FROM:Total Media Development Inst., Tokyo Dear Colleagues, It is our pleasure to announce our recent publication "Directory of Children's Museums" (Directory of Museums Volume 2: Children's Museums) which was publis hed at the end of August 1998. Outstanding 80 children's museums found in Australia, Austria, Canada, Estonia , Finland, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Lithuania, Mexico, Netherlands, Philippi nes, Russia, Switzerland, U.K., U.S.A., and even South Africa! appear in the m ain part of the directory, while a comprehensive address list of nearly 300 mu seums appear in the appendix together with a selected biography and address of organizations such as the Assc. of Youth Museums, Hands-on! Europe-Assoc. of Children's Museums, etc. 8 Start-ups are also introduced briefly following th e main part. Initially the information found in the main part, were collected by questionna ires mailed. Additional information was obtained through correspondence, telep hone calls, faxs', emails, websites, visits and other resources. As this resource was intended initially to serve to the development of childre n's museums in Japan, the contents are mostly written in japanese. However subjects such as the following were prepared in english so that this r esource can be shared with readers of other countries: Name of the museum; address, phone number; fax number; email; website URL; yea r of opening; governing body; target ages; admission (free/charged); total flo or size; total indoor exhibition area size; annual operation budget; annual at tendance; children's percentage within the total annual attendance; figures of full-timers, part-timers & volunteers; figures of curatorial staff within the museum staff; youth advisory committees; total pieces of permanent exhibits; and contents of publications. The following subjects are prepared briefly in japanese: Museum history; mission; volunteer's work; collections; exhibits; educational service; travelling exhibitions to other venues; special events; memberships & friends; merchandise of museum shops; and future plans. Logo mark (all of 'em are just lovely!) plus four attarctive images of the mus eum building, exhibits or educational activities are also chosen for every two pages reserved for each museum in the main part. The index of the museums who appear by courtesy in the main part, can also be viewed at the publisher's website <http://www1.odn.ne.jp/~aaa14820>. Each copies can be purchased from the publisher at 120 US dollars including ai r mail postage and handling. Directory of Museums Volume 2: Children's Museums. 177 pages. Printed on 26 August 1998. Price: 120 US dollars (including air mail postage and handling) Editors: The Institute of Exhibition Art and Technology Publisher: Total Media Development Institute Co., Ltd. 3-23, Kioi-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0094, Japan. voice +81 3 3221 5528 fax. +81 3 3221 5521 email. [log in to unmask] http://www1.odn.ne.jp/~aaa14820 All orders are requested to be addressed to Hashimoto, T. (Miss), Chief Editor . We believe strongly and wish very much that this directory would benefit to al l who are concerned with "children's interest". Thank you for your attention. Very truly yours, Hashimoto, T. (Miss) Chief Editor Total Media Development Institute Co., Ltd. 13 October, 1998