bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Diamond Jenness and the National Museum of Canada: 1930–1947
Authors: RICHLING BARNETT 
Published: May 2010

Diamond Jenness (1886–1969), New Zealand born and Oxford educated, is best known in anthropology for his detailed studies of Canadian Inuit and Indian societies and cultures. He published numerous reports and papers and the ground‐breaking The Indians of Canada (1932), a classic of North American ethnology. Less well known is his service (1926–1930, 1937–1947) as chief of the Anthropological Division of the National Museum of Canada (NMC), where he made important contributions to furthering Canadian anthropology before the discipline had gained public acceptance or a secure niche in either academia or government.Two facts help to explain why little attention has been paid to Jenness's administrative work and the Division's accomplishments during his tenure. First, his career was overshadowed by that of Edward Sapir, among the century's brightest anthropological lights and Jenness's predecessor as chief (1910–1925). Sapir has been the subject of considerable attention in disciplinary history, including assessments of his formative influence on professional anthropology in Canada during his sojourn at NMC (Cowan et al., 1986; Koerner, 1984). Second, Jenness and his colleagues struggled to maintain the Division's viability at a time when economic depression, government bureaucracy, and world war threatened to reduce professional anthropology to insignificance. Though we are not without tangible proofs of the Division's scientific endeavors during the period, perhaps its more notable accomplishment was surviving the onslaught at all.
An Evaluation of Disposable Pens for Permanent Museum Records
Authors: WOOD ROSE M. , WILLIAMS STEPHEN L. 
Published: May 2010

ABSTRACTSeveral brands of disposable black ink pens are commercially available, and some are advertised as suitable for archival purposes. The cost and convenience of using disposable pens made it worthwhile to investigate their value for permanent records. Characteristics compared included lightfastness, resistance to fluids, resistance to smearing and flaking, and utility. Results indicate certain types of disposable porous‐plastic‐tipped pens and roller‐ball‐tipped pens have qualities that fulfill some museum needs.
Diversity and the Museum of London
Authors: Kahn David M. 
Published: May 2010

ABSTRACTIncreasingly, some — but not all — urban history museums are facing the challenges of reaching out to and serving growingly diversified populations. Described here is the Museum of London's The Peopling of London, which recognizes the history and contributions of immigrant communities and their descendants. Planning for the exhibition required an about face from the museum's traditional in‐house method of exhibition development — involving members of minority communities. Both the planning process and the resulting exhibition serve as a model for consideration and possibly emulation as urban history museums look at the growing diversification of the populations they serve.
The Exhibition: Lecture or Conversation?
Authors: Spicer Joaneath 
Published: May 2010

ABSTRACTThe problem for art museums of striking a balance between accessibility and scholarship comes to a head in the special exhibition. This article suggests that one way to involve the viewer in this balance is to approach the exhibition not so much as a lecture but as a conversation, with the consequence that the focus is on those issues that are open to verification or resolution by the viewer.
The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum — A Dialogue with Memory
Authors: Freed James Ingo 
Published: May 2010

ABSTRACTThis article describes the author's personal/professional experience in designing the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, a building that must “fit” in the context of the National Mall, express the spirit of the Holocaust, and become a permanent, living memorial. “The [building] did not pose the familiar problem of the container and the contained. This [must be] a building where the contained (the historical exhibition) works on the container (the architectural shell) and where the container has to join with the contained.”
Wanted: An Effective Director
Authors: Boyd Willard L. 
Published: May 2010

ABSTRACTThe role of museum director is increasingly discussed and reported inside and outside the museum community. Turnover grows as museum missions expand and funding sources and amounts decrease. Finding a new director who will be effective when confronted by these pressures requires a realistic assessment by the searching institution of the job to be done. That realistic assessment requires recognition — not necessarily agreement — by both staff and trustees of what the problems and priorities are. There is no perfect director. But there are effective directors. This essay addresses some of the issues facing boards, staffs, search firms, and candidates — as seen from the limited perspective of one person.
Native Hawaiians and Bishop Museum: Negotiating Ownership of the Island Past
Authors: Kelly Marjorie 
Published: May 2010

