Hello all,
My question is not about the wording of the definition, per se, but
about the concept of nonprofit/not for profit. I reviewed the list
serve's archives around this discussion and found it very helpful. My
question is how to determine the balance between revenue generation and
interpretation? For example, if you have a 15 room historic house
museum, and 5 rooms are used for administration, 5 rooms for revenue
generation, 3 rooms as period rooms, and two rooms for didactic
displays, is it still a museum? If you choose not to furnish the drawing
room and dining room (arguably the heart of a home historically) so you
can hold weddings and corporate events there easily, are you abdicating
your interpretive responsibility? Does your legal nonprofit status allow
you to compete with hotels, restaurants, and gift shops in an unfair
way? There's no suggestion of profit going to the directors, or even
necessarily of there being a profit, just that revenue generation may
become more important than being a museum.

If anyone would like to reply to me privately on this rather than
through the list serve, please do so. If you know of any models that
have successfully incorporated the two, I'd appreciate hearing of them.
Regards,
Catherine C. Cole

Catherine C. Cole
Catherine C. Cole and Associates
10023 93 Street
Edmonton, Alberta
T5H 1W6
tel: 780-424-2229
fax: 780-428-8986
email: [log in to unmask]


----- Original Message -----
From: "Steven de Clercq" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, November 10, 2003 1:52 PM
Subject: Re: Museum definition: how to choose?


