By Laurie O’Neill — Contributing Editor
Calling it the community’s “North Star,” the American Alliance of Museums has once again awarded accreditation to the Concord Museum.
The designation is the highest national recognition available to any museum in the United States and the gold standard of museum excellence for more than 50 years.
Only three percent of all museums nationwide hold accreditation, according to Lisa Krassner, the Museum’s Edward W. Kane Executive Director. “We are immensely proud to be among the ranks of the very best museums in the country,” she says.
The AAM, a non-profit association founded in 1906 that connects and advocates for museums, said in a statement: “The Concord Museum radiates its mission as a North Star in the constellation of heritage assets that characterize this community.”
Museums represented by the AAM include art, history, science, military, maritime, and youth museums, public aquariums, zoos, botanical gardens, arboretums, historic sites, and science and technology centers.
A debt of gratitude
Krassner said the Museum has been continuously accredited by the AAM since 1973, “demonstrating that it meets the very highest standards, excelling as a leading educational institution and responsible steward of a nationally significant collection of historic objects.”
Accreditation is based on the Core Standards for Museums, which are grouped into the following categories: Public Trust and Accountability, Mission & Planning, Leadership and Organizational Structure, Collections Stewardship, Education and Interpretation, Financial Stability, and Facilities and Risk Management.
The AAM says accreditation can “increase a museum’s credibility and value to funders, policymakers, insurers, the community, and peers.”
“We owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to everyone who has supported the Museum over the years,” Krassner said, thanking supporters for believing “in our mission to connect people to Concord’s multifaceted and remarkable past.”
