McLean County Museum of History in Top 3.3% of the Country Awarded Re-Accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums

BLOOMINGTON, IL (11/28/2022) -– The McLean County Museum of History has, once again, received the highest national recognition afforded the nation's museums: accreditation by the American Alliance of Museums.

Of the nation's estimated 33,000 museums, just over 1,080, or 3.3%, are accredited. Alliance Accreditation recognizes museums for their commitment to excellence, accountability, high professional standards, and continued institutional improvement.

"We are thrilled to be recognized by AAM as a museum of excellence," said Norris Porter, Acting Executive Director. "This accreditation acknowledges the excellence of our staff, whose tireless efforts ensure that the Museum's exhibitions, programs, outreach, and communications give voice to the diverse stories of the people of McLean County. We are grateful for Executive Director Julie Emig's leadership. We are also thankful for our community, partners, and elected officials who participated in the reaccreditation process and helped demonstrate the central role of the Museum in our community."

Accreditation is a rigorous but enriching process that examines all aspects of a museum's operations. To earn accreditation, a museum must conduct a year of self-study and undergo a site visit by a team of peer reviewers. AAM's Accreditation Commission, an independent and autonomous body of museum professionals, considers the self-study and visiting committee report to determine whether a museum should receive accreditation. 

Accredited museums must undergo a review every ten years to maintain accredited status. The McLean County Museum of History initially earned accreditation in 1984 and has undergone two other reviews.

"Accredited museums are a community of institutions that have chosen to hold themselves publicly accountable to excellence," says Laura L. Lott, Alliance President and CEO. "Accreditation is clearly a significant achievement, of which both the institutions and the communities they serve can be extremely proud." 

Developed and sustained by museum professionals for 50 years, the American Alliance of Museum's accreditation program is the field's primary vehicle for quality assurance, self-regulation, and public accountability. It strengthens the museum profession by promoting practices that enable leaders to make informed decisions, allocate resources wisely, and remain financially and ethically accountable to provide the best possible service to the public. 

The American Alliance of Museums has been bringing museums together since 1906, helping to develop standards and best practices, gathering and sharing knowledge, and providing advocacy on issues of concern to the entire museum community. Representing more than 35,000 individual museum professionals and volunteers, institutions, and corporate partners serving the museum field, the Alliance stands for the broad scope of the museum community. For more information, visit www.aam-us.org.

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The McLean County Museum of History traces its roots back to 1892 when the McLean County Historical Society was founded. We are a nationally accredited award-winning museum on a mission to preserve, educate, and collaborate in sharing the diverse stories of the people of McLean County. To learn more, please visit mchistory.org.