For museums, intellectual property issues raise questions over who controls content and who determines access. A common vocabulary could help museums speak more forcefully to the unconvinced. A shared commitment to serving the public good can help bridge the gaps. Authority, interpretation, and meaning making Museums and libraries have the content and the capacity to deliver it. In a library, the user directs the meaning.
Libraries guide and describe.
They do not interpret content or intervene between user and content. In a museum, interpretation of content is deliberate. There is an ongoing shift in our notion of who has the authority to interpret and make meaning from content and whether the authority should be shared with the learners or with others outside the museum context. Authority issues are central to this initiative. Trust and safety Museums' and libraries' core value is that they are authentic, trustworthy, and safe.