Many thanks to all respondents to my earlier query: What Makes a Museum?
(ie: is a collection a qualifying element?) Responses (about a dozen) were
mostly technical and more than a few were from Children's Museums, some of
which had collections and some not. Most folks quoted recent official
museum organization definitions--the official line, which was: A museum is
an organization that utilizes tangible objects for an educational purpose.
So -- an institution may be a valid museum without a collection; and
conversely, having a collection doesn't make an institution a museum.

There must be Serious Status (or opportunities for getting funding)
associated with being named a "museum", as opposed to a "center" or a
"gallery" (The National Gallery is an outstanding exception.)  Benefits
must accrue to "museums" that are not available to "centers" or
"galleries". The organization (board and director) that proded my question
stated in a news release at the time of a name change (from a gallery to
an art museum) that the definition of a museum as an institution that
collects (they have no collection), develops, exhibits and interprets
objects is an out-dated, narrow and limiting viewpoint.  This position has
been deemed valid and apparently not only re: Children's Museums and
Science Museums that are interactive and hands-on in nature, but also for
art museums though they are not usually very hands-on in nature.

This definition from the AAM Accreditation Commission and the IMS [as
given by Andy Finch AAM Government Affairs ([log in to unmask]")] : "a
museum doesn't have to have a collection.  Rather, it has to utilize
tangible objects for an educational purpose. Conversely, having a
collection doesn't necessarily make you a museum. Realizing that there are
continual battles on this, the usual disclaimers apply."

So I'm back at my original question--what DOES make a museum? Schools
utilize tangible objects for an educational purpose, but they aren't
museums. Museums have schools, schools have museums, galleries are
sometimes museums, an organization with a collection is not necessarily a
museum, and one without a collection may be a museum.

I still don't know ---- what really makes a museum? From the responses so
far, this query has been treated with kid gloves--the official position
must be in more that a little contention?

Carol Morgan
Director of a Museum (I think)