for applicaiton and instructions.

The deadline for applications is June 15, 2013. Award notifications are made in time for early-bird registration.

For questions, please contact Bruce Teeple, Small Museum Scholarship Subcommittee Chair, at mongopawn44@hotmail.com