It is my deep concern for the issues surrounding that accountability that is at the heart of my remarks this afternoon. The movement of museums toward the center of community life, the emphasis on new partnerships and collaboration, raises significant questions about how we measure the impact of museums in addressing social change and enriching people's lives. Despite a wealth of anecdotal information, little evaluation has documented impact in an ongoing systematic way. In a for-profit business, evaluation is somewhat more measurable. It shows up in the bottom line.
Accountability is a fresh challenge for America's museums.
In the edition of Daedalus previously cited, Stephen E. Weil, emeritus senior scholar at the Center for Museum Studies of the Smithsonian Institution, asserts his belief that the American museum is being substantially reshaped. He says that the museum will measure its success by the overarching criterion of whether it is actually able to provide new services in a demonstrably effective way. The internal self-referential assessment is no longer sufficient. In the federal government, the demand for accountability is already a legislative reality. We must set performance goals, accompany them with performance indicators and report them on an annual basis.