Rowman & Littlefield Publishers / American Alliance Of Museums
Pages: 388
Trim: 6 x 9
978-1-5381-0313-5 • Hardback • February 2019 • $117.00 • (£90.00)
978-1-5381-0314-2 • Paperback • February 2019 • $53.00 • (£41.00)
978-1-5381-0315-9 • eBook • February 2019 • $50.00 • (£38.00)
Marsha Semmel is a national museum leader who has served in senior executive positions at the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Institute of Museum and Library Services. She has been the President and CEO of two museums, Conner Prairie and the Women of the West Museum. Semmel has been senior advisor to the Noyce Foundation’s Noyce Leadership Institute, a global program for science and technology center leaders. She is currently on the faculty of the Bank Street College of Education’s graduate program in museum leadership and serves as senior advisor to the Center for Science and Civic Engagement, a national network of academic and informal learning organizations based at the State University of New York Stony Brook.
PART I: Partnership Power: Essential Museum Strategies for Today’s Networked World Introduction Marsha L. Semmel
PART II: Partnership Perspectives
Chapter 1: My Partnership Journey Marsha L. Semmel
Chapter 2: From a Museum Basement to a City of Learning: Pittsburgh’s Remake Learning Network Gregg Behr
Chapter 3: Partnerships as the Great Good PlaceElyse Eidman-Aadahl Chapter 4: Partnerships, Not Mergers Peter Ellsworth
Chapter 5: Us Versus Them: How to Bridge Boundaries to Discover New Partnership Frontiers Chris Ernst
Chapter 6: Partnering with the Public John Falk
Chapter 7: Meaningful Partnerships and the Eight “Ates” Kate Goodall
Chapter 8: Why Museums Must Turn Outward to Find the Right Partners Richard C. Harwood
Chapter 9: Mapping Collaborations David La Piana and Melissa Mendes Campos
Chapter 10: Growing a Strategic Partnership Mindset within a New Museum Marsha Semmel, based on interviews with Auntaneshia Staveloz, Allison Prabhu, Nicole Bryner, and Marion McGee
Chapter 11: Partnerships for STEM Beyond the School Day Ronald L. Ottinger and Cary Sneider
Chapter 12: Museums Can Take a Lead in Cultivating Vibrant Learning Ecosystems Katherine Prince
Chapter 13: Strategic Partnership as Organizational Practice: The Hive NYC Learning Network Raphael Santo
Chapter 14: Creating the People’s University Marshal Semmel, based on interviews with Felton Thomas, Jr.
PART III: Partnership Profiles
Chapter 15: From “They” to “We”: A Study in Collaboration Balboa Park Cultural Partnership Team under leadership of Peter Comiskey, Edited by Kristen Mihalko
Chapter 16: Partnering in Digital Resource Creation Nik Honeysett,
Chapter 17: In Pursuit of Freedom: A Partnership Grows in Brooklyn Deborah Schwartz
Chapter 18: Habla Espanol? Tammie Kahn
Chapter 19: Partnerships in Transforming a Neighborhood and Learning Landscape Jane Werner and Suzanne McCaffrey
Chapter 20: A Museum Turns Outward: Listening and Learning Marsha Semmel, based oninterviews with Joe Hastings and Kristen Leigh
Chapter 21: Growing and Evolving a Network of Small Cultural Organizations Marsha Semmel, based on interviews with Althemese Barnes, Phyllis Ford, and Audrey Davis
Chapter 22: Be Our Guest! The GW Model for Programming Museums John Wetenhall
Chapter 23: Catalyzing Neighborhood Revitalization Marsha Semmel, based oninterviews with Marvin Pinkert and Lindsey Thompson
Chapter 24: An Institutional Commitment to a New Model of Community Collaboration Elisabeth Callahan and Karleen Gardner
Chapter 25: Partnership 3.0: The Case of OMSI Marsha Semmel, based on interviews with Nancy Stueber, Marcie Benne, Lauren Moreno, and Kyrie Kellett
Chapter 26: Growing the “Experiment Station” through New Partnerships Marsha Semmel, based on interviews with Dorothy Kosinski and Suzanne Wrigh
PART IV: Tools, Tips, and Resources
Chapter 27: Resources for Partnerships and NetworksMarsha L. Semmel
Read the seven pages that constitute the introduction. Because you will be changed by it. Seriously. . . And then jump to the first chapter and read another 12 pages, because it is as powerful a rationale for expanding and centering notions of partnerships in museums as you will ever read. . . . Reading from this book will allow you to add enormous value in your next exhibition development or strategy meeting. I will certainly be assigning parts of the book ahead of future strategic priority meetings at my own institution. For anyone who believes in greater representation and social betterment as outcomes for our work, this is essential reading. . . . Do not make the mistake of assuming that this book is just for your colleagues in programs, education, or visitor experience. It is for anyone who cares about equity, social cohesion, and generosity as values in exhibition development. . . . Partnership Power is an exercise in generosity. Semmel invites us into a community of practice. All the reader need do is open the book and join a group of committed pathbreakers working toward a vision of shared authority, flattened hierarchies, and strong ecosystems. Semmel is a consummate educator who weaves the threads of myriad ideas and thinkers into an accessible, compelling case for blowing past traditional notions of partnerships to work within a landscape of networked organizations.— Exhibition
Partnership Power is a fascinating exploration of the history, reality, and potential of relational collaboration and networking for the museum sector. Semmel’s thoughtfully curated set of case studies surface an evolving recognition of the rights and responsibilities museums have always had as elemental pieces of a larger whole.— Brian J. Carter, Board President, Association of African American Museums, Executive Director, 4Culture
The ability for museums to partner meaningfully and effectively within a network of like-minded stakeholders who are dedicated to positive change is crucial for any organization that wants to be a vital and lasting benefit to its community. This book shows us dynamic case studies to illustrate how authentic partnerships might become ingrained in the very existence of our museums.— Robert Stein, Executive Vice President, Chief Program Officer, American Alliance of Museums
Finally, a book that offers a dynamic paradigm shift where partnerships are essential for thriving in our 21st century ecosystem - one defined by disruptive change and expanding networks. Provided are numerous examples of cross sector partnerships and strategies inspiring out-of-the-box thinking and a call to action. Thank you Marsha!
— Barbara Henry, Principal, Barbara Henry & Associates, Transforming Museums
Like any marriage, each partnership is unique. This can make finding, let alone compiling, best practices and guidelines for successful partnerships nearly impossible. As usual, Marsha Semmel has proven herself undaunted by the task and has compiled a wonderfully diverse array of case studies, findings, and tips; in short, snackable modules that can be applied and recombined to inform the partnership initiatives of any size museum or project.
— Nancy Proctor, Co-chair, MW Conferences
A great donor and access-focused anthology on the fundamentals of managing digital materials, especially for those working in archives that collect from beyond their own institutions. The technical language is accessible and much of the content is scalable to archives of many sizes.
— Arlene Schmuland, head, University of Alaska Anchorage Archives & Special Collections