With the information provided, it's hard to make a judgment on this
"Children's Museum."  But the last thing to consider is "ostracizing" or not
otherwise welcoming it within the regional museum network.  Perhaps the new
venture will benefit -- perhaps the tried and true museums will also
benefit.

Yes, there is a ring of commercialism here, but it seems to pass the smell
test <s>.  It would be welcomed in most any other community.

-----Original Message-----
From: Momto36 <[log in to unmask]>
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.museum-l
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Thursday, April 09, 1998 8:10 AM
Subject: Re: goals of so-called children's museum


snip
>In our community [a middling-size university town in the U.S. Midwest], we
are getting a new 'children's museum.'  This institution will be located in
a new shopping mall, where it will receive free rent from the mall
developer.  It will feature such 'exhibits' as a pretend hospital, a pretend
tv station, and a pretend grocery store [to train the little future
consumers, no doubt!]  Its planned 'programs' include drop-off programs to
'educate' the kiddies while mom shops the mall; pajama parties; birthday
parties; craft classes; and school group visits.
snip>>
>A number of local educators and children's physicians are touting the
so-called children's museum as the best thing to happen to childhood since
sliced bread.  What do you all think of such an institution?


I wonder if the existing museums are listening to their community?  In
university towns, there may be a tendency to "tell" the community what it
needs -- rather than asking.

>Is this 'children's museum' really a museum? There are no collections, no
preservation, and the educational programs seem pretty questionable
sometimes.

A museum no longer requires collections to meet the standard definition.
>
>Should we in the local museum community try to draw them into our
>collaborative networks, such as the state museum association?


Why not?

>The pretend hospital in the children's museum at the mall, by the way, was
funded by a $150,000 gift from a local hospital's auxiliary group.
Interestingly, the local hospital's chief marketing/pr officer and the
children's museum board president are one and the same


And what non-profit museum doesn't accept corporate gifts from its
president/chair -- even when it means installing a new exhibit.  I think
especially of science centers, and the utility companies that bankroll their
exhibits on electricity & communications.  The pretend hospital seems
educational to me, at least.