A museum is a non-profit, permanent institution in the service of society and its development open to the public that acquires, conserves, researches, communicates, exhibits and enhances understanding of the tangible and intangible heritage of humanity and its environment. In short, museums collect and display art, history and culture in a way that is educational, engaging and exciting to people from all walks of life. Museums make the past and the present come to life and inspire learning of many different subjects including art, history, science and culture.
Every museum has its own special collection of artifacts. Museums can include everything from ancient statues to contemporary art or even a dinosaur bone, depending on their collection focus. A museum’s special collections are often used to create memorable and captivating exhibitions for visitors to enjoy.
Some museums have very few or no actual artifacts at all and instead rely on strong, memorable stories to engage their audiences. Examples of this are the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles or the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. Others, like the Louvre in Paris or London’s Natural History Museum welcome millions of visitors to view their vast array of artifacts each year including such treasured pieces as the Venus de Milo, the Law Code of Hammurabi and Stephenson’s Rocket.
The mission of a museum is not only to educate but also to inspire the next generation of museum professionals and the general public by demonstrating the importance of museums in all aspects of cultural and social life. This is particularly important in developing countries where there are fewer established museums and a need for new ideas and perspectives.
A museum has a Board of Directors that hires a Director to manage the museum and to ensure that it meets the standards set out in its policies. These policies can include a mission statement, strategic plan, code of ethics, bylaws and collections policy. These standards are designed to provide clarity and consistency for all museums.
While a museum has a Board and Director it is the Director that actually makes all the decisions about what to do with the museum, how to interpret it, what to display and how to communicate its message to the general public. In addition to these responsibilities the Director is responsible for ensuring that the museum meets its funding requirements.
Museums can only function well when they have a clear mission that is supported by all of the staff at the museum. Without this support the museum can not achieve its objectives and it can become a mere collection of artifacts.
The International Council of Museums, which has 126 member museums worldwide is currently trying to agree on the best possible definition for what a museum should be. This is an extensive project that has involved four separate rounds of consultation. This has been the most expansive outreach to members of ICOM ever. The results of the first round of consultation are now available for ICOM members to review.