In response to Teresa Ebie's chiding of those who question the relevance
of museums...
 
Jim Swanson's comments on whether on not museums are important are useful ones.
At the risk of sounding trite, allow me to remind you that the unexamined life
is not worth living.  If we do not posit our institutions' demise as an
intellectual exercise, we will not be able to make much of a case for
preventing that demise.  Like Teresa Ebie, I believe that museums have and
continue to play an important role in the history and evolution of culture,
but that doesn't mean I'm willing to think of them as immortal and immutable.
Really, what would the world be like without museums?  Possible scenarios
welcomed.