THIS JUST IN >>>

The Museum of Glass receive some good news. It has achieved accreditation from the American Association of Museums (AAM), the highest national recognition for a museum. 

"Accreditation signifies excellence to the museum community, to governments, funders, outside agencies, and to the museum-going public.  To celebrate and to thank the community for its support, the Museum will be free to all visitors on Saturday, September 25, 2010," state a press release.

Congratulations to the Museum of Glass.

Read the rest of the press release below:

AAM Accreditation is the field's primary vehicle for quality assurance, self-regulation, and public accountability, and earns national recognition for a museum for its commitment to excellence in all that it does: governance, collections stewardship, public programs, financial stability, high professional standards and continued institutional improvement.  Developed and sustained by museum professionals for 35 years, AAM's Museum Accreditation program strengthens the profession by promoting practices that enable leaders to make informed decisions, allocate resources wisely, and to provide the best possible service to the public.
 
"We're excited.  In the museum world, accreditation is a widely recognized seal of approval," explained Timothy Close, Director/CEO of Museum of Glass.  "It is a significant accomplishment, especially for a young museum, and it required a great deal of work and preparation from staff, docents and Board members.  To mark this milestone and the fact that the Museum has welcomed 1.5 million visitors in just eight years, we thought that free admission on national Museum Day would be a fitting way to celebrate ‘All Glass, All the Time' with the entire community."
 
Of the nation's estimated 17,500 museums, 775 are currently accredited, including 319 art museums.  The Museum of Glass is one of only 14 museums accredited in Washington State and joins Tacoma Art Museum and Washington State History Museum to form a trio of accredited museums in Tacoma.
 
"Accreditation assures the people of the Pacific Northwest that their museum is among the finest in the nation," said Ford W. Bell, president of AAM. "As a result, the citizens can take considerable pride in their homegrown institution, for its commitment to excellence and for the value it brings to the community."
 
Accreditation is a rigorous process that examines all aspects of a museum's operations.  To earn accreditation, a museum first must conduct a year of self-study then undergo a site visit by a team of peer reviewers.  AAM's Accreditation Commission, an independent and autonomous body of museum professionals, reviews and evaluates the self-study and visiting committee report to determine whether a museum should receive accreditation.  The time to complete the entire process generally takes about three years.