Museums are sanctuaries of knowledge, history and art; a place to discover the silent eloquence of ancient relics, and the whispers of our own past. They are spaces that bring us closer to our cultural heritage, where we uncover the mysteries of distant lands and their diverse peoples. They are a source of inspiration for artists and designers, and they attract millions of visitors from around the world every year to admire masterpieces such as the Mona Lisa or the Vasa ship.
The word museum derives from the Latin word mousier, which refers to a collection of objects of cultural interest. It is a concept that has many different interpretations and meanings, ranging from the classical idea of a museum as a kind of library or repository to the modern sense of an institution that preserves and interprets material aspects of our collective culture.
Today’s museums range from a single artifact or exhibit to massive, complex institutions with multiple departments and programs that are part of a broader network of other cultural organizations. They can be public, private or not for profit. They can also be governmental or nongovernmental. Most museums are not just places where we can view historical artifacts, but they are a vital part of our society’s infrastructure and offer educational opportunities for all ages to learn about the diversity of human cultures.
Most museums have many kinds of employees. There are curators who research and learn about the objects in the collections, designers who create exhibitions, educators who work with visitors, horticulturists to maintain gardens, and many others. The size of a museum and the type of collection it has will determine how many of these jobs are necessary. Some larger museums have staff that includes all of the above, while smaller, community-based museums may only need one or two positions, especially if they are volunteer run.
Some museums have a more political or social mission than others. They are often founded to promote civic pride or nationalism; to encourage tourism; or even to transmit overtly ideological concepts. Other museums are created to provide a place for cultural preservation, while still others are built as a way to revive a city’s economy.
There is much debate over what the true role of a museum should be, and how it should function in our increasingly globalized and interconnected world. The International Council of Museums (ICOM) has recently adopted a new definition for museums, which challenges them to change from places that transmit expert knowledge to ones that empower communities and foster dialogue and connection.
Museums have a rich and varied heritage, but it is essential to understand how these places have evolved over time and across the globe in order to make informed decisions about the future of our shared heritage. This new definition, which has been developed through a broad consultation with museums worldwide, is intended to help museums meet the needs of their local communities and societies for generations to come.