Established in 1993 with generous funding from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and The Pew Charitable Trusts, the Museum Loan Network strives to make objects of cultural heritage more accessible to the public by encouraging collecting institutions to share these works over extended periods of time. The MLN now maintains a directory of 20,000 artifacts available for long-term loan from 400 participating institutions. In addition to providing information on loanable objects, the MLN directory acts as a means of connecting museum professionals all around the country, encouraging collaborations between collecting institutions. The MLN also investigates new ways to interpret cultural artifacts through special projects, such as Collecting Stories: Connecting Objects, an initiative designed to engage communities by connecting oral histories with cultural objects. The MLN's extensive network also helps connects museums with the next generation of museum professionals and promotes mentoring and other intergenerational connections.
We invite you to explore our site to learn more about the MLN, our projects, and programs.