Despite Flood, National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library Receives Highest National Recognition

Contact: Leah Wilson, National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library, 30 Sixteenth Avenue SW, Cedar Rapids, IA 52404. 319-447-5541 or lwilson@ncsml.org.

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Despite Flood, National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library Receives Highest National Recognition
CEDAR RAPIDS, IA – The National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library (NCSML) has achieved accreditation from the American Association of Museums (AAM), the highest national recognition for a museum.

After a very strenuous and exacting three-year process of self-study and peer review, the NCSML’s accreditation application was on the agenda for final approval by the American Association of Museums in July 2008. Because of the flood, the application was tabled by the Commission and a follow-up report of the current situation was requested. “We were so close,” says President/CEO Gail Naughton. “There was a part of me that was concerned we would have to start the process all over again.”

Prior to the flood, the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library met every standard for full accreditation. In a letter to AAM, Naughton described how the museum responded to the flood as any accredited museum would, from the implementation of the disaster plan, the immediate aftermath of disaster recovery, financial planning and fund raising, to planning for full recovery. “Every museum is at risk for disaster from many sources. It is how it prepares and responds to a disaster that tells the tale of its strength and quality,” she said.

AAM Accreditation is the museum field’s primary vehicle for quality assurance, self-regulation, and public accountability, and earns national recognition for a museum for its commitment to excellence in all that it does: governance, collections stewardship, public programs, financial stability, high professional standards, and continued institutional improvement.

Of the nation’s estimated 17,500 museums, less than 5% are currently accredited. The NCSML is one of only 19 museums accredited in Iowa. Senator Tom Harkin recently acknowledged the achievement in a letter calling the NCSML “a true jewel in the crown among Iowa’s cultural attractions.” He also praised the award as “one more measure of the City of Cedar Rapids’ resilience and determination to bounce back, and it is a sterling testimony to the hard work and high standards of the entire National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library family.”

The National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library is currently planning an original, multimedia exhibition titled, Rising Above: The Story of a People and The Flood. It provides an engaging history of Czechs in Cedar Rapids, culminating with the story of the devastating flood of 2008 and will be installed in the heart of historic Czech Village. The exhibition will open this summer and will become a permanent part of the museum campus.

The National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library is the leading United States institution collecting, exhibiting, preserving, and interpreting Czech and Slovak history and culture. For more information, call (319) 362-8500 or visit the museum's web site, www.NCSML.org.