Relic Room awarded re-accreditation by American Alliance of Museums

The South Carolina Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum has again achieved accreditation by the American Alliance of Museums. National accreditation recognizes the highest standards of excellence among American museums.

The museum has been accredited three times by AAM since initial accreditation in 1977. The last time was in 2004. Of the nation’s estimated 33,000 museums, about 1,070 are currently accredited. The Relic Room is one of only 15 museums accredited out of 225 museums, historic sites and parks in South Carolina.

Re-accreditation was a two-and-a-half-year process that involved a great deal of work on the part of the museum’s staff. The process started with a voluminous self-study covering all aspects of museum operation, completed in early 2018. That was followed by a three-day on-site visit in August of that year. The museum was asked to address certain issues, which it did. The ethics policy was rewritten, minor collections issues were addressed, and a new strategic plan was developed and implemented. It can be found at www.crr.sc.gov.

“It was a long process, but well worth it,” said SCCRRMM Executive Director Allen Roberson. “It required reviewing all aspects of our operation and where we hope to be in the future. We’re very proud to again receive this recognition by this prestigious organization.”

Accreditation signifies excellence to the museum community, to governments, funders, outside agencies, and to the museum-going public. All museums should undergo a reaccreditation review at least every 10 years to maintain accredited status.

Alliance Accreditation brings national recognition to a museum for its commitment to excellence, accountability, high professional standards and continued institutional improvement. Developed and sustained by museum professionals for more than 45 years, the Alliance’s museum accreditation program is the field’s primary vehicle for quality assurance, self-regulation and public accountability. It strengthens the museum profession by promoting practices that enable leaders to make informed decisions, allocate resources wisely, and remain financially and ethically accountable in order to provide the best possible service to the public.

“Accredited museums are a community of institutions that have chosen to hold themselves publicly accountable to excellence,” said Laura L. Lott, Alliance president and CEO. “Accreditation is clearly a significant achievement, of which both the institutions and the communities they serve can be extremely proud.”

About the South Carolina Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum

Founded in 1896, the South Carolina Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum is an accredited museum focusing on South Carolina’s distinguished martial tradition through the Revolutionary War, Mexican War, Civil War, Spanish-American War, World Wars I and II, Vietnam, the War on Terror, and other American conflicts. It serves as the state’s military history museum by collecting, preserving, and exhibiting South Carolina’s military heritage from the colonial era to the present, and by providing superior educational experiences and programming. It is located at 301 Gervais St. in Columbia, sharing the Columbia Mills building with the State Museum. For more information, go to https://crr.sc.gov/.

About the American Alliance of Museums

The American Alliance of Museums has been bringing museums together since 1906, helping to develop standards and best practices, gathering and sharing knowledge, and providing advocacy on issues of concern to the entire museum community. Representing more than 35,000 individual museum professionals and volunteers, institutions, and corporate partners serving the museum field, the Alliance stands for the broad scope of the museum community. For more information, visit www.aam-us.org.