I understand that Cristopher Whittle was only passing along the results of
studies regarding museum visitors, and statistics can give us valuable
information, but I need to vent a little existential angst.
(First of all, my commentsin my earlier message about kids and what they
want out of school was only an analogy for the potential museum-goer in
general, both children and adults.)  I understand the necessity of making
people want to come to museums in order to keep them open, but I also think
it is important that people realize that not all places they should go need
to offer fun and socialization as a primary focus.  Society needs to
understand that museums serve other functions besides entertaining them-in
fact, it is this message that may do more towards keeping museums funded
and valued.   If society (including legislators) can be retrained (this was
the original purpose and view of museums) to view museums as a repository
where our culture, history, art, science , and  natural history can be
preserved for  future generations and posterity, museums will be in a
better position to do what they should be doing and people will be more
interested in supporting them and more interested in visiting them because
they are unique and not just a local, cheaper version of Disneyworld .
And, of course, integral to that is the interpretation of these materials
which serves to educate and inspire society about its past, the natural
world, and its wide range of artistic endeavors.  We should not change what
museums are to conform to society's current value system, but perhaps
elevate that value system to create a better society.   Learning can still
be fun, and society will be better off it appreciates museums for their
true value.

Sorry, this is pretty heavy stuff for Friday afternoon; I guess I could use
the weekend rest.

Dr. Joanne Kluessendorf
Dept. of Geology, University of Illinois
1301 W. Green St., Urbana, IL 61801
phone: (217) 367-5916; fax: (217) 244-4996; e-mail: [log in to unmask]