Location: Red Cedar A

• Caroline White, MSU Museum

• Dr. Denice Blair, MSU Museum

• Stephanie Palagyi, MSU Museum

How do we ensure that wider audiences understand the value of museum experiences for visitors and the personal and professional impact behind them? Using case studies of key student experiences at the MSU Museum as examples, this session explores the future of impact storytelling in museums. Participants will hear from MSU Museum education and communications staff on how they design, evaluate, and share the impact of their learning experiences with core audiences, including administrators, prospective and current donors, and the wider community. Attendees will learn approaches to (1) designing high-impact learning experiences, (2) implementing robust, practical evaluation methods, and (3) leveraging storytelling to amplify impact.

Location: Red Cedar B

• Biz Gallo, Library of Michigan

• Chelsea Denault, Ph.D., Midwest Collaborative for Library Services

• Richard Adler, University of Michigan Library

Have a question about digital collections that’s STILL stumping you? We all need an opportunity to connect with and learn from each other. Three statewide digital collections experts are BACK in this session to answer more of your questions, as well as facilitate sharing of the knowledge and experience that others bring to the table. This session will have a component of open questions and facilitated discussion on roadblocks and successful strategies to create and care for digital collections.

Location: Michigamme

• Patrick McKay, Rochester Hills Museum at Van Hoosen Farm

• Christina Arseneau, Niles History Center

• Carol Morlan, City of Rochester Hills

Whether you receive public funding or are organized as a volunteer organization, how do you keep the leaders in your community aware of your museum’s impact in your community?  What are elected leaders looking for from you and how do you engage with them so they support what you do?  From advocacy on the local level to public meetings, press releases, working with local and regional newspapers, tv stations, and more, these speakers will let you know their tricks of the trade and an elected official will let you know what they are looking for from you!

Location: Big Ten B