AAM Accreditation
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Contact:
Lee Cochran
lcochran@911memorial.org
The National September 11 Memorial & Museum Receives Highest National Recognition Awarded Accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums
NEW YORK, NY (AUGUST 24) – The National September 11 Memorial & Museum is pleased to announce it has achieved accreditation by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), the highest national recognition afforded to the nation’s museums. Accreditation signifies excellence to the museum community, to governments, funders, outside agencies, and to the museum-going public.
Alliance Accreditation brings national recognition to a museum for its commitment to excellence, accountability, high professional standards, and continued institutional improvement. Developed and sustained by museum professionals for over 45 years, the Alliance’s museum accreditation program is the field’s primary vehicle for quality assurance, self-regulation, and public accountability. It strengthens the museum profession by promoting practices that enable leaders to make informed decisions, allocate resources wisely, and remain financially and ethically accountable in order to provide the best possible service to the public.
“The Alliance’s recognition of the Memorial & Museum is welcome news that helps underscore its vital mission – and the great work that so many people have done to ensure the institution is managed according to the highest standards,” said Michael R. Bloomberg, Chairman of the 9/11 Memorial & Museum. “As we prepare to mark 20 years since the attacks, we are working to ensure that the stories of 9/11 live on for generations to come.”
“We are deeply gratified to receive this recognition of our conscientious adherence to the highest level of professional standards for museums,” said Museum President & CEO Alice M. Greenwald. “It is especially meaningful to have achieved accreditation during this milestone year as we observe the 20th anniversary of 9/11, and to know that the commitment and dedication of our exceptional staff have been acknowledged by our peers.”
Of the nation’s estimated 33,000 museums, over 1,070 are currently accredited. The National September 11 Memorial & Museum is one of only 66 museums accredited in New York.
Accreditation is a very rigorous but highly rewarding process that examines all aspects of a museum’s operations. To earn accreditation, a museum first must conduct a year of self-study, and then undergo a site visit by a team of peer reviewers. The Alliance’s Accreditation Commission, an independent and autonomous body of museum professionals, considers the self-study and visiting committee report to determine whether a museum should receive accreditation.
“Accredited museums are a community of institutions that have chosen to hold themselves publicly accountable to excellence,” said Laura L. Lott, Alliance President and CEO. “Accreditation is clearly a significant achievement, of which both the institutions and the communities they serve can be extremely proud.”
About the National September 11 Memorial & Museum
The National September 11 Memorial & Museum is the nonprofit organization that oversees operations for the 9/11 Memorial and 9/11 Memorial Museum. Located on eight of the 16 acres of the World Trade Center site, the Memorial and Museum remember and honor the 2,983 people who were killed in the horrific attacks of September 11, 2001 and February 26, 1993. The Memorial plaza design consists of two reflecting pools formed in the footprints of the original Twin Towers surrounded by swamp white oak trees. The Museum displays more than 900 personal and monumental objects while its collection includes more than 72,500 items that present intimate stories of loss, compassion, reckoning and recovery linked to the events of 9/11 and the aftermath. The Museum also explores the global impact of 9/11 and its continuing significance through education programs, public programs, live talks and film features that cover contemporary topics designed for diverse audiences. For more information or to reserve a ticket to the 9/11 Memorial Museum, please visit 911memorial.org.
About the American Alliance of Museums
The American Alliance of Museums has been bringing museums together since 1906, helping to develop standards and best practices, gathering and sharing knowledge, and providing advocacy on issues of concern to the entire museum community. Representing more than 35,000 individual museum professionals and volunteers, institutions, and corporate partners serving the museum field, the Alliance stands for the broad scope of the museum community. For more information, visit www.aam-us.org.