ABSTRACT
The Culture Bank model contributes to a rethinking of the possible roles of museums in community development. As chapter have endeavored to show, the Culture Bank entails specific principles and modes of functioning that have contributed to the successful engagement of local people in the participative management of cultural heritage. The fundamental principles that shape the institution's approaches to governance, collection, documentation, conservation and exhibition are: local ownership and management of heritage; ascribing economic value to objects based on knowledge; conserving living objects, and documenting local meaning and meaning making. Museum practice at the Culture Bank emphasizes a careful attention to process rather than only focusing on specific desired outcomes. Inclusive, participative governance is as important as any individual decision. Creating a sense of ownership for heritage is as important as assembling a respectable collection of objects. Maintaining an object's meaning is as important as ensuring its physical integrity.
