A museum is an institution that researches, collects, conserves, interprets and exhibits both tangible and intangible heritage. It is open to the public, and it operates and communicates ethically, professionally and with the participation of communities. It provides varied experiences for education, enjoyment and inspiration.
Throughout history, museums have been seen as places where people can go to see objects that have significant meaning for a particular culture or society. In more modern times, they have often been seen as places where people can come to find new ideas and ways of thinking.
Many museums are staffed by professional staff members who work with the general public to provide educational services and manage the museum’s collections. These positions can include curators, educators, registrars and collections managers, administrators, librarians, museum technicians, and security staff. Some museums also employ historians and anthropologists, who specialize in particular fields.
Museums can be a significant economic force in their communities. Some, such as the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, were built with the purpose of stimulating local economic development and revitalization. Others, like the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC, are built to help people understand the impact of one of the most horrific events in recent world history.
Some museums, particularly those that focus on art or contemporary art, have become famous for their impressive architectural designs and innovative exhibitions. This has resulted in some museums being referred to as “art houses” or even “galleries”.
A museum can have a very broad range of purposes, from providing information about cultural and natural history to encouraging creativity, science and learning. It can be a place for the general public or it can serve specific populations such as students, teachers and researchers. Museums can be for profit or non-profit, and they may be publicly funded or privately run.
For a museum to be considered as a “museum” it must meet certain criteria set out in the definition from the International Council of Museums (ICOM). This includes being not-for-profit, being open to the public, conducting research, collecting and maintaining permanent collections and exhibiting the results of that research. The ICOM definition is important because it provides a standard that all museums should aim to meet in order to be recognized as such.
The ICOM’s Standing Committee on the Museum Definition (MDPP) has been trying to update the museum definition for years, but a consensus on a revised version was not reached at ICOM’s last conference in Kyoto, Japan in 2019. This was largely due to a lack of discussion about issues such as decolonization and repatriation, which are central to the work of many museums.
The MDPP has now begun a new process that is designed to be more democratic and transparent. All national committees, international and regional alliances and affiliated organisations are invited to participate in this process. More information is available in the Museum Definition space of the ICOM website.