ABSTRACT
The issue of old and new thinking has many manifestations, and differing attitudes inf luence activities within the professional community. Comparison with the old often makes the “new” seem good, correct, or interesting, but most ideas and practices are based on history, so they are seldom new. There is no basis for the new without the security of the old. New practices are often reshaped old practices that have evolved within the museum profession. An updated code of ethics may accentuate key points and use different terminology but little is entirely new or completely different.
