Museums and their managers instead are challenged to embrace a marketing mind-set to pull in patrons, keep them active and intrigued, then bring them back. The second annual Fall Heritage Run, a motorcycle tour of historic destinations in Lake County, continues to be a fun and compelling way to attract nontraditional visitor attendance to the Lake County Museum. Photograph by Kim Karpeles. Public museums, such as those operated by park and forest preserve districts, as well as private museums must reconsider and shape their roles for the future. They are the keepers of cultural and natural heritage and are important because they improve the quality of life in communities.
Museums hold themselves accountable to strict standards in collections care and scholarship.
Because of their educational missions, museums have long considered their value to be evident. However, increased competition for limited public and private funds has challenged their sustainability, and heightened public accountability has given cause to question their relevance to the communities served. Performance indicators such as increased attendance, earned revenues, and community support have become as important as the quality of programs and services. Many museums have adopted private sector business processes to assist in their operations. The roles of staff and volunteers have changed, along with allocation of staffing to specific museum functions.