Museums are sanctuaries of culture, history and art. Their carefully curated collections and transcending exhibitions invite visitors to explore new cultures and ideas, from ancient civilizations and classical masterpieces to contemporary art and complex conflicts. While many people dismiss museums as boring and irrelevant, museums around the world have mastered the art of engaging visitors and changing their perspectives.
As institutions dedicated to preserving and interpreting the primary tangible evidence of humankind and the natural world, museums differ significantly from libraries, with which they are often compared. Museums preserve primarily unique objects that communicate information about the past through their form and content, while libraries hold collections of books, journals and other written material.
The definition of a museum is an important issue for museums, as it has implications for the way they are managed and operated, the type of collection and exhibitions they build and the ways in which they engage with their audience. In the past, a variety of different definitions have circulated, with each one resulting in a slightly different understanding of the museum and its purpose. The ICOM Define project aims to create a more holistic and accurate definition that is applicable for the whole of ICOM’s global membership.
Icom has started a consultation process to gather input from museum representatives around the world and to help develop a more unified and comprehensive understanding of what a museum is. The new definition includes language that emphasizes the social role of museums and their ability to foster connections with other cultures and times, encourages visitors to be psychologically present with their attention focused on the here-and-now through multisensory exhibits (and immersion), and promotes volunteering that directly influences the wellbeing of the individual.
Museums also play an active role in their communities and are a source of learning and inspiration for people of all ages and backgrounds. They are a vital part of the cultural and social fabric, providing a place for people to connect with each other, gain an understanding of the world we live in, and inspire them to be better citizens.
Some of the most visited museums in the world are iconic, with the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York attracting over 11 million visitors annually, and a number of museums in Paris, including the Louvre and the State Hermitage, vying for the top spot on the list of most-visited museums in the world. However, even those museums that do not make the top 10 have their own unique ways of engaging with their audiences and making a difference.