> I think we could evitate the problem Steven is pointing to,
> "scientific", by
> eliminating the word "cultural" : " .... conservation of the
> natural world
> and the heritage of humanity .... "

I was thinking about Steven de Clercq's comments about science vs culture.
How the split between them is one of the failings of museums ("do you know
everything about the species and nothing about the specimen?" as someone
once said), then along came Hans-Christoph's elegant solution. One of those
"I wish I'd thought of that!" moments.

>- but I would include
> "document" as one
> of the basic activities of a museum.

Is it just the Registrar in me that thinks documentation is vital? There
has, in the core function of a museum, to be an element of the storage and
preservation of knowledge about the objects and collections we hold, even
about the personalities and societies connected to them. To my mind objects
+ documentation = access.


Michael

Michael P. Cooper
Nottingham Museums Registrar
T: +44 (0)115 915 3671
F: +44 (0)115 915 3601

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