Maine Archives and Museums (MAM) is advocating for museums, archives, historical societies, and other collecting institutions in the age of COVID-19.
At the end of April 2020, the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) and Governor's Office released some general guidance for reopening and operating a business in the coming months. In response to input from Maine's community of collecting institutions, DECD on May 27 released reopening guidelines specific to museums, which they revised on August 14.
In addition, MAM released guidelines for collecting institutions, based on best practices collected from throughout the country by the MAM Board of Directors.
At home due to the COVID-19 pandemic? In light of the many schools and collecting institutions that have closed due to the pandemic, people across Maine are seeking learning and engagement opportunities online.
The Association of Maine Archives and and Museums (MAM) is gathering a growing list of free online resources from collecting institutions across the state. Check it out to find online lesson plans, podcasts, exhibits, archives, arts & crafts activities, lectures, and more! From Pre-K kids to adults, there’s something to interest everyone.
Think about what your organization already has available that may appeal to students, teachers, and a general audience stuck at home. MAM can help you share those resources with a broader audience!
Please send us submissions so we can direct people to your website. We encourage both MAM members and non-members to submit.
Ideas include (but are not limited to):
Online lesson plans or activities
Virtual tours of your site
Videos or podcasts
Digital archives
Articles
Live interactions (video chat with a curator or educator, etc.)
We hope this to be a simple but meaningful way to keep Mainers of all ages engaged and educated, as well as a way for all of us to connect with our audiences during these tough times.