>Patricia Downs wrote:
>>
>> Would anyone help me out by giving me a good definition of 'public
>> program'. Thanks in advance.
>

One way to define public program is to take the very broadest definition
and then to categorise different types as subsets. This acknowledges the
difficulty of the differences in the way the term is used in different
institutions; for example, some use public program to mean event type
programs for visitors others use public programs to include exhibitions and
education programs and visitor programs and outreach and research programs
and volunteer programs etc.

Museum public programs:
All the ways a museum communicates with its publics- that is,its audience,
its visitors and its users. This may include:

marketing (market research, advertising, PR, customer service)
information services (telephone, reception, mail, internet)
exhibitions(permanent, temporary, travelling, interactive facilities)
education programs (formal K-12, tertiary, on site and offsite)
Visitor programs( tours, demonstrations, performances, lectures, events)
publications(books, research series, education material, internet, multimedia)
orientation(outside, inside, physical, conceptual)
research services (access to collections & staff expertise; virtual access)
facilities (shop, food outlets, toilets, seating, conference and venue
hire, corporate & sponsors events)
volunteer programs (recruitment, training, development, evaluation and support)

I think it depends on the size and sophistication of an institution as to
how many of these public programs have separate identities within a
museum's organizational chart and staffing structure.

Ann Baillie
Museum studies adjunct lecturer
Consultant research, evaluation, cultural policy, planning and development
ph/fax: 07 55764485
email: [log in to unmask]
address:118 Ocean Parade Burleigh Heads Australia 4220