ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the background to the entire book in terms of researching museum history; the idea of change and how it has been analysed before; the changes in society, economics and finance, politics, and professional work that are examined in detail in later chapters; and the implications of change for museum policy and practice. The choice of New Walk Museum in Leicester, United Kingdom, as the focus for the book is explained. The complexity of change itself and how it can be understood and made sense of are identified as key elements of the analysis. The sources of potential changes in the museum are noted as are their interrelationships over the course of time.
