Museums serve as anchors in their communities. Places to learn and play, to understand the past and imagine the future. But fulfilling that role means much more than opening the doors. How can museums embed their organizational values to welcome visitors from all walks of life? How do museums become spaces where every community member feels welcome to explore with curiosity?
The Association of Science and Technology Centers, Garibay Group, and the Association of Children’s Museums, with support from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (Award MG-255854-OMS-24), today announced the launch of Museums Serving All People, a new initiative to study how museums build and sustain public engagement, and embed organizational values in programs, exhibits, events, and partnerships, as well as internal policies and practices.
Museums Serving All People will examine how organizational values and public engagement goals inform practices in museums across the United States. The initiative will explore what institutions are doing well, where they encounter obstacles, and how organizational values translate into practice.
“Museums have a complex task: each museum’s audience is essentially everyone who walks through their doors on a given day or who resides in their community,” said Christofer Nelson, President and CEO of the Association of Science and Technology Centers. “Staying relevant means creating spaces that truly make all visitors feel welcome and engaged. Museums Serving All People will help elucidate how organizational values are shaping work across our field.”
A study built by the field, not just about it
Over the next year, Museums Serving All People will develop and distribute a survey to museums nationwide, with the aim of gathering insight into current practices that shape public engagement and visitor experience. Findings will inform resources that highlight promising practices and other practical insights institutions can use to increase their impact and relevance in the communities they serve.
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