Our colleagues at the American Alliance of Museums are urging all of us to contact our legislators to ask for their support for the Institute of Museum and Library Services Office of Museum Services (OMS). It’s a crucial time because House and Senate appropriators are making initial spending decisions now for Fiscal Year 2025.

Please mention in your message that funding for museums is especially critical at this time because the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States is just over two years away. OMS funding can help support history organizations across the country for this once-in-a-generation opportunity to remind Americans of the ideals of our nation’s founding, such as liberty and democracy, and our ongoing efforts to become a more perfect union.

It’s especially important to reach out if your Representative is a member of the House Labor-HHS-Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee, which funds OMS. Members are:

Robert Aderholt (R-AL-04), Chairman
Rosa L. DeLauro (D-CT-03), Ranking Member
Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ-06)
Andrew Clyde (R-GA-09)
Chuck Edwards (R-NC)
Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN-03)
Lois Frankel (D-FL-21)
Josh Harder (D-CA-10)
Andy Harris (R-MD-01)
Steny Hoyer (D-MD-05)
Jake LaTurner (R-KS-02)
Barbara Lee (D-CA-13)
Julia Letlow (R-LA-05)
John Moolenaar (R-MI-04)
Mark Pocan (D-WI-02)
Mike Simpson (R-ID-02)
Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ-12)

The Fiscal Year 2025 appropriations process is the last real opportunity before July 4, 2026, for Congress to provide support to America 250 activities through IMLS and other agencies which invest in state and local organizations.

Application deadline: June 3, 2024
The National Lighthouse Museum (NLM), a private, not for profit Museum, located on Staten Island, NY,
seeks to hire a part-time Curator to manage the Museum’s current collection and to seek opportunities
to expand its artifacts as the Museum moves forward toward its planned Museum expansion within the
next three years.
The National Lighthouse Museum interprets and chronicles the history of US Lighthouses which formally
began in 1789 under the auspices of the United States Lighthouse Establishment which was an operating
component of the United States Treasury. The Museum exists on the site of the US Lighthouse Service
General Depot from 1864-1939.
The Museum officially opened to the public in 2014 in Building 11 on the site. The curator will be
instrumental in helping the Museum in the planning, curating and designing of exhibits as we move
forward with our CAMPAIGN TO ILLUMINATE FUTURE GENERATIONS.
Collection Responsibilities:
 Cultivate donors for artifacts and archival material
 Manage and develop a small but growing collection of artifacts, archives, and library materials
 Maintain proper museum collections documentation and legal paperwork
 Implement professional museum standards, policies and procedures related to curatorial work
 Help research, develop and maintain current collections and exhibits in partnership with the
Museum team.
 Coordinate and collaborate closely with and serve on the Museum’s Collection’s Committee
 Help initiate, develop and implement at least two maritime related exhibits annually along with
the guidance and direction of the Museum team.

Educational Responsibilities:
 Provide research, guidance and direction to support our in-house Museum Education Programs
 Help develop and design educational activities in collaboration with our museum educators and
docents to ensure effective experiences for their students and their teachers
 Design & implement interpretive plans for new exhibits in partnership with the Museum team.
 Work to ensure the best visitor experience producing diverse strategies to meet a variety of
needs
 Analyze the impact and success of interpretive strategies and apply new strategies as needed
 Utilize DEI/Diversity, Equality and Inclusion standards when developing and designing exhibits

Intern/Volunteer Management Responsibilities:
 Provide guidance, direction and supervision to Curatorial Interns, as needed in their fulfillment
of class requirements
 Educate Museum Staff/ Interns/ Docents and Volunteers to be aware of the importance of
delivering quality and accurate interpretive content regardless of positions at museum
 Conduct Training Sessions with Team as needed on the maintenance and handling of artifacts
and archival materials
 Assure the NLM Team remains aware of the Museum’s responsibility to understand and
respond to the needs, desires and interests of its audience

Qualifications:
 Master’s degree in Museum Studies, history or related field preferred
 3 years prior experience as a museum curator, collections manager or exhibit developer
 Knowledge of and experience with industry standards and best practices
 Excellent research, writing and organizational skills
 Familiarity and experience with Museum databases
 Excellent computer skills

Send or e-mail Resume and Cover Letter* to:
LDianto@lighthousemuseum.org
or
Linda Dianto
Executive Director
National Lighthouse Museum
200 The Promenade at Lighthouse Point
Staten Island, New York 10301
Lighthousemuseum.org
*Please Note
In cover letter, please identify any maritime/ lighthouse interest and/ or experience you may have!

49th ALBERT REED & THELMA WALKER MARITIME SYMPOSIUM

“RESURFACED”

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2024 (BATH, MAINE)

The depths of the ocean hold mysteries yet to be revealed, however, there are truths waiting to be discovered beneath the surface.  It is through diligent inquiry and open-minded exploration that we can begin to dive into the riches concealed below to enhance our collective understanding of the environment, our past, our creative endeavors, and our communities.

