num_pages: 150
description: Museums have long sought to maintain relevance in the daily lives of their communities. Over the past several decades museums have shifted as a field from a focus on collections to a focus on connecting with audiences. More recently museums must confront political polarization and a decreasing sense of trust in nearly every public institution. As a result few institutions are better positioned to serve the country than museums. In fact polls show that museums rank among the most trusted institutions in the country regardless of political belief. During tumultuous times this trust means that museums have a unique and important responsibility to fulfill their civic mission. A century ago John Cotton Dana argued that the most important thing a museum can do is produce a public benefit. The Civic Mission of Museums argues that museums play an essential role in the cultivation of engaged and informed citizens. The book outlines a spectrum of civic learning that civic knowledge civic mindset civic skillset and civic action. It offers concrete examples of impactful civic programming exhibits and public engagement from a diverse set of museums. It ends with a practical toolkit gleaned from across the country for museum professionals to utilize.
language: English
title: The Civic Mission of Museums
publisher: Rowman & Littlefield