In article <[log in to unmask]>, "Lawrence J. Hyman, S.I.L.
Acquisitions" <[log in to unmask]> writes:
> It seems to me that the definition of "museum" needs to be left as
> general as possible while simultaneously noting the "essence" of a
> museum. A definition which must encompass a marble-floored art gallery
> as well as an interactive science "center" or a nineteenth-century ship
> building factory is a tricky one indeed...and yet there is something
> "museum-y" in all of the above. An accurate definition which does not
> overlap with libraries eludes me. Gosh, imagine the problem of defining
> a museum library! :).
>
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>                         Lawrence Hyman
>                       [log in to unmask]
> Smithsonian Institution Libraries, Acquisitions, Washington, DC

Why do you need a definition that doesn't overlap with libraries?  I've long
thought that a library was a book museum.

Robin Panza
Section of Birds
Carnegie Museum of Natural History