Mindy Lehrman Cameron asks for 'an authoratative definition of "museum"';
will the ICOM definition do for you?

A museum is a non-profit-making, permanent institution in the service of
society and its devlopment, and open to the public, which acquires,
conserves, researches, communicates and exhibits, for purposes of study,
entertainment and enjoyment, material evidence of people an their
environment.  [ICOM Statutes, article 2, adopted by the 16th General
Assembly, 1989]

Linda YOung
Cultural Heritage Management
UNiversity of Canberra
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