To privatize means to move from the public sector to the private sector,
or to sell to a for-profit corporation e.g. privatizing of postal
service, health service or even education when a government operation is
transferred to a for-profit corporation.

Therefore, when a museum moves from government to a non-profit
corporation such as a society or trust it remains in the non-profit (in
the US not-for-profit) sector.

So my question is why do we tend to refer to a museum moving from the
government to a non-profit set up as a move to "privatization".  Even
the phrase private museums raises definitional questions since the
organizations are still private not-for-profit organizations set up
under public legal statue and not part of the private market economy but
the not-for profit or third sector .

Any thoughts?

Lynne Teather,
Museum Studies Program,
University of Toronto.
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