ABSTRACTIncreasingly, museums are seeking to incorporate indigenous perspectives into their exhibits, programs, and collections management policies. Despite its history and close proximity to Hawaiians, Bishop Museum has neither a long nor an unblemished record of consulting the indigenous community. Within the last three years, there has been a theft/removal of sacred objects, a lawsuit involving repatriation of Hawaiian remains, demonstrations and state government hearings concerning the Bishop's interpretation of archaeological sites, as well as more positive activity; e.g., a renewed interest in exhibiting Hawaiian culture. While factionalism within the indigenous community complicates matters, many of the museum's problems are an outgrowth of its own decisions: lucrative contracts have not been without cost, and internal dissension has resulted in such high staff turnover that the museum's professional capability has been publicly called into question by Hawaiians (and others). As Hawaiians assume a more active role, their 106‐year relationship with Bishop Museum is being redefined.(Note: “Hawai'i” is used here to refer to the southernmost island in the chain; “Hawaii” designates the entire chain, the state).
Family Learning in Museums: A Bibliographic Review
Authors: Borun Minda , Cleghom Ann , Garfield Caren 
Published: May 2010

ABSTRACTThe literature on family behavior in informal science settings consists primarily of observational studies of behavior, focusing on generation and gender roles and learning strategies. Much effort has been expended studying the family visit, building the foundation for further study. A question that remains is: Can we infer learning from observations of learning behavior among family members?The literature in this annotated bibliography addresses issues involved in understanding the family learning process — what a family is, why families visit museums, how they behave in museums, how they learn in museums, and measuring learning.
Previous Possessions, New Obligations: A Commitment by Australian Museums†
Authors: Griffin Des 
Published: May 2010

ABSTRACTIn 1993, Museums Australia, representing museums and the Australian museum community, adopted a policy covering relations between museums and Australia's indigenous peoples. Previous Possessions, New Obligations is based on 13 principles, the first of which recognizes the right to self‐determination of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in respect of their cultural property. The policy recognizes a multiplicity of interests in indigenous peoples' cultural property but emphasizes Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' primary role.The policy was developed through consultation with indigenous people and communities, museums, professional associations, and governments. It covers human remains, secret/sacred material, and collections in general. It also deals with museums' public programs and issues of staffing, training, and governance. It emphasizes the importance of consultation between museum staff and appropriate persons and communities when museums are dealing with indigenous cultures.This paper traces the history of museums' dealings with indigenous peoples in several countries, especially Australia. The development of this policy from mid‐1991 is traced.Museums Australia, in collaboration with the Australian government, is pursuing the policy, especially the provenancing of human remains and secret/sacred material, to assist in returning such material when requested and appropriate. Museums Australia is also reviewing the effect the policy has had over the last two years. While the policy is an important document, there is still much progress to be made.
Zoos in Transition: Enriching Conservation Education for a New Generation
Authors: Wineman Jean , Piper Craig , Maple Terry L. 
Published: May 2010

ABSTRACTAs zoos undertake transformations to address issues of conservation education, questions arise as to the most effective means to engage all zoo visitors. This article suggests that zoos are missing opportunities to capture the attention and involvement of the full range of zoo visitors, particularly the youngest children and teenagers, who make up approximately 17 percent of zoo visitors. This article considers the needs of these two groups and provides design guidance and examples of programs to meet those needs.The Children's Zoo Design Project (CZDP) was initiated in 1992 by Zoo Atlanta and Georgia Institute of Technology and funded by the National Endowment for the Arts. The purpose of the project was to provide a central resource to which zoos contemplating design change might turn. The article is based on the research of the CZDP and also includes surveys of zoos, site visits, and the thinking and conclusions of a workshop/seminar participated in by students, zoo professionals, and others involved in zoo design and education.
Curating and Controlling Zuni Photographic Images
Authors: Holman Nigel 
Published: May 2010

ABSTRACTThis article explores the history of photography in Zuni and provides a context for the forthcoming request from Zuni religious leaders that they be allowed to exercise some control over sensitive images held by museums. This request is part of the debate over whether Native Americans should exercise some degree of control over historic photographs of their religious ceremonies. Some Zuni community members always considered photography of religious ceremonies to be inappropriate. How it happened sheds light on how Zunis incorporated the then‐new technology into their traditional beliefs and social organization. Similarly, existing museum policy toward sensitive images is a result of the way photography has been incorporated into European and American legal and ethical thinking. In addition to lending weight to the contention that forthcoming requests from Native Americans are based on long‐held beliefs rather than simply contemporary political expediency, history also suggests the parameters for an equitable solution to this issue.
Paying Attention: The Duration and Allocation of Visitors' Time in Museum Exhibitions
Authors: Serrell Beverly 
Published: May 2010

