November 20, 2024

2025 Course Schedule

2025 Course Schedule

January

MS 103: The Basics of Museum Registration January 6 to February 7, 2025   

MS 108: Fundamentals of Museum Volunteer Programs January 6 to February 14, 2025 

MS 237: Formative Evaluations for Exhibits and Public Programs January 20 to February 14, 2025  

MS262: Moving Collections January 6 to 31, 2025

MS270: Planning and Designing Interpretive Panels for Cultural Properties January 6 to 31, 2025  

February

MS001: The Problem with Plastics February 3 to 7, 2025

MS104: Introduction to Collections Preservation: February 3 to March 7, 2025 

MS266: Legal Issues in Collections Management February 3 to 28, 2025  

March

MS 213: Museum Artifacts: How they were made and how they deteriorate March 3 to April 18, 2025  

MS 269: Marketing for Interpretation March 3 to 28, 2025  

April

MS010: Condition Assessments April 14 to 25, 2025 

MS202: Museum Storage Facilities and Furniture April 7 to May 3, 2025

MS259: The Volunteer Handbook  April 7 to May 16, 2025  

May

MS 014: Education Collections May 19 to 23, 2025

MS 212: Care of Textiles May 5 to 30, 2025   

MS 214: Collections Management Databases May 5 to 30, 2025   

MS 234: Archives Management May 5 to 30, 2025  

MS 271: Training for Interpretive Trainers May 5 to 30, 2025   

July

MS 207: Cataloging Your Collection July 7 to August 1, 2025  

MS210: Integrated Pest Management July 7 to August 15, 2025

MS 267: Museum Ethics July 7 to August 1, 2025  

MS 272: Exhibit rehab - Breathing New Life Into Old Exhibits July 7 to August 1, 2025  

August

MS203: Museum Storage Techniques August 4 to 29, 2025 

MS217: Museum Cleaning Basics August 4 to September 12, 2025 (6 weeks)

MS275: Heritage Economics for Interpreters, Planners, Site Managers and Educators August 4 to 29, 2025  

September

MS227: Care of Paintings September 8 to October 17, 2025 (6 weeks) 

MS 268: Creating Interpretive Gallery Tours September 8 to October 3, 2025  

MS 302: Fundraising and Grant Writing September 8 to October 3, 2025  

MS303: Found in Collections: Orphans, Old Loans and Abandoned Property September 8 to October 3, 2025  

October

MS 106: Exhibit Fundamentals: Ideas to Installation October 6 to November 14, 2025

MS204: Materials for Storage and Display October 6 to 31, 2025      

November

MS 007: The Mission Statement: Is it really that important? November 3 to 14, 2025  

MS 211: Preservation Environments November 3 to December 12, 2025  

MS 212: Care of Textiles November 3 to December 1, 2025  

MS 218: Collection Inventories November 3 to December 1, 2025

MS273: Advanced Interpretive Techniques –Interpretive Storytelling - November 3 to December 1, 2025 

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For More Information on any of these courses please visit: https://www.collectioncare.org/course-list

Early Bird Discounts Available for Full Length Courses

An Early Bird Discount is available for anyone who signs up for a full length course from museumclasses.org 30 days prior to the start of that course. 

Sign up for a full length course up to 30 days prior to its start and save 20%!

For our course list or to sign up: http://www.collectioncare.org/course-list

To take advantage of this discount, you must enter coupon code EARLYBIRD at checkout at collectioncare.org

Earlybird Discount Deadline for January 2025 courses is December 7, 2024

Earlybird discount for February 2025 courses is January 4, 2025

Formative Evaluations for Exhibits and Public Programs Rescheduled for January 20, 2024

Want to learn more about doing evaluations on your exhibits and public programs? Want to know why some programs are more popular than others? This course walks you through the process of formulating, executing, and reviewing the results of exhibit and public program evaluations.

MS 237: Formative Evaluations for Exhibits and Public Programs

January 20 - February 14, 2025

Description

Have you done some evaluation but did not get helpful information? Do you wish you could do evaluations, but think it is too hard or too expensive? Do you wonder how to get people to use an offered program more? Evaluations are feasible and easy. This course will help you determine what you really want to know, choose the right process to gather the information, develop meaningful questions, and figure out what the results tell you. Please have a program or text in mind (real or imagined) to work with during the course. Note: this course will not be looking at statistical analysis.

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To learn more about doing evaluations and what they can do to help your public programs and exhibitions join Karin Hostetter for MS237: Formative Evaluations for Exhibits and Public Programs starting January 20, 2025.

Planning and Designing Interpretive Panels for Cultural Properties

The Planning, design and text copy development for interpretive panels is a practical “how to do it” course to develop updated or new interpretive panels for heritage sites, historic homes, natural areas, zoos, and other related sites. Panels are the most widely use interpretive media, world-wide, to quickly present a message or story to site visitors in a memorable fashion. We will look at the interpretive planning process, interpretive design concerns, interpretive text writing for panels, panel fabrication materials, panel pre-testing evaluation, and even how to write a RFP (request for proposal) to have your panels fabricated. This is an important course for any interpretive staff member, planner, designer or manager.

The course includes an e-copy of John’s Interpretive Planning Textbook, and a e-copy of John’s new The Interpretive Trails Book.

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Thinking of creating interpretive panels for your site? Learn all about them by joining John Veverka for MS270: Planning and Designing Interpretive Panels for Cultural Properties staring January 6, 2025.

Moving Collections

Moving collections is a daunting task. Fragile items need special packing and care to be safely transported. Large, heavy or awkward items like dinosaurs and oversized sculptures require special equipment and support from local authorities. How do you design your project to meet the budget and timing demands of your administration? Are your collections over-packed in acidic boxes and does your move includes improving their storage and care? Collections often take up more room when they are stored properly. How do you determine your needed storage space when the collection is decompressed? Moving Collections provides an overview of how to plan and manage a move to avoid the many pitfalls. The course includes: defining your project, developing a Request for Proposal (RFP), developing a work plan, staffing, and packing protocols. Whether you are moving part of the collection within your building or moving the entire collection to another facility, Moving Collections provides a blueprint for you to follow.

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Is the a collection move in your future? Prepare for it by joining Laura Wingate for MS262 Moving Collections starting January 6, 2025

Conferences and Meetings

Double check each organization's website for more information.