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  • 1.  museum mailing lists

    Posted 03-31-2025 12:12 PM

    I was hired to help build a traveling exhibitions program at the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum, The Ohio State University. While we are excited to be organizing original art exhibitions about the comic strip, Calvin and Hobbes, and graphic novelist, Raina Telgemeier (to begin), I am quickly learning that our library status and niche focus means that we don't have as museum to museum peer contacts as one might enjoy to start building a network and mailing list.

    I have a few questions:

    • Do you have any tips and advice that you would share to someone who needs to build a mailing list?
    • Would you be willing to offer your contact information or a general emailbox (privately, I imagine) to add you to a mailing list?
    • Is posting new traveling exhibitions on this forum acceptable?

    My apologies if this is a tacky question to ask, but I don't know where else to start.

    Thanks,



    ------------------------------
    Andie Near
    Museum Registrar
    Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum
    Columbus OH
    ------------------------------


  • 2.  RE: museum mailing lists

    Posted 04-01-2025 10:22 AM
    Hi, Andie!  From an OSU alumna, I'd like to urge you to contact SITES (if anyone is left there).  It's the Smithsonian Institution Travelling Exhibition service.  I would hope that they would share their distribution list.  Also, the American Library Association (fore-runner of AAM and upon which AAM was modeled) has touring exhibitions and would probably be willing to share their list... maybe even assist in development and distribution.

    In my opinion, sharing available exhibitions on this forum would also be appropriate, but may not reach directly to those who are decision-makers.

    Good Luck!  Vivian





  • 3.  RE: museum mailing lists

    Posted 04-02-2025 11:06 AM

    Hi Andie! I also manage traveling exhibitions of a similar niche - I'm the Director of Exhibitions and Collections at the National Center for Children's Illustrated Literature. We actually organized a traveling exhibition featuring Raina Telgemeier about 15 years ago, as it happens!

    I was not around when this program was designed way back in '97, but I joined our small team 3 years ago and have learned a lot since. While I don't have any easy answers when it comes to building mailing lists - my predecessor did much of the leg work getting a small network built up, but it's definitely something I would like to continue improving - I'd be more than happy to chat by email or set up a phone/Zoom call sometime to share ideas. 

    Please reach out! My email is julia@nccil.org.



    ------------------------------
    Julia Teel
    Exhibitions and Collections Manager
    National Center for Children's Illustrated Literature
    Abilene TX
    ------------------------------



  • 4.  RE: museum mailing lists

    Posted 04-03-2025 07:40 AM
    Having built up a 1,000-name mailing list over the past year or so, I can say that one-by-one can be productive over time. Scour the lists of presenters at museum and library conferences, listen to online webinars, and post notices on interactive listservs from different national organizations. Follow up by checking organizational and business websites, Linkedin, and other resources to obtain affiliations and email addresses. Slow, but sure.

    Avi Decter
    Avi Decter    Author of Exploring American Jewish History through 50 Historic Treasures (2024)
                          Co-Editor of Change Is Required: Preparing for the Post-Pandemic Museum (2022)
                          Author of Interpreting American Jewish History at Museums and Historic Sites (2016)
                          Host of "Museums and Change," a twice-monthly forum for reflection on progressive ideas




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