Dear Bernice
Your definition is quite long. What about splitting it thus:
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."
It removes the possibly unnecessary and to my mind ugly "they care
for" and (less defensively) in public trust. I think it is really
important to keep any definition short.
This is my personal comment.
Sincerely
Peter
Peter Stanbury OAM, PhD
Chair, UMAC
ICOM's International Committee for University Museums and Collections)
Museums, Collections & Heritage
Vice-Chancellors Office
Macquarie University
New South Wales 2109
AUSTRALIA
+61 (0) 2 9850 7431
+61 (0) 2 9850 75 65 (fax)
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www.icom.org/umac
www.museums.mq.edu.au
>>> [log in to unmask] 14/10/2003 11:37:58 am >>>
I have one more element to add to the definition I proposed last week.
Reviewing the conversation about the important elements in our
re-definition of museums, I appreciate that 'research' is such an
important
value in the life of museums (and requires continued defence and
resources), that we would do well to make sure it is not lost from
public
consciousness - including all the ethical considerations attaching to
standards of scientific research internationally.
I would be pleased to include it in the suggestion I made earlier,
adding
to Gary Edson's current list of options. I am still arguing for a
simple-sentence, readable definition for general public understanding,
but
one that also has intellectual integrity for the diversity of the
museum
profession today. I would therefore include 'research' towards the end
of
the statement I propose - NOT near the beginning, as in the various
older
ICOM definitions (where 'research' seemed straight away to present
museums
as focused primarily on the activities of the researchers, rather than
the
public as beneficiaries and social participants in the conservation of
cultural and natural heritage).
The addition of 'research' would therefore make my suggestion read:
"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 they care for,
research
and interpret, in public trust, for present and future generations."
Bernice Murphy
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