John's posting is rather strident in tone.  Museum folk may be guilty of
"deciding" what's "right" for the public to learn from their institutions,
but that's not redefinition.   But the definition of the word "museum" has
been expanded so dramatically in the last couple of decades that it has lost
its meaning.  I have no bone to pick with the institutions that were once
just "halls of fame," or "art exhibit galleries," (even zoos) but they are
now "museums" for  AAM purposes.

>
.. the understanding that just as we have arrogantly redefined MUSEUM to
meet the intellectual and spiritual demands of our own times, so shall the
curators of the next century arrogantly redefine our work . . . and forfeit
our loyalty.
John Scafidi
my own views are my own views
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