In a message dated 6/21/2005 7:46:11 PM Eastern Daylight Time, 
[log in to unmask] writes:

<< What I don't understand in this article is the claim 
 that museums are primarily research institutions? If
 that's all they are, why involve the public at all?
 Why not become a think-tank or a research university?  >>

Pardon the tardy response to this.  I think this comment indicates an all too 
common misunderstanding.  Did anyone really say research institutions are 
"all they are"?  Perhaps the word "primarily" is misleading.  I'd say that the 
classic museum is "essentially" or "fundamentally" a research institution in 
that the usual museum products are publications and exhibitions which rely on 
research, analysis, and interpretation.  The exhibitions which "the public" 
considers the primary feature of museums are based on research--research on 
collection artifacts and the research which is required to develop a theme, 
narrative, or context within which artifacts will be displayed.  In a typical museum, 
the professional staff engages in research which may or may not result in 
exhibitions.  Exhibitions often depend upon basic research which was conducted long 
before a coherent exhibition could be formulated, and collection artifacts 
often require research just to determine whether they're appropriate for a 
particular exhibition.

There's no contradiction or dichotomy between research and educational and/or 
popular, crowd-pleasing museum exhibitions.  Unfortunately, "the public" 
usually has no concept of how research-dependent museum exhibitions are, and I 
think it behooves museum professionals to find ways to get this message out.  So, 
yes, museums are research institutions.  "Think-tanks" and research 
universities are other types of research institutions, but they don't usually do 
exhibitions--that's what museums do--based on research.

David Haberstich

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