I am forwarding this message from my colleague Lucy-Anne Bishop, Museum
Assistant here, who currently does not have an Internet address.
Please send any replies or comments to me and I'll pass them on.



CAN ANYONE HELP??

I am currently investigating the subject of Disciplines in museums.
This includes both ACADEMIC/CURATORIAL DISCIPLINES (eg ethnography,
natural history, archaeology, social history, based on the organisation
and division of collections) and PROFESSIONAL DISCIPLINES (eg Curation,
Conservation, Interpretation & Education etc) and the staffing
structures (eg Departments) which try to accommodate all of these
activities.  (I am also looking at boundaries and areas of overlap and
differentiation).

I wonder to what extent a museum's functions could be made more
effective and integrated by practising a more INTERDISCIPLINARY (or
Cross-disciplinary) approach?  Might this improve communication and
efficiency, lead to more creative and interesting collections
interpretation through the introduction of different perspectives, or
sharing of resources and opportunities?  Could it help towards
integration of collections management or documentations systems, or
improved information exchange between the traditional museum
departments (in museums that are large enough to have separate
departments.  Maybe smaller museums by nature practise a more
integrated, holistic approach?).  Is all of this already happening
somewhere?

Has anyone any relevant experiences to relate? ... Frustration from the
inflexibility of current systems? ... Successes (through
interdepartmental co-operation, for example)? ... Failures or horror
stories? ... or reasons why integration could not work in their museum?

Please contact me with any information or comments.



--
Anne James, Assistant Librarian
The Horniman Museum & Gardens
100 London Road, London SE23 3PQ, UK
Tel: 0181 766 7663; Fax 0181 766 7315
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