>From: David Haberstich <[log in to unmask]>

>I'd like to add a MAJOR dissent to Cathy Brady's minor dissent about the use
of
> the word "center."  Take it from someone who works in a "center": you do end
u
>p spending a lot of time explaining what your organization does because
"center
>" is such an ambiguous, meaningless, essentially STUPID buzzword.  It's
becomin
>g one of the most overworked words in the English language.  My advice is to
re
>sist this asinine fad of naming everything from a closetful of A-V equipment a
>"media center" to a whole county office building a "multifunctional center" (I
>have such an absurdity in my county). I think it's an exercise in obscurantism
>to call everything a center, and I can't see pandering to people who think
they
> hate museums by sneakily calling it a "center" instead; sooner or later
people
> will catch on and will deliberately stay ON THE EDGE, avoiding all centers!
>Let's stop cheapening the language this way.  If you're a museum, say so
proudl
>y: to call yourself a "history center" is an exercise in non-communication.
Of
> course, if you're trying to expand and do more than traditional museum
functio
>ns so that you think the word "museum" is inadequate to describe what you do,
m
>aybe it's a signal that you're becoming unfocussed and losing sight of your
mis
>sion!    --David Haberstich

I'd like to agree with you on one buzzword and raise you another - heritage.
If there has ever been a word abused into uselessness, that has to be it.  In
our area we have real estate ads reading "Heritage houses - pick your colours
now !".  The idea of calling a museum a heritage centre makes my skin crawl.
I am curator of a small community museum and archives near Vancouver, BC and
we just call it the Maple Ridge Museum and Archives.  No confusion there.

Val.