(Your collections probably don’t need masks, but you do need to think about their safety in other ways!)

As history organizations around the country adapt to the rapidly evolving public health situation, we’ll be sharing resources and ideas from across the field through our newsletter and Professional Development webinars.

The content posted here is from our weekly e-newsletter, Dispatch, for the week of April 13.

This week’s webinar topics: building no-cost virtual tours and consultants.

This Week
Advocacy alert for museums: Urge your legislators to include museums in COVID-19 Phase 4 economic relief. Your legislators need to hear directly from you that they must continue to include nonprofit museums in COVID-19 economic relief. They also need to hear specifically about how COVID-19 is affecting you and your museum and how your museum is helping impacted communities. Read more.

New stimulus funding from IMLS: The Institute of Museum and Library Services will be awarding $30 million, from the $50 million appropriated to the agency in the CARES Act, to State Library Administrative Agencies. These SLAAs will distribute the funds in their state or territory to museums, related organizations, and libraries to “to expand digital network access, purchase internet accessible devices, and provide technical support services to citizens to address digital inclusion efforts and related technical support.” For more information, contact your SLAA, as funding decisions will be made on a state-by-state basis. Read more.

Resource hub from HENTF: The Heritage Emergency National Task Force has launched its COVID-19 Resource Hub, which leads to an array of resources that can help you and your constituents respond to and recover from the pandemic. Resources have been grouped in categories such as collections care, funding recovery, federal and global guidance, and more. The page will be updated frequently, so bookmark it as a resource to refer to often. Read more.

Equity during a crisis: AAM’s Director of Inclusion Andrew Plumley urges the field to stay focused on equity and inclusion as we make tough decisions and chart a new path for the future. Read more.

Museums to the rescue: Sites around the world are embracing coronavirus aid as part of their public service missions. Whether it’s donating PPE and supplies, repurposing land and facilities, or offering educational services, museums serve as a model of dedicated and compassionate help in times of crisis. Read more.

Collections management assistance: CatalogIt is offering at-home museum workers a free personal account for one year to catalog and capture their collections and share them on the web through the CatalogIt hub. Read more.

Charting visitation predictions: Colleen Dilenschneider is updating data weekly for understanding when the U.S. public anticipates returning to their regular attendance patterns. April 11 data “suggests a clear trend and potential good news for cultural institutions.” Read more.

From AASLH
Reminder: All AASLH staff are working remotely until further notice. We’re still answering phones and voicemails. If you need to connect with a specific staff member, please email them directly.

New AASLH member benefit: The ARCUS Leadership Program is providing FREE access for AASLH members to its online professional leadership development courses. Request your member coupon code at [email protected]. Offered online, the courses cover community outreach, public speaking, financial management, fundraising, team building, advocacy, and more, and include a culminating professional certificate. Read more.

History News free digital issue: The latest issue of AASLH’s member magazine is online-only and available free. We are reaching out to serve the entire history community in this time of crisis when people are homebound. This issue features articles on transforming tours, uncovering hidden stories through preservation, self-care for mid-career professionals, and more. Download here.

Exploring women’s suffrage: This month, AASLH is thrilled to present the first title in our new “Exploring America’s Historic Treasures” series. Exploring Women’s Suffrage Through 50 Historic Treasures by Jessica D. Jenkins pairs unique artifacts with insightful essays to tell a broader suffrage story. Read more.

AASLH webinar feedback: If you have taken part in one or more of our new AASLH Conversations webinars, we would love to hear your thoughts on how the series is helping you. We also welcome suggestions for future topics of discussion. Submit your feedback and suggestions here.

Crisis resources for historical organizations: AASLH has created a landing page of COVID-19 resources, including blog posts, webinars, and external resources from around the field. We’ll keep it updated with the latest news to help you navigate the crisis. Read more.

Share visitation data: AASLH’s “National Visitation Survey” will remain open indefinitely to allow more institutions time to respond. We are asking institutions to submit their 2018 and 2019 visitation figures. Reliable data will ensure we can properly assess the impact of this year’s coronavirus closings. Submit your information here.

Upcoming Events from AASLH
*All in-person events scheduled through May 1 have been cancelled or postponed. AASLH is developing new online events to help practitioners and institutions respond to COVID-19. Please check our calendar for the latest updates.

April 15: Webinar: AASLH Conversations: Building a No-Cost Virtual Tour of Museums and Historic Sites with Clio
April 16: Webinar: AASLH Conversations: Consultants Weathering the Storm
April 20: Webinar: AASLH Conversations: Planning for an Uncertain Financial Future, Part Two
April 23: Webinar: Historic House Call: Mission
April 30: Webinar: How to Spot Opportunity When it is Disguised as Chaos
May 7: Webinar: AASLH Conversations: Local Advocacy Matters
May 19: Webinar: How to Build Your Own Successful Traveling Trunk Program
May 26: Online Course: Financial Structures and Strategy
June 1: Online Course: Basics of Archives
June 1: Online Course: Leadership and Administration for History Organizations
June 1: Online Course: Caring for Museum Collections

Upcoming Events from Other Organizations
April 15: Webinar on digital content: On Wednesday, April 15, Cuseum will present “Thinking Outside the Box to Reach Audiences Inside Their Homes” to offer creative solutions for virtual community engagement. Read more.

April 15: Webinar on history relevance: On Wednesday, April 15, the Missouri Association for Museums and Archives will present “The Relevance of History in the Time of COVID-19” with Tim Grove, a co-founder of the History Relevance initiative. Read more.

May 18 and June 1-4: AAM virtual Annual Meeting and MuseumExpo: After canceling their in-person conference for May, the American Alliance of Museums is hosting “Radical Reimagining” to bring the conference online. Read more.