Responding to Gary Edson (29 October 2003):

Thank you, Gary, for the message indicating how you see the discussion has
evolved.  I endorse strongly the effort to include more colleagues through
incorporating whatever you can accomplish now by way of summary translation
into French and Spanish.

I have taken time to reflect on the responses of colleagues, and to
consider their different perspectives.  I also paid attention again to
Geoffrey Lewis's suggestions - for his insightful comments on behalf of the
work of the Ethics Committee (which he has chaired through the detailed
process of revising the ICOM Code of Ethics).  I strongly endorse his point
that we should be thinking of a definition that advances the interests of
'the museum profession' in its largest scope, not simply museums or museum
professionals, or even ICOM members.

Concerning one of the definitions you are keeping in circulation (the one I
proposed some weeks past), I would prefer to substitute this (revised) version:

"Museums are institutions that serve society by promoting knowledge,
appreciation and conservation of the natural world and the cultural
heritage of humanity through collections, memories, sites and processes
they care for, research and interpret for public benefit."

In response to Gary's query:  to my mind 'memories, images' are not
necessarily part of 'collections', but carry a movement towards
acknowledging the living, the virtual, the oral or literary image, and the
intangible aspects of culture.

I have retained 'memories', surrendered 'images' but included 'processes'
this time (which could be both scientific and cultural).

The important issue about a museum being presumed to be a permanent
institution (and some other details) could be added in the points of
application that would follow whatever revised definition is finally
adopted in the ICOM Statutes.

(For clarity, my previous suggestion - now withdrawn - was:
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
===============

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Change ICOM-L subscription options, unsubscribe, and search the
archives at:  http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/icom-l.html