Maine Archives and Museums, the membership organization dedicated to
promoting and supporting Maine’s collecting institutions, is proud to
introduce a new section on its website dedicated to advocacy. “Advocacy is,”
as explained on the site, “active support for a cause—your museum, archive,
library, historical society, or historic property.” Whether it’s a sit-down
meeting with a legislator, a social media post about a local issue, or just
an open house day for the community, cultural organizations have the right
to let people know about the good work they do. And MAM is pleased and
proud to support those efforts with its new site:
www.mainemuseums.org/Advocacy.
“These new resources on our website will help MAM’s members—and other
cultural organizations in Maine—discover new ways to talk about why the work
they do is important,” said MAM Director Erin I. Bishop, Ph.D. “It is one-
stop shopping for a lot of great ideas and tools to expand the conversation
and foster new and stronger relationships with decision-makers at the
national, state, and local level.”
The website includes definitions of advocacy and how it differs from
lobbying; ideas for low-effort, no-cost monthly advocacy projects; tools for
identifying and contacting legislators, writing economic impact statements
and advocacy policies, getting training, contacting the press, and signing
up for legislative alerts; a list of annual advocacy events for museums and
libraries; and much more. MAM is also working on an Advocacy Policy, which
will be formalized in time for a special session on advocacy at MAM’s Annual
Meeting and Conference on Tuesday, October 29, at the Collins Center for the
Arts at the University of Maine, Orono. For more information on MAM’s
conference, visit http://www.mainemuseums.org/Conference2013.
In deepening its commitment to advocacy issues, a central part of its
mission, MAM joins its efforts to those of national organizations like the
Institute for Museum and Library Services, the American Alliance of Museums,
the American Library Association, and the Society of American Archivists,
which in recent years have spearheaded initiatives such as National Museum
Advocacy Day and Library Snapshot Day, among others. Regional and state
advocacy efforts are also supported by organizations such as the New England
Museum Association, New England Archivists, the Maine State Library, and the
Maine Library Association.
About Maine Archives and Museums:
Maine Archives and Museums is the non-profit association that supports and
promotes Maine’s collecting institutions. Our mission is to develop and
foster a network of citizens and institutions in Maine who identify,
collect, interpret, and/or provide access to materials relating to history,
living collections, and culture. Membership in MAM is open to institutions,
businesses, and individuals. To become a member, visit www.mainemuseums.org.
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