> Dear Gary, Bernice and ICOM-List-members,
>
> Gary, again, you have done a wonderful job in assembling all these
> suggestions and - together with Bernice & Geoffrey - forging them into
> possible definitions and inviting us to comment.
>
> First, as I understand it, most ICOM-members prefer a longer
definition, or
> rather a description of the various aspects, roles, tasks, ambitions,
> missions of museums. Therefore, it is no wonder we have such a wide
choice,
> and I am sure more will come once our French and Spanish speaking
colleagues
> enter the arena.
> And I also understand Bernice's point where she explains why "... more
> particularised descriptions are important components of the
international
> legal instruments for protection of "human heritage" world-wide"
(UNESCO)
>
> Gary invites us to reflect whether "...  the idea of "public benefit"
(is)
> just a politically or socially correct expression ..."
>
> I would like to see that in a broader context. Analysing the 11
different
> suggestions, we see that most of them:
> - contain the 'cornerstones' of the definition I earlier suggested:
"Museums
> are institutions that keep collections for research and presentation"
> - mainly differ in the way they specify each of these basic elements.
>
> For example: "institutions" are described as being: permanent, public,
> educational, cultural, 'of public benefit', non-profit, not for
profit, that
> serve society, that serve the public, etc. etc.
>
> My feeling is that the specification one would like to stress is to a
large
> extend determined by personal taste, local political or cultural
traditions,
> legal situations, etc. The big question therefore seems to be how to
choose
> the 'best-for-all' specification.
>
> Against this background, I think Bernice gave a very convincing
explanation
> to choose for 'suggestion 1", Bernice's most recent suggestion, which
I will
> therefore support.
>
> However, it may also be useful to have - next to that longer
'explanatory'
> definition - a short definition on which we can all agree. I therefore
> suggest to add my rather crude and un-poetic definition as suggestion
No. 12
>
> With best regards,
>
> Steven de Clercq
>
> On 06-11-2003 18:53, "Gary Edson" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> > Dear ICOM Colleagues:
> >
> > This is the most recent November 6, 2003 communication about the
definition
> > of "Museum." You may have received this message earlier today, but I
was
> > informed by ICOM L that it could not be delivered because the
subject
> > heading had been used previously. This  is not Spam.
> >
> > Before I send the suggested definitions for translation (again), I
want to
> > circulate the list being considered at this time! The discussion
continues
> > and I am very pleased to see the interest being shown in finding the
exact
> > wording for the definition. The difficulty I am having is keeping up
with
> > the word-by-word changes. I am not certain I have the most recent
version of
> > a proposed definitions.
> >
> > Issues relating to "permanence," "nonprofit," "scientific," and the
> > inclusive or exclusive nature of "heritage" continue to be
questioned. I
> > believe these issues will attract additional attention when the
proposed
> > definitions are translated and circulated to our French and Spanish
speaking
> > colleagues. I continue to be concerned about the English language
focus of
> > this exchange.
> >
> > For my understanding, are we continuing to view museums as in
outward
> > projecting institutions that deal with traditional approaches to
objects, or
> > should the definition give emphasis to enhancing the multicultural
and
> > social diversity role of museums? Does the idea of "public benefit"
> > adequately describe this role, or is "public benefit" just a
politically or
> > socially correct expression that is open to interpretation and may
require a
> > second definition?
> >
> > According to my record, the following definitions have received the
most
> > discussion. They are not necessarily listed in order of interest,
but I have
> > tried to place the most recently discussed suggestions at or near
the top of
> > the list. As always, I await your comments.  Thank you for your
involvement.
> >
> > Gary Edson
> >
> > These are your suggestions as of November 5, 2003.
> >
> > Suggestion 1:
> > Museums are institutions that serve society by promoting knowledge,
> > appreciation and conservation of the natural world and the cultural
and
> > scientific heritage of humanity through collections, memories, sites
and
> > processes they care for, research, and interpret for public benefit.
> >
> > Suggestion 2:
> > A museum is an institution that serves the public interest through
> > education, collaboration, communication, or research about social,
cultural,
> > or scientific issues expressed as objects, specimens, or activities.
> >
> > Suggestion 3:
> > A museum is a cultural institution that serves society by
preserving,
> > researching and divulgating scientific, cultural and/or natural
heritage
> > through the use of collections.
> >
> > Suggestion 4:
> > A museum is an educational organization that serves the public by
> > researching and interpreting scientific, cultural and/or natural
heritage
> > through the use of a physical environment and often objects. Museums
that
> > hold collections care for them as a public trust and preserve them
for the
> > future.
> >
> > Suggestion 5:
> > A museum is an educational organization that serves the public by
> > interpreting scientific, cultural and/or natural heritage through
the use of
> > a physical environment and often objects. Museums that hold
collections care
> > for them as a public trust and preserve them for the future.
> >
> > Suggestion 6:
> > Museum: A knowledge base of the tangible and intangible evidence of
the
> > cultural and natural inheritance of humanity.  Such a collection,
normally
> > in the form of objects or specimens, preserves, promotes and
presents this
> > heritage for the benefit of society and its development on a
non-profit,
> > permanent basis. A museum is also a place, real or virtual, to which
the
> > public have access to benefit from such activities.
> >
> > Suggestion 7:
> > A museum preserves and presents the objects, specimens, images, or
practices
> > of humankind to benefit society, promote education, advocate human
dignity,
> > and protect the environment.
> >
> > Suggestion 8:
> > A museum is an organization that serves society by exhibiting,
maintaining,
> > or protecting the tangible and intangible evidence of humankind and
the
> > environment for the purpose of cultural enhancement, education,
enjoyment,
> > preservation, or research.
> >
> > Suggestion 9:
> > Museums help people to investigate, recognize, and understand the
world, by
> > preserving, researching, and communicating information about the
tangible
> > and intangible heritage of humanity. Museums are permanent place,
real or
> > virtual, established in the public interest, to which people have
access.
> >
> > Suggestion 10:
> > Museums are established in the public interest and help people to
> > investigate, recognize, and understand the world, by preserving,
> > researching, and communicating information about the tangible,
intangible,
> > and scientific heritage of humanity.
> >
> > Suggestion 11:
> > Museums are permanent institutions that conserve and communicate
knowledge
> > of the natural world and the cultural inheritance of humanity
through
> > collections, records, memories, images, and sites. Museums interpret
and
> > research for present and future generations.
> >
> > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
> >
> > Change ICOM-L subscription options, unsubscribe, and search the
> > archives at:  http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/icom-l.html
>
>
> Steven W.G. de Clercq
>
> Utrecht University, senior consultant Academic Heritage
> Vice-Chair of UMAC, ICOM's International Committee for University
Museums
> & Collections
> website: <http://www.icom.museum/umac>
> Straatweg 17,  3603 CV MAARSSEN,  the Netherlands
> Tel:  OO31-(0)346-567.573;  Fax:  0031-(0)346-578.843
> E-mail:  [log in to unmask]
>
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