Dear Gary,
I have followed the discussion of Museum Definition for some time. I translated most of ideas and  museum definitions of USA, UK, France, Canada and  Australia  (you wrote in the ICOM Websites)  into chinese  and published in the Chinese Cultural Objects Newspaper Jan 16, 2004. Many members are very insterested in the discussion and some of them told me about their ideas. I told them the ICOM Websites and encouraged them to support this discussion.
After a long time consideration, I would like to give  two suggestions for the Museum Definition, One is new, the other is for modifying  the old one.
First suggestion:
Museums are permanent institutions established in the public interest for safeguarding tangible and intangible evidence of people and their environment,  which acquires, records, documents, conserves, researches, communicates, exhibits and practises scientific, cultural or natural heritages (objects and information)  for purposes of study, education and enjoyment.
Second Suggestion:
A museum is a non-profit making, permanent institution in the service of society and its development,open to the public, which acquires, records, documents, memories, conserves, researches, communicates, exhibits and practises tangible and intangible evidence of people and their environment for purposes of study, education and enjoyment.
Best wishes to you,
Jinping Zhang
Conservation  Lab.
National Museum of China
Beijing, 100006, PR China
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