Southern Illinois Association of Museums

Minutes from the May 22, 2003 Inaugural Meeting
4 to 6 p.m.

Site: John A. Logan College Museum
Host: Adrienne Barkley Giffin

Present:

Dona Bachman (SIU Museum), Patrick Brumleve (Union County Historical Society), Cindy Birk Conley (White County Historical Society), Vickie Devenport (John A. Logan College Museum), Mona Diefenbach (PAST, Union County), Marjorie Fiechtig (White County Historical Society), Adrienne Barkley Giffin (John A. Logan College Museum), Lori Huffman (SIU Museum), Gary Hacker (Johnson County Genealogical and Historical Society), Jean Ibendahl (Perry County Jail Museum), Mike Jones (General John A. Logan Museum), Eric Livingston (American Fluorite Museum), Pamela Madden (The Science Center), Jackie Meadows (WOW Children's Museum), Jo Nast (John A. Logan College Museum), and Carla Smith (PAST, Union County)

  1. Dr. Dona Bachman, museum director at The University Museum, Southern Illinois University, extended a welcome to those attending. The idea for a network of southern Illinois museums began when Adrienne Barkley Giffin and Lori Huffman began discussions on the need for collaborations between cultural agencies in the region. The inaugural meeting held on May 22, 2003, marks the beginning of the development of this museum network.

  2. Those present introduced themselves and talked about the organization they represented. Many attendees brought organizational materials to share with others.

  3. The question posed to the group was, "Why develop a museum network?" Responses/ideas are as follows:
    • To let people know we exist
    • A network provides a means to share technical support
    • To develop a Museum Trail (like the Art Trail)
    • To assist with financial support: grants and to make the legislature aware of who we are
    • To develop a sense of community to gain community support
    • To gain more support from state agencies
    • To let people know it is important to go to museums
    • To show that there is value in non-sport activities
    • To share our brochures with visitors to other southern Illinois museums
    • To maximize our finances--collaborations for larger grants

  4. The question posted to the group was, "What are our needs as a group?" Responses/ideas are as follows:
    • Historic preservation.
    • Marketing (publicity, passport system, Museum Day in Springfield)
    • Funding workshops
    • Volunteers: recruit and retain and incentives
    • Technical assistance: collections management (registration and inventory), dynamic exhibit design, Website development, educational programs
    • Sharing of resources: collections, exhibits, and attend workshops together
    • Collection insurance: Is collaboration a possibility?
    • Identify resources in the community to help with needs
    • Realize that there are mutual needs we all share

  5. How should we prioritize our needs?
    The top three priorities are listed below:
    • Priority 1: Marketing our museums
    • Priority 2: Technical assistance
    • Priority 3: Funding workshops

  6. For this meeting, discussion was centered around Priority 1:
    Marketing as to what methods could be used to further this need. Responses/ideas are as follows:
    • Share brochures
    • Develop a southern Illinois museum Website
    • Develop a Passport Program with incentives
    • Develop a Museum Trail
    • Create PSA's about museums maybe through IAM
    • Develop consistent press releases
    • Work with the media
    • Survey to see if museums are interested in being part of a network. Why or why not? (Patrick Brumleve and Lori Huffman will work on this)
    • Involve tourism in the network
    • Develop press releases on the formation of the Southern Illinois Association of Museums (SIAM)
    • Encourage the public to visit museums within their own backyard
    • Market museum events
    • Develop a newsletter for SIAM
    • Sponsor a Museum Day at area malls (Carbondale and Marion?)
    • Museums need to share their annual calendars with each other. These calendars need to be posted on the SIAM Website

  7. Homework for the next meeting:
    • Bring brochures from your organization to share with others/to have available in other places
    • Bring calendars so we can see what others are doing
    • Bring a list of resources
    • Bring media samples: press releases, Website front page
    • Develop a SIAM discussion list
    • Start developing a plan for committees

    8. The next meeting will be held on Thursday, July 24, 2003, from 5 to 7 p.m. at White County Historical Society. Host: Cindy Birk Conley of the White County Historical Society

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    This page updated, October 26, 2004

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