Museum Webinars that Work
At this point in COVID-19 quarantine, a lot of us have given up on new projects to improve ourselves. We have also run out of television shows to watch. To ease the time until we can all get the vaccine, here are five sources for free webinars. This way, you can watch something which may just help you at your job without spending any money.
1. Texas Historical Commission
From current issues to basics like fundraising meetings, the Texas Historical Commission has numerous webinars. It is a good place to go to begin learning about a subject. Their presenters assume their audience has little previous knowledge of the subjects. While this can be annoying at times, it does mean you get everything you need to explore a subject. Use THC as your starting point for your exploration of a topic then branch out.
Upcoming webinar:
Exploring Social Justice on a Limited Budget
Thursday, March 13 at 10 a.m. CT
2. Museum of the American Indian
Responsibly incorporating Native peoples in your museum can be intimidating for people with privilege; there can be a fear of unintentionally harming. This is not an excuse. The Museum of the American Indian has multiple webinars for people to educate themselves on how to teach about Native peoples. Before you reach out to Native folx to form a community advisory group or co-curate an exhibit, look at the MK360. The videos will help you do it right.
Upcoming webinar:
Foundations for Transforming Teaching and Learning about Native Americans
Open registration through November 2021
3. Foundation for Advancement in Conservation
Connecting to Collections Care is an inventory of over 175 item-specific webinars. Presenters have covered everything from caring for specific materials to sharing your collection stories via social media. Museum professionals who find themselves caring for museum items without a collections backgrounds will most benefit from these webinars.
Upcoming webinar:
What’s Best for My Collection? New Approaches to Environmental Monitoring
April 20, 2021 at 1:00pm ET
4. Documentary Heritage and Preservation Services
DHPSNY’s webinar are designed for small and medium museums. They take into account the limited resources many institutions have to achieve their goals. Their focus is on organization administration and collections management. Since their webinars are a recent undertaking you will not find any over five years old. The information is more current than you might find in other organization’s webinars.
Recent webinar:
Managing Your Digital Collection
From March 2, 2020
5. International Institute for the Inclusive Museum
Heritage Matters is the International Institute for the Inclusive Museum’s COVID-19 offering. The topics they cover are frequently talked about now. What is nice about Heritage Matters is the number of countries involved. Viewers are getting perspectives from places such as Australia, Indian, and Nairobi. By watching, you can hear what professionals around the world are recommending to preserve heritage. Since the videos are co-sponsored by some well-known organizations, the International Council of Museums for one, you know they are quality.
Recent webinar:
Civic Spaces in Times of Crisis
From May 2, 2020