social media policies 

Watch a YouTube video about these policies.

Purpose

ALHFAM is a professional organization that includes staff, volunteers and enthusiasts of living history, farm and agricultural museums. In our online interactions, we strive to create a community that is open, helpful and professional. These communication tools provide a valuable forum for sharing ideas, best practices, skills and experiences relevant to ALHFAM’s mission: “The Association for Living History, Farm and Agricultural Museums (ALHFAM) shares practical knowledge and skills among those who make history relevant to contemporary lives. We draw strength from our diverse network of members, sharing experience, research and passion for participatory learning.”

ALHFAM members and those who support ALHFAM’s mission discuss topics of mutual interest through public-facing social media. ALHFAM members also discuss these topics among themselves through member-only platforms. This policy outlines the rules we agree to when we engage with ALHFAM’s social media, to ensure that ALHFAM fosters a safe environment in which we can learn from each other.

Definition of “Social Media”

“Social media” is the term for the tools and platforms people use to publish, converse and share content online. ALHFAM’s official social media presence currently includes:

• ALHFAM-L email list (for members only)
• ALHFAM Blog
• LinkedIn 
• YouTube 
• Instagram
• Twitter
• ALHFAM’s official Facebook “Page” and approved Facebook Groups and Pages.

Administration 

Social media outlets are moderated by the Communications Committee and/or volunteer moderators designated by the Communications Committee. The purpose of moderation is to ensure appropriate content is posted in a timely manner and policies are upheld by all participants.

Topics

Topics should be related to:

• Museums (e.g. staff, volunteers, collections, collections management, museum operations)
• History (e.g. agricultural, social, economic, military, material culture)
• Living history interpretation (e.g. programming, education, foodways, first-person)
• Information, updates and memories of ALHFAM and its members
  

Rules for Behavior

1. Be polite and respectful. Language that is obscene, rude, inflammatory, threatening, or partisan will not be tolerated.
   
2. Respect everyone's privacy; being part of these groups requires mutual trust. Authentic, expressive discussions make groups great but may also be sensitive and private. What's shared in the group should stay in the group.
   
3. Harassment, including comments that attack or degrade another person or group of people, will not be tolerated.
   

Guidelines for following the above rules

1. There are other humans on the receiving end of your posts. Keep this in mind; we are all in it together!
   
2. Discussions of history can bring up sensitive topics or images, either intentionally or inadvertently. When discussing these topics in their historical context, be thoughtful and considerate: another person’s lived experience may cause them to interpret the subject in ways you did not expect, and vice versa. 
   
3. Nuance is hard in social media. It is easy to misinterpret someone’s intent; therefore be aware of the different ways others might receive your message, and be considerate in your replies. Don't assume. If you are unsure of a person's intent, respectfully ask them to clarify their thoughts or purposes for posting.
   
4. When in doubt, walk away from the post if you feel upset. Come back when you feel calmer. Discussions of difficult topics need calm and consideration.
   
5. It is incumbent on all ALHFAM social media users to respect differences in beliefs, political persuasions and ethnicities, especially in a public forum. Language that could be understood by others to be disrespectful or partisan should not be used.
   

Violation of this policy may result in the removal of posts, comments, links, or images. ALHFAM moderators may block/remove the user from future interaction on its social media platforms. ALHFAM reserves the right to remove content for any reason, understanding that this may be limited by the technology and platforms.

If you have questions or concerns, please contact us at info@alhfam.org. We have no full-time media manager but will respond to you as soon as we can.