ABSTRACTThe amount of time visitors spend and the number of stops they make in exhibitions are systematic measures that can be indicators of learning. Previous authors have made assumptions about the amount of attention visitors pay to exhibitions based on observations of behavior at single exhibits or other small data samples. This study offers a large database from a comparative investigation of the duration and allocation of visitors' time in 108 exhibitions, and it establishes numerical indexes that reflect patterns of visitor use of the exhibition. These indexes—sweep rate (SRI) and percentage of diligent visitors (%DV)—can be used to compare one exhibition to another, or to compare the same exhibition under two (or more) different circumstances. Patterns of visitor behavior found in many of the study sites included: (1) visitors typically spend less than 20 minutes in exhibitions, regardless of the topic or size; (2) the majority of visitors are not “diligent visitors”—those who stop at more than half of the available elements; (3) on average, visitors use exhibitions at a rate of 200 to 400 square feet per minute; and (4) visitors typically spend less time per unit area in larger exhibitions and diorama halls than in smaller or nondiorama exhibitions. The two indexes (SRI and %DV) may be useful measures for diagnosing and improving the effectiveness of exhibitions, and further study could help identify characteristics of “thoroughly‐used” (i.e., successful) exhibitions.
Prevention of Substance Abuse: Can Museums Make a Difference?
Authors: Cartmill Randi S. , Day Lucille Lang 
Published: May 2010

ABSTRACTAfter declining during the 1980s, use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs is again rising in junior and senior high schools nationwide. A field‐trip program developed at the Hall of Health (HOH) in Berkeley, California, attempts to reverse or lessen this trend by communicating in a museum setting the dangers of drugs and addiction.Pre‐visit and post‐visit surveys collected from 823 students in fifth through eighth grade showed the HOH program had an immediate, significant impact on statements of intent to use alcohol, tobacco, diet pills, downers, and inhalants as well as illegal drugs in high school. Two weeks after the field trip in a follow‐up study of 172 students, those who initially intended to experiment with drugs still showed a significant reduction in their original intent (as indicated in their pre‐visit survey) to use 12 of 15 drugs. The program may serve as a model for museums desirous of reversing the trend toward drug use by young people.
The Effect of Visitors ‘ Agendas on Museum Learning
Authors: FALK JOHN H. , MOUSSOURI THEANO , COULSON DOUGLAS 
Published: May 2010

AbstractIt has been argued that visitors' pre‐visit “agendas” directly influence visits. This study attempted to directly test the effects of different museum visit agendas on visitor learning. Two new tools were developed for this purpose: (1) a tool for measuring visitor agendas; and (2) a tool for measuring visitor learning (Personal Meaning Mapping). Visitor agenda was defined as having two dimensions: motivations and strategies. Personal Meaning Mapping is a constructivist approach that measures change in understanding along four semi‐independent dimensions: extent, breadth, depth, and mastery. The study looked at 40 randomly‐selected adults who were visiting the National Museum of Natural History's Geology, Gems and Minerals exhibition. Visitor agendas did significantly impact how, what, and how much individuals learned. Results are discussed in terms of the current debate about education vs. entertainment.
A Taxonomy of Museum Program Opportunities—Adapting a Model from Natural Resource Management
Authors: WELLS MARCELLA , LOOMIS ROSS J. 
Published: May 2010

AbstractThis paper describes a conceptual framework for the way museum managers might categorize different kinds of program opportunities, both existing and potential. This systematic approach to program planning may be useful to managers in museums seeking to expand their programs' scope and scale. The basis for this concept is borrowed from the outdoor recreation discipline, which sought, in the 1970s, to find a common language to describe supply and demand for recreation opportunities and to understand recreation opportunities in a geographic context of available natural resources.In this paper, the concept is adapted for museums and museum going as a leisure activity. The article first explores the linkages between museum supply and demand as they relate to a larger leisure marketplace. The Recreation Opportunity Spectrum (ROS) is then described as it is used for outdoor recreation decision making. Following this practice, museum demand opportunities are defined and elaborated by example, and a “Visitor Opportunity System”—modeled after ROS—is presented. Specific examples are provided for applying this system approach to a variety of museum practices and planning scenarios.
Effective Management of Museums in the 1990s
Authors: GRIFFIN DES , ABRAHAM MORRIE , CRAWFORD JOHN 
Published: May 2010

ABSTRACTA survey of thirty‐three museums of various kinds in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States sought to identify the features distinguishing the more effective organizations as assessed by independent experts. Staff at each museum responded to a questionnaire about features common to all organizations as well as some particular to museums. Teamwork, a concern for quality, and an emphasis on public programming are common to effective museums. Executive leadership champions a vision, models appropriate behavior, and works together effectively. Board members use their skills and knowledge to advance the organization's mission. There is a concern for quality, shared goals, good communication, respect for the contribution of others, attention to training, strategic allocation of resources, and an integrated, flexible, and responsive structure. Public programming emphasizes strategic approaches to achieving positive outcomes for visitors, including provision of a variety of learning strategies.
Challenges for Directors of University Natural Science Museums
Authors: GENOWAYS HUGH H. 
Published: May 2010

