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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1997-02-10 City Council (18)City of Palo Alt0 C ty Manager’s Report 4 TO:HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL FROM:CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT: Community Services DATE:February 10, 1997 CMR:134:97 SUBJECT:Mission Statement for the Junior Museum and Zoo This is a request for Council to ~tpprove a mission statement for the Junior Museum and Zoo, as part of the formal process of re-accreditation with the American Association of Museums (AAM). Staff recommends that City Council approve the following mission statement for the Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo, as staff proceeds with the formal process of re-accreditation with the AAM: "The Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo enhances regional educational services available to young children by providing interactive exhibits, exotic and native animals, tangible objects and enriching experiences." "We believe that by providing access to artifacts and living creatures to children and encouraging them to direct their own explorations, they can turn concepts into explorable reality and more easily assimilate and creatively process those concepts into their own lives," "Through our efforts we hope children can more readily create their own place in the universe with the power to question, create and change as they see the need." EOLICY I~LICATI~ Approval of a mission statement as part of the process of re-accreditation with the AAM will reaffirm past Council policy direction. CMR: 134:97 Page 1 of 2 ~AR~ The AAM formally granted the Palo Alto Junior Museum (and Lucy Evans Baylands Nature Interpretive Center as a satellite facility) accreditation in 1982 (CMR: 257:2). Museums granted accreditation must go through a re-accreditation process approximately every ten years. Upon notification by the AAM, staff began the re-accreditation process in 1995 (CMR: 115:95). The first step in the re-accreditation process is a self study, which museum staff completed in 1995. This was followed by a review and analysis by the Accreditation Commission, the accreditation staff, and a visiting committee of museum professionals who made an on- site inspection in November 1996. As a requirement for re-accreditation, a Council approved mission statement for the Junior Museum and Zoo is essential. The above mission statement, if approved, would satisfy this specific requirement. This report represents no fiscal impact. ENVIRONMENTAI,~kSSESSMENT This is not a project as defined by the California Environmental Quality Act and is not subject to CEQA requirements. CMR:115:95 Prepared by:John M. Walton, Superintendent, Open Space and Sciences Department Head Revi PAUL TI-IILTGEN Director of Community Services City Manager Approval: Manager CMR: 134:97 Page 2 of 2 City of Palo Alto City Manager’s Report TO: FROM: DATE: SUBJECT: HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL DEPARTMENT:CITY MANAGER January 23, 1995 Community Services CMR:115:95 Re-accreditation of the Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo with the American Association of Museums This is a request for Council to reaffirm continued support of the Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo as a City facility and program as staff proceeds with the formal process of re- accreditation with the American Association of Museums (AAM). RECOMMENDATIONS Staff recommends that City Council reaffirm iis commitment to the Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo as a City facility and program by authorizing the Mayor to sign the Accreditation: Self Study document, as the first step in re-accreditation with the AAM. Approval for proceeding with re-accreditation with the AAM will reaffirm past Council .policy direction. ~ EXECUTIVE SUlVlMARY Staff received notification on April 8, 1982 that the Accreditation Commission of the AAM agreed that the Palo Alto Junior Museum (andLucy Evans Baylands Nature Interpretive Center as a satellite facility), met both the basic definition of a museum and the standards of operation established by the museum profession and was formally granted accreditation. (CMR: 257:2). Museums receiving accreditation must undergo a rigorous re-accreditation process approximately every five to ten years. Staff received notification of subsequent review and the re-accreditation process in April 1993 and has been working since to prepare information for.presentation to the AAM. In order for a museum to be considered for accreditation or re-accreditati0n, it should be able to demonstrate that it is an organized and permanent nonprofit institution, essentially CMR: 115:95 Page 1 of 2 educational or esthetic in purpose, .with professional staff, which owns or utilizes tangible objects, cares for them and exhibits them to the public.on some regular schedule. The Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo continues to meet these and all other significant criteria for maintaining accreditation through its exhibitions, children’s ari and science classes and workshops, outreach programs, use..of community volunteers and support organizations, and curation of the Museum’s collections and interpretive services provided in the City’s nature preserves. In addition, the Zoo is being.added as a component of the Junior Museum for purposes of re-accreditation, as it has become an integral element of the educational services provided by the museum. The first step in the re-accreditation process is the self study, which is currently being prepared by the museum staff. This is followed by a review and analysis by the Accreditation Commission, the accreditation staff and a visiting committee of museum professionals that makes on-site inspections. Based on the re,)’iew of the information presented through these activities, the Accreditation Commission may grant re- accreditatio.n, table the museum’s