Maine Maritime Museum is pleased to announce its symposium “Resurfaced” on November 15, 2024. The symposium is interdisciplinary and seeks presenters from industry, science, and the humanities—including history, art history, nautical archaeology, ecology, maritime law, and other fields. We encourage presenters to approach the theme of “resurfaced” in broad and creative ways. Possible topics include, but are not limited to, how historical research champions underrepresented stories, how scientific data shifts understandings in marine ecosystems, how indigenous knowledge can inform waterway conservation,  how archaeological discoveries provide cultural insights into the past, and how economic studies provide insights into the impact of coastal industries.

Abstracts

Abstracts should be 300 words or less and will be reviewed by the Program Committee. Decisions will be made by August 2, 2024.

Graduate Travel Stipend

Travel stipends of $250 are available to a limited number of graduate student presenters and are awarded on merit based on submitted abstracts.

Please send abstracts to abstracts@maritimeme.org by July 15, 2024

https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Article/CS17175

Dear Colleague,

I am reaching out today with an urgent request, one AASLH rarely makes. We need you to reach out to your Senators to help secure major, new federal funding for the work of history organizations.

For the last several months, AASLH has met with many Congressional offices to advocate for substantial federal investments in the nation’s history community to support the commemoration of the America’s 250th anniversary. At the local, state, and national levels, the Semiquincentennial presents an opportunity to engage all people in a whole, complete American history, one that tells everyone’s story and emphasizes our historical and ongoing efforts to become a more perfect union.

As part of these efforts, we are working with a bipartisan group of lawmakers in both chambers to circulate a “Dear Colleague” letter that calls for robust funding in support of 250th activities across different federal agencies, including the Institute for Museum and Library Services, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Endowment for the Arts, the National Park Service, and more. The Senate letter is general in nature and nonpartisan, designed to garner the support of the largest possible coalition of Congressional members.

We need your help! We ask that you contact your Senators to encourage them to sign on in support of this letter. Constituents influence their Members of Congress most directly, so your participation is critical.

This is an urgent request. With the anniversary now just two years away, the next federal budget will be our last opportunity to secure meaningful new funding to support our work in the lead-up to 2026 and beyond.

Here’s what we need you to do:

1. Use this spreadsheet to find the email addresses of the Legislative Directors for your state’s Senators.

2. Use the draft message below to craft an email to your Senators’ Legislative Directors. Please use the subject line: “FY25 America 250 Senate Sign-on Letter.”

3. Download this “Dear Colleague” letter and include it as an attachment in your email.

Please note that the draft message below includes a “Quill Link” for the convenience of the Senate offices. These links only function for people with a Senate.gov email address. Although the link won’t work for you, it will work for the Senate staff that you are contacting.

AASLH has been working with The Normandy Group on this effort; please do not hesitate to reach out to me or either Christine Pellerin (cpellerin@thenormandygrp.com), or Phil Powell (ppowell@thenormandygrp.com) know if you have any questions.

Thank you for your support of this effort.

Best regards,

John Dichtl
President & CEO
dichtl@aaslh.org

EMAIL FROM CONSTITUENTS TO SENATE OFFICES:

Dear [INSERT NAME],

On behalf of [INSERT ORGANIZATION] based in [INSERT CITY AND STATE], I’m contacting you to urge Senator [INSERT NAME] to sign onto a Dear Colleague letter led by Senators Shaheen and Cramer in support of America 250 activities. The fast approaching U.S. Semiquincentennial (America 250) is just over two years away and is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to remind Americans of the ideals of our nation’s founding, including freedom, liberty and justice. The FY25 appropriations process is the last real opportunity before July 4, 2026, for Congress to provide funding to support America 250 activities across agencies which invest in local organizations like mine and are charged with carrying out programming for this purpose.

Please use the following Quill Link to sign on to the letter. Additionally, please do not hesitate to contact Ted Trippi (Ted_Trippi@Shaheen.senate.gov) or Michael Helmer (Michael_Helmer@Cramer.Senate.gov) with questions.

Thank you for your consideration of signing onto this letter.

Best regards,

[INSERT NAME]

https://recruiting.paylocity.com/recruiting/jobs/Details/2318014/Mystic-Seaport-Museum-Inc/Wells-Boat-Hall-Exhibition-Curator

Time is running out to register for our one-day workshop, Reimagining the Historic House Museum. The deadline to register is next Friday, April 12.

This workshop includes an analysis of the most important opportunities and threats facing historic sites in America based on the latest social and economic research, with a discussion on how they may relate to the participants’ house museum. Field-tested tools and techniques drawn from such wide-ranging sources as non-profit management, business strategy, and software development will be shared. Drawing from innovative organizations, the facilitators profile historic sites that are using new models to engage with their communities to become more relevant, are adopting creative forms of interpretation and programming, and earning income to become more financially sustainable. A key component of the workshop is a facilitated brainstorming session to reinvent an event or program.

This workshop is facilitated by Ken Turino and Max van Balgooy, co-editors of the AASLH Book Series title Reimagining Historic House Museums: New Approaches and Proven Solutions. Attendees will receive a coupon code for 30% off this book as well.