WKU News

The Kentucky Museum has been selected to participate in the Museum Assessment Program (MAP), which is administered by the American Alliance of Museums.  Through guided self-study and on-site consultation with a museum professional, participation in MAP will empower the Kentucky Museum to better serve the citizens of South Central Kentucky by facilitating its meeting and exceeding the highest professional standards of the museum field.

The museum’s participation is made possible through funding provided by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). MAP helps museums strengthen operations, plan for the future, and meet standards through self-study and a consultative site visit from an expert peer reviewer.

The Kentucky Museum has chosen to do a MAP Organizational assessment in order to review its Core Documents in preparation for accreditation, better understand and develop the roles of museum staff and a plan for future hiring, and improve its financial sustainability. This is key as the Kentucky Museum looks to efficiently and effectively use its resources to continue serving WKU and South Central Kentucky community.

“Choosing to be part of the MAP program is indicative of the commitment to civic involvement, public service and overall excellence on the part of the Kentucky Museum,” said Laura Lott, president of AAM. “Studies have shown America’s museums to be among the country’s most trusted and valued institutions. MAP is designed to make them even better.”

Since its creation in 1981, the MAP program has served over 5,000 museums. MAP is supported through a cooperative agreement between AAM and IMLS. For more information, including a complete list of museums participating in MAP, please visit www.aam-us.org/map, call 202-289-9118 or e-mail map@aam-us.org. Our website also has information about museums across the country who have previously participated in MAP and other AAM Excellence Programs (such as Core Document Verification and Accreditation).

AAM is the only organization representing the nation’s entire museum community and has been dedicated to promoting excellence within the museum field for over 100 years. For more information about AAM, visit www.aam-us.org. The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 123,000 libraries and 35,000 museums. To learn more about the Institute, please visit: http://www.imls.gov.

The Kentucky Museum has its origins in the establishment of the Kentucky Building in 1939 as a place for “Kentuckians to know Kentucky.” Today, the Kentucky Museum continues this charge while increasing interdisciplinary knowledge of, appreciation, and respect for a collection representative of South Central Kentucky. As a teaching museum, we conduct research, preservation, and interpretation in a variety of fields, with special emphasis on fine, decorative, and folk arts; clothing and textiles; toys; political memorabilia; and other culturally significant items from our community.