application and request further information, table the museum’s application for the correction of. specified deficiencies or withhold re- accreditation. FJSCAL IMPACT No fiscal impact. The funds necessary to.proceed with re-accreditation have been included in the Recreation, Open Space and Sciences Division’s 1994-95 budget. EVIRONMENTAL AS,q~ This is not a project as defined by the California Environmental Quality Act and is not subject to CEQA requirements. A.A photocopy of the 1982 certificate from the Accreditation Commission of the American Association of Museums certifying that the Palo Alto Junior Museum has received accreditation. B.CMR:257:2 Prepared by:John Walton, Recreation, Open Space and Sciences Department Head Review:~-’~~~ PAUL THILTGEN Director of Community Services City Manager Approval:~L~q(~, ~ BERNARD M. STROJNY~ Assistant City Manager CMR: 115:95 Page 2 of 2 ~Comm~s~on of the American Assodation of Museums "..:., certifies that - palo Alto ;Iunior~useum ~ . has demonstiated a professional level ofoperation ~n accordance With the ~American " .~ciation of Museums t05:~ Thomas 20007 ~202) 338.5.3 NOTIFICATION OF INTENT TO AWARD MUSEUMACCREDITATION TO PALO ALTO JUNIOR MUSEUM By accepting the museum accreditation award, the museum hereby consents to and abides.by the decisions of the ’Accreditation Commission of the American Association of Museums regarding continuing review, re- accreditation, or withdrawal of accreditation. The museum understands Zhat the museum accreditation certificate is the property of the Ame~can Association of Museums. The certificate may be retained and displayed so long as the museum meets the standards of accreditation as determined by the Accreditation Con~nission. Signature of Director Signature of Head of Governing Body ~ame of Director (TYPED)Name of Head 6f Governing Body (Typed) ?-i ci e Title. Date Date Museum (name exactly as you would like it to appear on accreditation certificate) Street Address City/St’-ate Zip Code FILE PY Flay 5, 1982 THE HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL Palo Alto, California American Association of Museums Notification of Intent to Award Museum Accreditation Members of the Council: This staff report informs Council that the Palo Alto Junior Museum and the Lucy Evans Baylands Nature Interpretive Center have been notifiedof the intent of the ;~nerican Association of Museums to award accreditation. Accreditation for the Palo Alto Junior Museum and Lucy Evans Baylands Nature Interpretive Center wi’.l be granted as one institution. A copy of the notification of intent is attached. Staff recommends the Council authorize the Mayor to execute the a=zached notification of intent to award museum accreditation. Background: The American Association of Museums (AAM) initiated a program of accreditation in I~70 in recognition of the need for specifically defined guide- lines and attainable professional standards of cultural and educational service to which a museum should aspire. In ~79, the Palo Alto Junior Museum and the Lucy Evans Baylands Nature Interpretive Center, with support from the Associates of the Junior Museum, filed an application for accreditation. Accreditation was sought because: Accreditation promotes insitutional self-confidence and .engenders professional pride of accomplishment and quality for the staff and po]icy-making body; 2.Accreditation is an important vehicle for evaluation and analysis that identifies a museum’s strengths as well as weaknesses; 3.Accreditation significantly strengthens professional respect and cooperation between museums, and; 4.Accred’itation helps guide private and government agencies in decision with respect to contributions, grants and contracts. Nozification: Staff received notification April 8, 1982 that, after thoughtful. de ] i .be rat i on and review, the Accreditation Commission of the American Association of ~.useums has agreed that the Palo Alto Junior Museum (and Lucy Evans Baylands Na=ure Interpretive Center) meets the basic definition of a museum and the standards of operation established by the museum profession and will be granI:ed. accreditation. Museum accreditation certifies that the Palo Alto Junior Museum an~ Lucy Evans Baylands Nature Interpretive Center have undergone a rigorous professional examination established by the American Association of Museums through the completion of a detailed wriI:ten questionnaire, and the study of museum operations by a visiting committee of the Accreditation Commission. C~R:257:2 ,Page 2 Lawrence L. Reger, AAM Director commented on the award by saying,"The Palo Alto Junior Museum’s successful achievement of accreditation signifies that it is not only meeting professional standards of operat’ion, but is using its resources effectively to obtain its stated goals." For the purposes of the accreditation program of the AAM, a museum is defined as "...an organized and permanent non-profit institution, essentially educational or aesthetic in purpose, with professional staff, which owns and utili’zes tangible objects, cares for them, and exhibits them to the public on some regular schedule." Of the mor~ than 5wOO0 museums in ~:he United States, only 4~6’are now afforded this recognition by the American Association of Museums. In granting accreditation to the Palo Alto Junior Museum, the Commission’s visiting committee had only one concern and cited the. condition of the ethnology collection. The visiting committee recommended that the collection be stored in a humidity controlled environment. Staff ispresently reviewing possible options for correcting this singular deficiency and will make a recommendation at a later date. Staff Recommendations: Staff recommends the Council authorize the Mayor to execute the notification of intent to award museum accreditation. Respectfully submitted, 1~L~on A. KaDlan, Director ¯ .’ Ah,:s and S’ciems /J,bne Fleming ~ ,Assistant City ger Att’achment cc: Associates of the Junior Museum CMR:257:2