Small Museums and Community Partnerships: Equity, Education, and Interpretation

Abstract

ABSTRACT Partnerships are crucial for museums to reach new audiences, expand their approach, and simply survive in these uncertain times. While practices for effective partnerships between large museums and other institutions are well-documented, the needs of small museums pursuing partnership are less studied. To understand the specific needs of partners, we conducted semi-structured interviews with nine small non-academical informal learning environments (SNAILEs) that focused on their current partnerships and their past experiences with partnerships. Many of the effective partnerships were found to be between similar-sized organizations, while ineffective partnerships predominantly were between a smaller and a larger organization. In analyzing these interviews, we noticed 3 emergent themes about best practices for partnerships. First, if a small institution with a larger organization, it is crucial for shared alignment in goals. Second, SNAILEs need flexibility in funding in order to realize their end of a partnership. Finally, while many SNAILEs find MOUs helpful, they should be written in a way that can be adaptive to their shifting needs. Implementing these practices can be helpful for larger organizations that hope to engage in partnership with SNAILEs.