NATIONAL MUSEUM TO CHANGE PUBLIC HOURS FOR STORE, HNRC, VISITS TO GALLERIES

The Japanese American National Museum announced that it will reduce the number of days and times it will be open to the public as a direct response to the current economic downturn that is affecting every business and nonprofit organization in the country.

Beginning on February 1, 2009, the National Museum and the Museum Store will be open to the public on Thursdays from 12 noon to 8 p.m., and on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The National Museum will still provide docent-led school tours Tuesdays through Fridays. The National Museum, including its business offices, will continue to be closed on Mondays and closed to the public on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.. The Museum Store online at janmstore.com and the fax order line at (213) 687-9142 will remain accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The Hirasaki National Resource Center (HNRC), starting on Tuesday, January 20, can be accessed on-site as a reading room only on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. It will otherwise be closed to the public and available by appointment only. Requests for information can be made online at hnrc@janm.org.

"Given the global economic slump, the Japanese American National Museum has chosen to take several difficult, but necessary steps to proactively deal with the financial realities we are all facing today," explained Akemi Kikumura Yano, President and CEO of the National Museum. "However, the Museum’s commitment to education remains a high priority and we will continue to provide the many volunteer-led school tours from Tuesday through Friday that are attended annually by approximately 26,000 children from grades K-12, a majority coming from underserved communities in Los Angeles County.

"We are gratified that, despite the tremendous financial challenges, our many supporters remain committed to the fulfillment of our mission to share the Japanese American story," explained Kikumura Yano. "While the number of donations has not dropped, the size of each donation has understandably gotten smaller. Our strategy then is to continue to tightly manage our expenses and to weather the storm by carefully re-allocating our staff and other resources more strategically. The reduced hours will enable the institution to fulfill its current commitments and to focus on strengthening future educational plans and activities, particularly the development of a new overview exhibition, the first phase scheduled to open in fall 2010.

"I know that with our dedicated Museum leadership, staff, and volunteers, and with our strongly supportive donor base, we will get through this difficult period. And when the economy turns around we will be more than ready to provide the outstanding services and high quality educational programs and products that the Museum has delivered over the decades."

The Japanese American National is the largest private nonprofit national organization dedicated to the preservation and sharing of the experiences of Americans of Japanese ancestry as an integral part of U.S. history. Founded in 1985, it opened to the public in 1992 and expanded into its current Pavilion in 1999, with members and donors located across the nation and in 16 other countries. To access the new hours or for more information, or to make a contribution to the museum, visit janm.org or call (213) 625-0414.