ANSM Beacon eNewsletter - July 22, 2011

July 22, 2011

In this edition of the Beacon...

• ANSM Board Strategic Planning
• Conference Speakers Gift Legacy Project
• Get Your Museum On Google Maps
• It’s Membership Renewal Time!
• “Artifacts in Aboriginal Cultural Centres” Workshop 
• Call For Your Summer Events

• The Cumberland County Genealogical Society is hosting a Genealogy Conference! 
• The Old Sydney Society is presenting "Ghosts and Legends of Historic Sydney."
• Congratulations Doris Eaton on your new book!
• Do you need criminal record checks for staff or volunteers? 
• Museum Collections Survey
• Strategic Development Initiative Application Deadline
• The Canada Cultural Investment Fund (CCIF) is calling for proposals for its Strategic Initiatives component.

ANSM Board Strategic Planning

This fall the ANSM board, with support from managing director Anita Price and arts governance specialist consultant Barbara Richman, will be undertaking a strategic planning process. This process will be built on a review of the strategic plan 2008-2011. It will incorporate elements of that plan yet to be undertaken, as well as recommendations from the ANSM review of A Treasured Past, A Precious Future: A Heritage Strategy for Nova Scotia, 2008-2013. The ANSM strategic plan 2008-2011 and response to the Heritage Strategy can be viewed and downloaded on our website. 

The renewed ANSM strategy will be circulated to members later in the year.

At this year's conference, Beyond the Labels, we gave a donation on behalf of our speakers to the Tatamagouche Area Trails Association (TATA). Our intention was to provide a tangible legacy gift to the host community of Tatamagouche. The Butter Trail linking our conference venue at the Tatamagouche Centre to the heart of the town was an ideal project to support.

The TATA is very grateful for our donation. They are using it to build a ramp or stairway from the lawn of the centre to the Butter trail to give visitors easy access to the trail head.

Get Your Museum On 

Did you know you can add your museum to Google Maps for free? It's a great way to help visitors find you easily. 

1. Click on this link to get started.
2. You will be prompted to either sign into your Google account, or create one if you don't already have one. Creating a Google account is free. 
3. Once you are signed in, you will be prompted to fill in some information about your organization. Put in as much contact information as possible, including your website if you have one, so customers can easily find out more about you.
4. Once you have filled out the form, Google will mail you a PIN that you need to enter online to activate your listing.
5. Now your museum is on the map! 

It’s annual membership renewal time of year for ANSM. We invite you to renew your membership with us and continue your partnership between member and supporting organization. We look forward to working with you over the forth coming year!

Check out our ANSM Membership page for more information. Membership renewal packages were mailed recently.

“Artifacts in Aboriginal Cultural Centres” Workshop 

We are hosting a great CCI workshop November 16 & 17, 2011 at the Glooscap Heritage Centre in Millbrook. It will focus on the preservation of material culture in the context of Aboriginal cultural centres. For workshop details see our website.

Museum Association Members * Price: $125.00
Registration Deadline: September 30, 2011

Non-Members
Price: $175.00
Registration Deadline: September 16, 2011

Registration is currently open. To register, send a completed registration form with payment by cheque or money order to: Association of Nova Scotia Museums, 1113 Marginal Road, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 4P7

You can download registration forms here.

Nova Scotian museums are brimming with creative summer events. We know that you are planning something exciting, and we want to help you get the word out. Email us with info on your summer plans, and we’ll post it on our Facebook page. ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) 

The Cumberland County Genealogical Society is hosting a Genealogy Conference! 
August 19-21, 2011, in Amherst, Nova Scotia. Visit their website for more information and to register.

Do you need criminal record checks for staff or volunteers? 
My Back Check offers an easy way to perform checks online, with next day results.

Museum Collections Survey
An estimated 60% of the world's collections in storage are inaccessible and deteriorating rapidly. ICCROM needs your help to collect more information on this topic. If you work in a museum, take 10 minutes to answer this survey http://museumstorage.questionpro.com for the chance to win a one-year subscription to UNESCO's Museum International magazine. 

Strategic Development Initiative