This AASLH virtual summit will focus on the collections held by small institutions, which often face a unique set of collections challenges related to limited resources, staff capacity, and infrastructure. The summit will provide information on caring for those collections and identify challenges and opportunities for small museum collections care in the future.
Date: November 12 – 13, 2025
Location: Online
More from AASLH:
Small organizations across the United States share history with local audiences in ways that are creative, educational, and engaging. Small museums are diverse: rural and urban, some with full-time staff and many managed entirely by volunteers, some with strong financial support and others operating on a shoestring. They serve vital roles in their communities by leading the charge on the preservation and interpretation of local history.
This summit is designed for anyone who works in or with a small museum, whether paid or unpaid. Small museums often rely heavily on volunteers for critical functions, and this summit will have content that speaks to their needs. Board members, especially members of working boards with no paid museum staff, will learn from this event.
This virtual summit is designed with extended blocks of time for people to interact with the presenters and each other. After five years of extensive use of online conferences, feedback has been consistent: virtual conference sessions are good, but people want to be able to make connections, share their challenges, and talk with other people facing the same challenges. AASLH and the Small Museums Committee have designed this summit to do exactly that: create spaces for meaningful connection and networking so you end the summit with new ideas and new contacts.
