The American Alliance of Museums (AAM) announced that Beloit College’s Logan Museum of Anthropology has earned reaccreditation.

The Logan Museum is the only accredited museum in the Associated Colleges of the Midwest, and one of only two accredited academic museums in Wisconsin; the other is the Chazen Museum of Art at the University of Wisconsin - Madison. Of the nation’s estimated 35,000 museums, just over 3 percent are accredited.

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

The Logan is one of Beloit College’s two teaching museums. Founded in 1894, the museum houses approximately 350,000 ethnographic and archaeological objects from 129 countries and more than 600 cultural groups. Its collections are central to the Beloit College curriculum.

“This mark of distinction demonstrates that a small museum can not only meet, but exceed national standards and best practices, and allow us to successfully solicit more grants and funding,” said Nicolette Meister, the Logan’s director. “Our staff, stakeholders, students and colleagues across the country worked diligently to help achieve this recognition. And all will benefit in the future.”

Beloit College President Scott Bierman congratulated Meister and her team. “The Logan Museum continues to enrich liberal arts learning through its integration of knowledge and experience,” he said. “Congratulations to Nicolette and her team on achieving this prestigious status and helping Beloit College reach new heights for our students, community, and beyond.”

For more than 45 years, the AAM Accreditation Program has been recognized as the museum excellence gold standard of museum excellence as the field’s primary vehicle for quality assurance, self-regulation, and public accountability. To earn accreditation, a museum first must conduct a year of self-study before undergoing a site visit by a team of peer reviewers to determine whether a museum should receive the recognition.

To learn more about The Logan Museum of Anthropology, visit www.beloit.edu/logan. To learn more about the American Alliance of Museums Accreditation Program, visit www.aam-us.org.