Skip to content

Resources in the Time of Coronavirus

Updated: November 14 - New items are added to the bottom of each list.

COVID RELATED RESOURCES FOR MUSEUMS & NONPROFITS

*Additional Resources:

Museums Offering New Digital Content

Mental Health & Wellness Resources

RESOURCES TO PREPARE TO REOPEN

American Alliance of Museums Offers Resources to Help Museums with Re-opening
Our colleagues at the Oklahoma Museums Association have created a re-opening resource, as well as a cool infographic you might want to think about posting on your entry door when you reopen.
The Canadian Museums Association has crafted some guidelines for cleaning collections in this time.
From our friends in England come these guidelines for reopening museums, created by the South East Museum Development Programme
Lessons from SARS: Emerging from Crisis AAM Webinar Summary Featuring: Julie Bowen, Lesley Lewis, and Jennifer Martin of the Ontario Science Center
April 22, 2020 webinar discussing how Canadian museums dealt with recovery during a 2004 SARS outbreak. This program was offered in hopes of providing suggested steps of how US museums might approach recovery processes following the COVID-19 outbreak.
JustWork - Return to Work Resources for Businesses and Employees
Travel Sentiment Study April 8
Museum Access in the Age of COVID and Beyond - Leadership Matters
Why Members & Subscribers Are Important to Your Reopeninig Strategy - Colleen Dilenschneider
How COVID-19 is Impacting Intentions to Visit Cultural Entities - Colleen Dienschneider
Meeting Visitor Needs: What Will Make People Feel Safe by Age & Income - Colleen Dienschndeider
Long-Term Closure Re-Entry Checklist for Cultural Institutions - CURAE Collections Care
Preparing to Reopen: Strategy Planning & Process on the Road to Reopening Museums - CUSEUM webinar
Museums & End of Lockdown: Ensuring the Safety of Public and Staff - International Council of Museums
SBA Paycheck Protection Program Issues for Museums & Libraries - IMLS webinar May 12
Museums may Reopen but the Experience will be Diminished - Boston Globe, May 21
If You Reopen, Will They Come: Four Factors Driving Attendance - Colleen Dilenschnider
Navagating Fear as Museum Doors Open - Leadership Matters
WHO Issues New Guidelines for Mass Gatherings - article
WHO Key planning recommendations for mass gatherings in the context of COVID-19 PDF
How COVID-19 & Civil Unrest Are Impacting Intentions to Visit Cultural Entities (DATA) - Colleen Dilenschnider
People Inted to Visit Again. Where Will They Go & What Will Make Them Feel Safe (DATA) - Colleen Dilenschnider
When Do People Plan to Visit Cultural Entities Again Coleen Dilenschnider
Re-Opening Museums & Cultural Attractions: Succeeding in the Post-COVID Era with Digital Tools - CUSEUM Webinar
Small But Mighty: Navigating the New Normal as a Small or Mid-sized Museum - CUSEUM webinar
Reopening Plans in Action - CUSEUM webinar
Succeeding with Timed Tickets as a Cultural Institutions - CUSEUM webinar
How Museums Can Generate Revenue Through Digital Content & Virtual Experienes - AAM Blog Post

Examples of Museum Reopening Plans

Clarke County Historical Association
Preston's Smithfield
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts *For questions or duplication, please contact Kimberly Wilson at kimberly.wilson@vmfa.museum or 804-340-1489

STATE GOVERNMENT

ARTICLES & BLOG POSTS

BUSINESS SERVICES FOR VAM MEMBERS

Visit our member discount page to find out special deals our business members are offering to our museum members.

COLLECTIONS CARE

Mitigating COVID-19 When Managing Paper-Based, Circulating, and Other Types of Collections - Recorded Webinar March 30, 2020
Collections-related COVID resources collected by CollectionsStewardship.org
Disinfecting Collections Items - Video from National Center for Preservation Technology and Training
Thinking about Re-entry to Cultural Sites after the Virus
COVID-19 Research Partnership to Inform Safe Handling of Collections, Reopening Practices for Libraries, Museum
The Impact of Hand Sanitizers on Collections

COMMUNICATIONS

Social Media During Social Isolation - Blog post by Julia Kennedy
How to Engage Your Museum Audiences on Social Media During Covid-19 Article by Nicole Jarvis
Facebook 101 for Museums from Smithsonian Institution - Learn how to better use Facebook to reach your audiences
Facebook Publishes Guides to Assist Businesses During COVID19
Ways for Museums to Collaborate While Physical Spaces are Closed - Medium article
Webinar: How Museums Can Experiment with Social Media to Boost Audience Engagement During Coronavirus - Recording
Webinar: How to Craft Meaningful & Mindful Digital Content in the Age of Coronavirus - CUSEUM webinar April 8
Webinar: Thinking Outside the Box to Reach Audiences Inside Their Homes - CUSEUM webinar April 18
8 Tips to Nail Your Social Media During COVID-19
Why User-Generated Content Should be at the Heart of Marketers Post-COVID Playbooks
Membership Marketing & Audience Shifts & Community Engagement After Coronavirus - CUSEUM webinar May 18
Tapping into Fresh Ideas & Networks to Navigate the “New Normal” CUSEUM webinar June 3

