Every museum should have a clear vision of what it aspires to be but it may never reach its goal if it cant shape and develop its collections as a whole This new AAM guide will help your museum create a collections plan the first step to gaining intellectual control over the collections and ensuring that you have the appropriate staff and resources for collections care The authors discuss building an intellectual framework writing the plan itself the planning process and the challenges of museum politics Resulting from the NovemberColloquium on Collections Planning organized by AAM and the Smithsonians National Museum of American History this valuable guide also features excerpts from sample collections plans a glossary and other resources With an introduction by AAM Accreditation Chair Martin Sullivan