A short update...

I promise that I'm still here! While I know it's been a while since I've been able to update the blog, I'm still here! I have been working on my masters thesis, which has been time consuming, so I apologize for not updating more often. I hope to get at least one update a week posted for the next few months. Also, if you're interested in contributing to the blog, please let me know! We can put together a user profile so you can post to the site as well. If you don't want to post an article but have something you'd like to say, please feel free to use the "Comments" link to share your thoughts about a particular topic or to share a topic that you want to learn more about. I can always research new topics and try to connect you with someone who might be able to share their knowledge and expertise about what you're interested in learning more about.

As many of you know, this is a challenging time for museums and non-profits. The economy and fundraising concerns have been a top priority in the museum community. Museum boards and managers are having to make very tough decisions regarding budget cuts to face the uncertainty that lays ahead. There is a wealth of information about what AAM is doing in Washington DC to help museums maintain funding. If you're interested in learning more about this, click here to access AAM's website for more information. While these are certainly important issues that need to be discussed, and I will continue to post information on how museums can weather the storm, there are also many other museum issues to discuss as we continue moving forward in the museum community.

One issue that I've currently been looking at is the issue of museums 'going green.' With the Obama Administration, there has been more of a focus on the dangers of climate change and global warming. Creating an awareness of our carbon footprint is something that museums are beginning to take a look at within their mission statements, architecture, and practices. If you'd like to learn more about this topic, there's a great blog called "Sustainable Seattle" (click here to check it out). This blog addresses a wide variety of sustainability concerns in Seattle, but also talks about the role of area museums and what some organizations are doing to address this issue.

Another museum issue that is especially relevant in the Pacific Northwest is the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act ("NAGPRA"). Because the Pacific Northwest has such a rich Native American heritage, NAGPRA plays a large role in how many of the museums in the area are dealing with their collections. To learn more about this topic, be sure to visit the National NAGPRA website by clicking here to see the "Museums" homepage. There is a great wealth of information as far as how NAGPRA may affect your collection and even some fundraising opportunities to make sure that your museum is able to comply.

In closing, I'm hoping to get more information on this site about these issues and other museum topics. Also, I would like to plan a get together this summer by having a speaker come to discuss a topic that would be of interest to those in the area. If you have any ideas on a possible topic or speaker, please let me know by clicking on the "Comments" section.