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Values are often described as ideals, goals, aims—a mission. They set standards, embody principles, communicate preferences, guide decisions. They can be elusive yet evoke strong ethical and moral stances. Organizations are defined by their values.
By Stephen E. Weil
To begin Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen memorably wrote, “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.” To begin this morning's presentation, let me suggest another truth that's almost as universally acknowledged: that this country's museums—both that small handful who find themselves in possession of a good fortune, and those many more that do not—are in the midst (or even, perhaps, close to the end) of a profound transformation. In little more than a generation, we have witnessed the museum's metamorphosis from an institution that's turned primarily inward and concerned above all with the growth, care and study of its collection to an institution that's turned primarily outward—an institution striving, above all, to provide a range of educational and other public services to the individuals and communities that constitute its target audience...  Full text (90Kb).
By Charles Landry
Charles Landry abstract and download instructions
(Link takes you to publisher's website.)
By Philip M. Nowlen, published by RLPG Books, Curator, volume 48, number 1, January 2005.
...The museum environment is very complex. Exhibits are frequently politicized. Some policy makers and donors suggest that exhibits as well as museums themselves must be broadly socially inclusive. Special interest groups demand exhibits that advocate a point of view or celebrate the achievements of a particular time, place or people. Religious or political sensibilities are easily offended. New technologies offer opportunities as well as pose problems. Museums have become more public than ever before... Full text (3 pp., 1038Kb).
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