#MayIsMuseumMonth & Documenting the Pandemic

May is Museum Month 2020 provides an opportunity to emphasize how museums connect Ontario, especially during these times of physical distancing.
 
We want to highlight the contributions that museums make; to education, to their communities, to tourism, and as a key part of the province’s recovery from COVID-19.
 
#MuseumsConnectON                        #MayIsMuseumMonth

We encourage members to continue with their current work; providing digital experiences through #MuseumFromHome, engaging their community, and connecting to each other.

Some key dates for the campaign include:

• GivingTuesdayNow – May 5
• Museum Week- May 11-18
• International Museum Day- May 18

Read more HERE.

Tuesday May 5, 2020 at 10am EDT

We are living through a time that is undoubtedly Historically Significant. We can all feel it in our everyday lives. As museum professionals whose job is to collect, preserve, and interpret the history of our communities, how do we do this responsibly while history is unfolding around us?

Join the OMA for a webinar in which three museum professionals, an Archivist, a Collections Manager, and a Curator, talk about how they are approaching the challenge of documenting the COVID-19 pandemic as it happens, planning for future collecting, and taking care of themselves and their communities in the process.

Then, continue the conversation at the OMA’s weekly #MuseumConnectON Member Check-in on Wednesday, May 6th to share your own approaches, challenges, and questions with your colleagues.

Read more and register HERE.

Every Wednesday at 10am

Are you missing your museum colleagues? Join the OMA every Wednesday morning for an informal chat and update. Every week there will be a brief presentation from OMA staff on a theme followed by an open discussion. This is an opportunity for you to connect with the OMA and with your colleagues across the province.

Meeting #3 – Wednesday, May 6, 2020, 10am
Member Check-ins will be held in Zoom Meetings.

• Register in advance for Meeting #3 HERE.
• After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
• Note: if you do not have a reliable internet connection, you can join by phone (cellular or landline) to hear and participate in the conversation.

Read more HERE.

• The CHIN Guide To Museum Standards (check out the Procedural Standards section)
• Collections Management Policy and Collections Procedures Manual from the Nova Scotia Museum
• Collections Procedure Manual Table of Contents, kindly shared by Markham Museum
• Developing a Collections Management Policy, American Alliance of Museums

Read more HERE. 

We thank members for sharing their information and Elka Weinstein, Museum and Heritage Programs Advisor at the Ministry of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Cultural Industries for her help!

Members must contact their YCW program officers with their individual questions.  

• Deadlines to accept or refuse funding offers may be adjusted in consultation with YCW program officers.
• Employers are also asked to discuss evolving plans and individual circumstances, such as start and end dates or possible extension of work into the fall, with their YCW program officer. 
• Remote work is permissible, and may require updated orientation plans, supervision plans, and overall workplans to ensure that students are still being fully supported in a manner which approaches on-site work and supervision.

The OMA is in communication with the Canadian Museums Association regarding the YCW program. 

As the first step to reopening the province as part of COVID-19 recovery, the government of Ontario announced a framework on April 27 that outlines the method and principles to "reopen businesses, services and public spaces to responsibly lead Ontario’s economy back to a strong position." The framework is in stages, with no date yet announced for the process to begin.

Some description of the stages: 
Stage 1: For businesses that were ordered to close or restrict operations, opening select
workplaces that can immediately meet or modify operations to meet public health guidance and occupational health and safety requirements (e.g., curbside pick-up or delivery).

Stage 2: Opening more workplaces, based on risk assessments, which may include some
service industries, and additional office and retail workplaces. Opening more outdoor spaces and allowing some larger public gatherings. 

Stage 3: Opening all workplaces responsibly. Further relaxing the restrictions on public gatherings. Large public gatherings such as concerts and sporting events will continue to be restricted for the foreseeable future.

Read more HERE.