GIA to Participate in National Museum Assessment Program

From GIA, Carlsbad, Calif. – The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) Museum has been selected to receive a Museum Assessment Program (MAP) Institutional Assessment Grant.

The MAP program was created to help recipient museums find ways to improve their institutions on every level. It is administered by the American Association of Museums (AAM) through a cooperative agreement with the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).

“We are honored to be one of only 48 museums in the U.S.to receive a MAP Institutional Assessment grant this year,” said GIA Museum Director Elise Misiorowski. “Through this grant, the GIA Museum will be able to achieve new growth according to the best practices and procedures and bring GIA one step closer to joining the ranks of the nation’s finest museums who have gained AAM accreditation.”

MAP is a confidential process of self-study, peer review, and implementation. It enables the GIA Museum to evaluate its current practices, enhance its communications throughout the organization, establish priorities to continue achieving professional museum standards, and plan how to best serve the community.

“We congratulate the GIA Museum on their participation in MAP,” said Edward H. Able, Jr., president and CEO of AAM. “This process of self-reflection and improvement is designed to make an already high-performing organization even stronger.”

AAM is the only organization representing the nation’s entire museum community and has been dedicated to promoting excellence within the museum field for over 100 years. The IMLS is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 122,000 libraries and 17,500 museums.

GIA Museum exhibits are free and available to the public through scheduled tours. To sign up for a tour, contact Guest Services at guestservicesmailbox@gia.edu or call 800-421-7250, ext. 4116. Outside the U.S., call 760-603-4116.