MAAM 2026 Annual Conference

Surratt Historic Site and Museum successfully deployed its Archives Together: A Community Approach (ATCA) initiative with funding from the Maryland Center for History and Culture. This program engaged community members in family history preservation, recruited archives fellows, and developed sustainable approaches to community-minded archival practices. ATCA increased the museum’s intellectual control of its archives, and heightened community investment in the museum’s resources. The success of ATCA can serve as a model on which other institutions can build archives-based, community-centered programming. This session will explore lessons learned and offer participants a chance to ideate on similar projects on a small budget.

Session Takeaways:
•Effective community engagement on a shoestring budget
•Fostering trust in your institution as a resource beyond traditional perceptions
•Providing critical career experiences to emerging professionals with measurable impacts on collections control