DIGITAL TOOLS & ADVICE

Skype in the Classroom - Connect digitally with classrooms around the world instead of in-person
Better Lemon Audio - Learn how to podcast as a museum
Learn how to share your collections with audiences who are not there in person
DIY podcasting during COVID-19 - Blog post with Instructions on how to quickly begin podcasting
How to Protect Yourself in the Age of Videoconferencing Calls - Associations Now blog post
How to Use Zoom Like a Pro - Article
Webinar: How I Learned to Stop Hating and Love Virtual Experiences Presented by AAM, NAME, and Museum Hack - May 6 1pm
Connected to Culture: A Digital Toolkit Built to Help Organizations Continue Their Culture Programs Online - Google Arts & Culture release
Reopening Your Museum & Building Contact-less Visitor Experiences (mobile guides) - CultureConnect webinar May 27 1pm

EDUCATION & ENGAGEMENT

Collaborating on Virtual Educational Programs During Coronavirus - CUSEUM webinar April 22
How Museums Will Eventually Tell the Story of COVID-19
How Museums & Attractions Are Increasing Safety and Convenience with "Contactless" Experiences - CUSEUM webinar May 7
Designing Museum Experiences in a Post Pandemic World - TAM/Quatrefoil presentation May 13
Crowdsourcing COVID-19 Community Stories - Crowdcast webinar May 26

FUNDING ADVICE

Financial Relief & Resources from AAM
Do These 9 Things While You Can't Meet with Donors - The Curtis Group Blog post
Coronavirus and Your Message to Donors - Grantstation webinar
How Nonprofits Can Use Crowdfunding to Raise More Money During the COVID10 Crisis - Recorded webinar
Revenue Generation Strategies for Your Museum During Coronavirus: Lessons from the Private Sector - CultureConnect
How Museums Can Generate Revenue Through Digital & Virtual Experiences - AAM Blog Post

MUSEUM RESOURCES

Virginia Museum Closures & Opportunities to Share - Google Doc
Coronavirus Preparedness Community Document - Created by Cuseum, living doc tracking what museums are doing from membership to engagement
Education from Home - AAM YouTube Channel
#MuseumEdChat COVID-19 Response Resource List - Living doc tracking action plans, organizational statements, daily reports, preparedness documents, more
Spreadsheet of International Museum Closures and Cancellations
Museum Staff Impact by Coronavirus - Google Doc Spreadsheet
Workplace Resources from AAM (Health, Policies, Links, etc.)
Risk Management Guide for Museums - Presented by Markel

NONPROFIT SECTOR

Community Foundation for a Greater Richmond COVID19 Resources for Nonprofits
How to Adapt Your Nonprofit's Sick-Leave Policy During COVID19 (Chronical of Philanthropy)
Nonprofit Human Resources & Legal Considerations During COVID19 - Richmond Bar Association & Community Foundation for a Greater Richmond
Coronavirus Crisis Management for Museums - AAM webinar April 3
Webinar: How Nonprofits Can Access COVID19 Federal Stimulus Assistance April 8
Network for Good resources on COVID19

PERSONAL PROTECTION EQUIPMENT (PPE) SUPPLIES

GetUsPPE.org - Grassroots effort to connect health care staff with donated PPE supplies and how to make masks
Get Us PPE DC donor form - Use this form to donate PPE supplies if in the Washington, DC area
Donors will be asked to identify what kind of PPE they have, how much, and in what condition. They will accept opened boxes of supplies as long as the supplies have never been used. Then a network of volunteers will process the information and reach out about arranging a pickup.
Mask Making Instructions
Videos on Proper Mask and Glove/PPE Use:

https://youtu.be/oxdaSeq4EVU
https://youtu.be/-GncQ_ed-9w

VAM CHATS & WEBINARS RECORDINGS *Please contact VAM for any additional resources & documents provided for each chat.

How to Engage from Afar March 24, 2020
Adjusting to Working from Home March 31, 2020
Webinar: Learn How to Create Virtual Experiences for Your Museum April 3, 2020
Staying Connected with Donors April 7, 2020
Communicating with Your Board During Crisis April 14, 2020
Collections Care When Your Museum is Closed April 21, 2020
Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction April 28, 2020
Preparing Our Museums to Reopen May 5, 2020
Webinar: Benefits of Cloud Based Collections Management Systems - May 7, 2020
Preparing & Positioning Attractions for Hyper-Local Recovery Success May 12, 2020
Cleaning & Quarantining Artifacts for Reopening May 26, 2020
Moving Summer Camps Online June 2, 2020
Webinar: How to Evaluate & Prepare Your Site for Reopening June 4, 2020
Special Chat: Museums & Relevancy - What We Do Now June 9, 2020
Planning for Events After COVID-19 June 16, 2020
What Does Inclusivity Look Like? June 23, 2020
You've Reopened. Now What? June 30, 2020
DEAI & Community Engagement July 7, 2020
Open Forum on Reopening July 14, 2020
Museum Communications & Statements July 21, 2020
Silverlinings Amid COVID-19 July 28, 2020
Foundations of Inclusive Organizations August 4, 2020
How Virginia's New Laws Impact the Museum Community August 11, 2020

*The List of Museums Offering Online and Digital Content Can Now Be Found Here