Call for Participation in the

THIRD CONFERENCE on

PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

for FEDERALLY ASSOCIATED COLLECTIONS

November 13- 15, 2000 Austin, Texas

FEDERALLY ASSOCIATED COLLECTIONS

Millions of artifacts and specimens collected as a result of Federal activities are held in public trust by more than a thousand Federal and non-Federal institutions throughout the United States. This training conference provides a forum for non-Federal and Federal participants to address issues related to the long-term management of these Federally associated collections. Goals of this conference are to foster communication and cooperation among Federal and non-Federal managers of Federal collections, to create new and revive old partnerships, and to improve technical expertise related to managing Federally associated collections of all kinds. These collections include artifacts and specimens representing the disciplines of art, history, ethnography, archeology, documents, paleontology, geology, and biology. This conference is planned in partnership with the Interagency Federal Collections Working Group.

AN INVITATION

You are invited to participate in the third Partnership Opportunities for Federally Associated Collections training conference. Deliver a paper, host an agency-specific event, or present a training workshop. Participate in the analysis of issues and in the lively exchange of ideas about improving how we manage our collected national heritage for public benefit and to increase public access.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

Federal collections managers, curators, and other professionals Staff of state and private institutions holding Federally associated collections Managers of Federal agencies Representatives of Tribes University collections managers and curators Contractors and staff of consulting firms Research, educators, and students of archeology, history, art, and natural history

THEMES AND SUGGESTED PAPER TOPICS

Changing Rules Opening Plenary Theme Collections as Heritage Assets Stewardship responsibilities shared by all who manage Federally associated collections For the first time, new Federally accounting standards provide a government-wide mandate for agencies to identify and track the condition of "heritage assets" such as museum collections. What opportunities for improving how we manage Federally associated collections accompany this new mandate? Changing rules for managing Federally associated collections such as deaccessioning, NAGPRA, proposed regulations and legislation, accreditation standards, etc. Working Smarter Plenary Theme: Money---Getting It and Using It Sources of funding for managing Federally associated collections and factors that affect the costs of curatorial management Using agreements between agencies and institutions to manage costs better The role of professional accreditation in obtaining the money needed to achieve basic standards of care and access for Federally association collections Methods for controlling costs Using consultation with tribes to manage Native American collections better Managing collection records Clarifying ownership of Federally associated collections. Convincing Others Plenary Theme: Increasing Access to Collections Providing tribes, educators, researchers, resource managers, and the public with appropriate access to Federally associated collections Balancing stewardship and preservation of publicly owned collections with increasing demands for greater public access to the collections Identifying stake holders and strategies for convincing them of the needs and opportunities for greater support of Federally associated collections. Marketing case studies that illustrate relationships among agencies, institutions, and other stake holders Increasing Internet access

TO ORGANIZE A SESSION OR SUBMIT A PAPER

By March 6, 2000, submit a 100-word abstract and your contact information in the format prescribed below to the Texas Association of Museums. Typical sessions will run in two hour blocks, with 5 to 6 papers and time allotted for discussion. You may also propose pre-conference activities ( such as agency-specific meetings or training workshops) for November 11 -12.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

On the Texas Association of Museums (TAM): http://www.io.com/~tam On the Conference (Department of Interior Web site) http://museum.doi.gov/fedcoll/fedcoll3/ The conference pages on the Department of the Interior Web site include the prescribed format for submitting session proposals (abstracts and contact information).

MAIL, FAX, OR EMAIL SESSION PROPOSALS TO

Texas Association of Museums 3939 Bee Caves Road, Building A, Suite 1B Austin, Texas 78746 Telephone: 512/328-6812, Fax: 512/327-9775 E-mail: tam@io.com

PRELIMINARY PROGRAM

To ensure receipt of the preliminary program in July 2000, send your name and address to TAM.