John:

I take that you are just starting out on the exploration of this topic.
It can be difficult for people in the US who are in museum studies
programmes to have a clear idea that what they are really doing is
studying Museology (the science and philosophy of museums). Most every
museum studies programme is incomplete and piecemeal at best, so it is
difficult to get a clear idea of what museums are all about. Most the
the 'real' learning is on the job and it is not the best means of
learning international standards and practices.

I don't know all the museum studies or museology programmes, but the
more complete programmes are at the University of Leicester (UK) (Museum
Studies Department), and Umeå University (Umeå, Sweden)(Museologi
fakultet)--both programmes are through the PhD level. There is a
programme at the University of Zagreb, and at several universities, but
I know little of their curriculum.

Since you are in a distance learning programme, it would best benefit
you if you got a copy of Museum Basics (Tim Ambrose and Crispin Paine;
Routledge). It is a very good overview of the various issues and
practices in museums. While the book does not address the specifications
for each area, it does give enough of an introduction to where you can
grasp that sense of what is proper... and the bibliography does give
further references to other resources.

For a history of museums, you may want to look at some of the
publications that Susan Pearce (she is at the University of Leicester,
Museum Studies Department) has written or edited. Her writing style is
above average since it is informative and a pleasure to read.

On the history of museums, there are some significant differences in the
origins of European musuems and those of American museums. Those origins
have effected the directions and the study in which museums move, but as
communication,  international co-operation, and efforts at
standardisation have progressed, European and American museums have
moved closer together. Unfortunately, museum studies and museology
education remains dominated by Anthropology, Fine Arts, or History--and
those disciplines keep museology from be comprehensive and
adequate--which I find a very serious determent to museums and to museum
scholarship. Fortunately, there are some very good programmes in the
areas of conservation/preservation, and some programmes have enlightened
faculty that rise above the limitations of time and curriculum--so not
all programmes are limited, but it can still be difficult to go in some
directions of enquiry.

Dave Wells
Quinault National Museum Project
821 Kaiser RD NW 6A
Olympia WA 98502-2621 USA

360-866-4431
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