The Iowa State University Museums have earned reaccreditation from the American Association of Museums.

“It’s quite an honor,” said Stacy Brothers of University Museums. “It’s a lot of work, but it’s worth it.”

“There are 8,000 museums [nationwide], but only 742 are accredited,” Brothers said. “And of those, 89 accredited museums are university museums.”

“You have to apply for accreditation every 10 years,” Brothers said. “The first time we were accredited, it was just the Brunnier Museum, but this time it includes the Art on Campus project and Farm House Museum.”

Brothers said when a museum has been accredited, it has been recognized for operating by standards established by the museum profession.

Brothers said the process took two years to complete, which included completing a 70-page self study questionnaire that covered such things as the organization of the museum, finances, public relations and the museum’s publications.

The AAM then sent a two-member team who came to the museum to interview people and inspect the museums. Based upon their findings, the team accredited the museums, Brothers said.

Lynette Pohlman, in a prepared statement, said accreditation has played a leading role in helping to raise professional standards and to give museums a stronger public image.