ABSTRACT
Before I go on, consider how you would define a museum if you had to do so for someone who had absolutely no knowledge of one. Try to get it down to no more than seventy-five words. It is not easy, but it is a revealing exercise. Now look at what you have written. What words have you used? Have you described what a museums does (a definition based on function), what it aims to provide (a definition based on mission), or what it should provide and achieve (a definition based on ideals)? Perhaps your definition is a mixture of these. What have been your priorities-people, collections, profits? Or have you taken a more holistic approach?
