Museums are not only places for preserving and displaying collections of objects, but they also make them accessible to visitors. To this end they must be open to the public, and their exhibitions must be meaningful. This means that they need to be open for research, education and enjoyment by everyone – without exception. They must be able to communicate what they have in the form of objects, stories, texts or other media. Museums are a form of knowledge communication, and in their communication they differ from libraries, theatres and performance spaces which may communicate knowledge through other modes.
The word museum is related to the classical concept of mouseion, seat of the Muses. But museums have a much longer history, starting with private collections that were made to share the fascination with rare items and that later became a place for teaching the general public. They have evolved into institutions which, like universities, collect, conserve, study and interpret the material evidence of human activity and the natural world, making it available to a broad audience.
This evolution has been partly connected to societal changes. For example museums have moved from a landscape that was mostly focused on preservation to an emphasis on refocusing their activities on social justice and community engagement. In our current climate, post Covid and after the murder of George Floyd, there is a renewed sense of urgency to refocus museums as places for democratisation and accessibility.
These developments have had a strong influence on the way museums are managed. The management of a museum is complex and involves a range of responsibilities that are divided amongst staff members in various departments. The role of the museum director and board are crucial in ensuring the integrity of the institution. Their work is guided by policies that set standards, including the institutional or strategic plan, institutional code of ethics and bylaws. The American Alliance of Museums identifies a number of best practices and standards for the management of museums.
Although the basic tasks mentioned by Noble remain unchanged, there is still some debate about how they should be grouped and arranged. In the 1970s the anthropologist Michael Spock proposed to divide museums into two distinct institutes: a scholarly research centre (‘curatorial based’) and a public museum (‘client based’). This model differed from the traditional institute-oriented approach of museology and has been opposed by those who believe that research should not be seen as a’museum function’.
The definition of a museum that ICOM Define has developed, which was selected by the Advisory Council at the meeting during ICOM Prague 2022, is an attempt to harmonise the different approaches to the museum functions. It defines a museum as an institution in the service of society that researches, collects, conserves, studies and interprets tangible and intangible heritage; that is open to the public and that fosters diversity; operates ethically with the participation of communities; and that offers varied experiences for education, enjoyment, reflection and knowledge sharing.