Dear Julia, while I didn't attend the May 20th forum you referred to, I did
attend the AAM session "Once History Museums, Now History Centers-Trend or
Trendy?  The panel was composed of the directors of the Minnesota History
Center, the Museum Center of the Cincinnati Historical Society and the
Western Pennsylvania Historical Society which will soon open its Pittsburgh
Regional History Center.  The panel did not choose the session title so a
real discussion of the trend didn't get underway.  However,  each speaker
did give background to the changes at their institutions that led up to the
center concept.  They felt that in order to reach a larger audience they
needed to minimize the term Historical Society (apparently in response to
the theory that the term is "elitist").  I find the trend toward the term
"center" depressing because I feel that museums and libraries are special.
Centers can be many things, drug rehab units, government offices, etc.  To
submerge the uniqueness of a museum by changing its name may be very
shortsighted.  Perhaps a few more people will come but many will stay away
not knowing exactly what a center is.  I think that the emphasis should be
in the museum/library worlds to better market their uniqueness and try to
educate the public as to why museums exist (collect, preserve, interpret,
educate).  Why should the public fund and support an educational center when
they don't really understand the overall mission of the museum field.  They
already pay taxes for schools, which in their minds is EDUCATION.  Right
now, the term higher education in many states just doesn't cut any ice
either with the public or politicians.  The trend in both Virginia and
Pennsylvania is less support for higher education and more disdain for
public schools.  Museums shouldn't ally themselves so closely with the
concept that they teach.  Yes, it is important, but educate the public to
the needs of history and culture in our society - a unique role that museums
excell at.
Beatrice Ann Hulsberg
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