> > All of David's comments seem to apply primarily to history museums. > > I'm having a hard time understanding the above point. As far as I can > tell the other David H. is contending that the aspect of an institution > that defines it as a museum is the fact that it has and cares for a > collection of real objects. His definition is not so general as real objects. Read his remarks of 12/10, he clearly states that he believes that a true museum's essential role is to preserve historical artifacts for study, and nothing else. > Seems to me that this definition applies > across the board to institutions interested in all types of disciplines. > Thus, all other things being equal, an institution that has real historic > artifacts, natural history specimens, work of art, or scientific > instruments would be a museum and an institution that does not would be > something else. Scientific instruments? As in any laboratory? Certainly not. A science museum then must be one that collects scientific instruments of historic interest? Hardly. As I read his remarks, there is no such thing as a science museum except in the above sense. I understand that the bias being stated in these arguments is exactly why most science museums are being called science centers, and I am arguing that this is unnecessary. That the essence of a museum can be defined vis a vis the use of real objects for the purpose of education, whether or not they are preserved artifacts. Clearly with regard to art and history, the collection and preservation of objects with specific provenance would be fundamental to such a mission. I think the trend for natural history museums to broaden their focus away from reliance on collections and toward a larger mission of presenting natural science to the public is a good one. I think the inclusion of exhibits such as Mathematica in museum settings and institutions is positive. I do not believe such actions or the broader inclusive definition that such phenomena impose on the "true" and "traditional" essence of museums as defined by David, does the sort of intellectual harm that is being suggested. Clearly we have a difference of opinion. It is probably also clear that I am not a museologist, but an artist and a scientist, and so may merely be displaying a bias from my own perspective. I am certiasnly not the best person to argue the position I have taken, and perhaps the argument has been largely resolved in most institutions by advocates more knowledgable than myself. I have met my muses more often in museums than in junkyards, schools or libraries, and I only hope that everyone's muses will be given maximun hospitality. ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).