The Knowledge Exchange is a professional development opportunity open to all MAS members. Typically, these Knowledge Exchanges have been presented alongside the Spring Network meetings to MAS Museum Networks.
The content of these Knowledge Exchanges vary, but are intended to address the concerns from members, trends observed in the heritage sector, and to build upon the foundations and knowledge presented in the MAS Certificate Program in Community Museum Studies.
Ideas/requests for the Knowledge Exchange may be submitted at any time to MAS, otherwise, topics are drawn from discussions with members, feedback from courses, and as stated, observations of trends within the heritage field as a whole.
Some of our past Knowledge Exchange presentations can be found on our YouTube Channel, like Creative Approaches to Curating During a Pandemic or Practical Experiences from RE-ORG Canada.
Knowledge Exchange 2023
Last Fall saw the release of the Canadian Museums Association’s (CMA) Moved to Action in September, the release of MAS’s Sixth Edition of Standards for Saskatchewan Museums in December, and this Spring saw the release of the Reconsidering Museums Toolkit, spearheaded by Alberta Museums Association (AMA).
In February this year all of MAS’s Institutional Members were gifted a complementary physical copy of Sixth Edition of Standards. Standards has been developed for the intended purpose of providing museums throughout Saskatchewan with a resource to consult for established best practices as they continue to develop and grow to service their communities.
This latest revision strives to encompass the necessary changes that we have observed within the sector, focusing on inclusion, diversity, equity, and access. As well, it addresses omissions noted from previous editions. The result, we trust, is a cohesive body of relevant and consistent operational goals and guidelines that will benefit Saskatchewan museums.
Additionally, this edition of Standards was reviewed by two separate Panels: an Indigenous Review Panel and a Peer Review Panel. These panels reviewed each section of Standards (Governance & Management, Collections, and Communications) independently to ensure that the necessary considerations and expectations were built into standards and tips to assist readers.
Any questions, concerns, or comments about Standards can be directed to the Museums Advisor ([email protected], 306-780-9266).
Reconsidering Museums, launched in 2020, set out to answer the question, what do museums mean to Canadians? Through a rearticulation of the value of museums and a rebrand of the sector, Reconsidering Museums supports museums with the tools and language necessary to better connect with and serve their communities, deepening their relationship, and therefore their relevance, to the Canadian public.
As a sector, we understand the significance of museums and museum work. By generating dialogue about how and why museums matter to Canadians, Reconsidering Museums empowers museums with a shared language to express our value, to increase meaningful engagement, and to create a more sustainable and relevant sector.
The resources developed through Reconsidering Museums provide adaptable values-based messaging that bridges the gap between museums and their publics, demonstrate the value of museums with data-driven insights, and help shape public dialogue around the vital role of museums in our society.
To help our members on their road to reconciliation and in implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) at their institutions, in March, we sent all of our Institutional Members a physical copy of the CMA’s Moved to Action Report.
Moved to Action is a direct response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commissions Call to Action #67. This report was developed by the CMA in collaboration with Indigenous People across Canada that aims to outline museum policies and best practices that reflect compliance with the UNDRIP and to make recommendations for museums to meet the standards outlined in this report.