On Tue, 11 Jul 1995, David Haberstich's comments on the use of "center":

I think too often we do avoid the use of appropriate terminology by
trying to "cutesy" or "individualise" or "glorify" what it is we are
attempting to identify (remember when janitor became custodian which
became housekeeping engineer which is now . . . ).  The use of center (or
centre) really say very little about what that entity really is and
does.  While there are philosophical changes within museums and the way
museums interact within communities and interpret and educate with their
collections, their overwhelming function is still centered around
collections and collecting.

Dave Wells
Quinault National Museum