ABSTRACT
Small museums are often undervalued, differing from larger institutions through their specialization, limited budgets, versatile staffing, and reliance on volunteers. The COVID-19 pandemic underscored their distinctive character. Despite their hybrid nature – balancing cultural purposes (Cultural Activities) with operational needs (Support Activities) – few researchers have examined how small museums manage this equilibrium. This qualitative study involved interviews with 14 directors of small Dutch museums, applying the Cultural Valorization Method (Do Carmo, 2020), grounded in the value-based approach (Klamer, 2017), for both data collection and analysis. Findings reveal that, despite halted visitation and cultural programming, these museums sustained themselves by prioritizing collection conservation, improving cataloguing, strengthening educational initiatives, refining management and marketing strategies, implementing careful financial planning, and maintaining effective volunteer engagement while reinforcing ties with their local communities. Collectively, these efforts highlight their resilience and enduring commitment to organizational sustainability.