ABSTRACTUniversities and natural science museums have a long, productive history; however, this has been an uneasy alliance in the United States at least since the 1880s. Decreasing resources and increasing expectations have made the position of all museum directors extremely difficult, but the situation for university natural science museum directors is probably the most complicated among these because they direct museums that are small administrative units within larger university organizations. Some of their challenges include conflict between museum and university missions, governance issues, relationship between director and the university administrator/board member, lack of understanding of museum functions, middle management role of the director, lack of control of staff time, lack of staff support, public access to museum, and limited public and fiscal support. Solutions offered to meet these challenges include a written mission statement, recognition of education as the primary goal of the museum, a written strategic plan, accreditation, a highly active faculty/staff, documentation of the museum's economic impact, the creation and building of a public support organization, the formation of alliances with local cultural organizations, continuing education for staff, and an open decision‐making process.
Advances in Data Capture for Museum Collections
Authors: SABOURIN KRISTOPHER J. , FINNAMORE ALBERT T. , NAGEL JOE 
Published: May 2010

ABSTRACTThe article presents and compares three methodologies for the capture, or digitization, of data associated with specimens or artifacts in museum collections and describes the “grassroots” level application of computer technology. This approach of data capture is strategic and businesslike, uses the best tools available at the time, and is highly cost‐effective. We suggest that the benefits are so significant that getting up‐to‐date equipment and training workers to use it should be given a high priority. Such equipment is frequently present, but is being used in a way that provides far less real benefit than is possible using the techniques described in this article.
“When I Grow Up I'd Like to Work in a Place Like This”: Museum Professionals' Narratives of Early Interest in Museums
Authors: SPOCK MICHAEL 
Published: May 2010

ABSTRACTAs part of an exploratory research study, museum professionals were asked to share their stories about pivotal learning experiences in museums. Several offered personal narratives of how they first became interested in museums and started down the path toward careers in museum work, or had their imaginations opened to the possibility of broader life horizons. This group of stories seemed to be grounded in particularly vivid memories and frequently elicited strong emotions in the telling. The narratives are evidence of the impact of early museum experiences on people who later found their way into museum careers, and suggest avenues for further study of the roots of museum careers as well as other ways museums profoundly affect people's lives. The stories can also reveal to the teller, as well as to researchers and others, what stands out in their memories and the importance they assign to those memories. By attending to the thematic and emotional content of these narratives, both narrator and colleagues can find clues about where their beliefs and values really lie and, therefore, where their and the profession's time and resources might be most productively invested.
Impact of National Aquarium in Baltimore on Visitors' Conservation Attitudes, Behavior, and Knowledge
Authors: ADELMAN LESLIE M. , FALK JOHN H. , JAMES SYLVIA 
Published: May 2010

ABSTRACTThis study at the National Aquarium in Baltimore (NAIB) was conducted to assess four key aspects of the visitor experience: (1) incoming conservation knowledge, attitudes, and behavior of NAIB visitors; (2) patterns of use and interaction with exhibition components throughout the NAIB; (3) exiting conservation knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of visitors; and (4) over time, how the NAIB experience altered or affected individuals' conservation knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors.Three hundred six visitors participated in the study, which was conducted from March through July, 1999. The study utilized four data‐collection techniques: (1) face‐to‐face interviews, (2) Personal Meaning Mapping (PMM), (3) tracking, and (4) follow‐up telephone interviews. Participants were a self‐selected population and were generally more knowledgeable about, more concerned about, and more involved in conservation‐related issues than the general public. However, they were far from conservationists. Visitors in this study clearly absorbed the fundamental conservation message at the NAIB. In fact, the NAIB visit appeared to focus visitors' conservation‐related thoughts, while also broadening their understanding of conservation.Changes in visitors' conservation knowledge, understanding, and interests by and large persisted over six to eight weeks after visiting NAIB. The NAIB experience also connected to visitors' lives in a variety of ways following their visit. However, these personal experiences rarely resulted in new conservation actions. In fact, their enthusiasm and emotional commitment to conservation (inspired during the NAIB visit) generally fell back to original levels, presumably in the absence of reinforcing experiences. The findings of this study are guiding subsequent investigations at the NAIB. More generally, the results suggest strategies to enhance current understanding of the impact free‐choice learning institutions have on their visiting public.