A museum is a not-for-profit institution in the service of society that researches, collects, conserves, interprets and exhibits tangible and intangible heritage and makes it available to the public. It does so by providing varied experiences for education, enjoyment, reflection and knowledge sharing. It is a cultural site that encourages the innate curiosity of the public and promotes a spirit of inquiry and discovery. It fosters diversity and sustainability and operates and communicates ethically, professionally and with the participation of communities.
Some museums, particularly those with art collections, use their objects as educational tools, teaching content in the arts and other subjects. Some are places of entertainment and recreation, displaying works that can be appreciated simply for their aesthetic value. Still others serve as social and cultural centers, fostering community involvement and awareness of important issues.
The earliest museums were private collections of interesting objects, sometimes assembled with the intent to impress visitors. Over the years, museums began to collect more objects and display them publicly in an effort to educate the public. Most modern museums have a more defined mission and have become not only repositories for historic treasures, but also play an active role in the development of their communities.
A growing body of research shows that people visit museums for a wide range of reasons. From John Falk’s work to describe museum visitors as identity-based categories, to Susie Wilkening and James Chung’s study of life stages of the museum visitor, it is clear that museum-goers seek diverse experiences at museums.
Many of the major museum associations have published definitions of museums, including what they consider to be their primary goals. For example, the Association of Science-Technology Centers defines a museum as “an institution that encourages the innate curiosity of the general public by collecting and preserving materials of scientific or historical significance, making them available for display and education, and promoting awareness of their own heritage, the heritage of other cultures, and the need to preserve the world’s natural and cultural resources.”
In addition to educating their audiences, museums often serve an economic role in their communities. A well-known example is the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, whose construction brought much-needed economic activity to the area in Spain. Increasingly, cities are turning to museums to revitalize their economy and spur growth.
This is an important time for the museum field, as ICOM Define—the Standing Committee on the Museum Definition—begins its work to reformulate the ICOM’s existing definition. The committee will consult extensively with ICOM’s National and International Committees, Regional Alliances and Affiliated Organisations before submitting a proposal to the next Extraordinary General Assembly, which will take place in 2022. The process is designed to be more democratic and open than the last time, with the participation of all the stakeholders involved from the outset. To learn more, visit the dedicated webpage for the consultation.