Why Are Museums Important? Essay examples -- essays research papers

The Cambridge Dictionary Online defined museums as places of study, buildings where objects of historical, scientific or artistic interest are kept, preserved and exhibited. To The Museums Association, a museum is an institution which collects documents, preserves, exhibits and interprets bodily evidence and associated information for the public benefit. Since 1998, this definition has changed. Museums now modify the public to explore collections for inspiration, attainment and enjoyment. They are institutions that collect, safeguard and make favorable artefacts and specimens, which they hold in trust for society. Mike Wallace (1996) categorised museums into four trenchant types, namely National Museums that hold collection of national importance, Armed value Museums, Independence Museums and Local Authority Museums. According to Wallace, the importance of museums lies in their employment as a nations memory bank. Personally, what matters most nigh museums is that they are th e only source of living history and perhaps an taste to the future world that lies before us. History should be displayed for study not only because it is essential to individuals and to society, but to a fault because it harbours beauty.Museums provide an ideal learning environment, whether it is formal or informal learning, active hands-on participation or passive observation (Hein, G. E, 1998). In The British Museum, each of the museums curatorial departments offers bookman research facilities, for instance Ancient Near East, Egyptian Antiquities, Japanese Antiquities, gallant and Modern Europe and Prehistory and Early Europe. The Education Department however set aside Study days to allow more intensive exploration of the cultural background to an exhibition or area of the collections and they usually include slide lectures and gallery talks. In addition, The Education Department provides a range of services for teachers to help enhance students experience of the Museum and a bout the cultures stand for in the Museums collections. The 2000/2001 brochure, listing events and resources for teachers and students, is promised to be available soon. Majority of the other museums also provide such educational services to the public. The National Museum of the Performing liberal arts has an Education Department that runs an annual programme of activities designed to support teachers in the deliv... ...ritish Columbia Museums Association <a href="http//www.museumsassn.bc.ca/">http//www.museumsassn.bc.ca/The British Museum <a href="http//www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk/">http//www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk/The Horniman Museum and Gardens <a href="http//www.horniman.demon.co.uk/">http//www.horniman.demon.co.uk/The capital of the United Kingdom Dungeon <a href="http//www.thedungeons.com/en/dungeon.asp?gotof=top&lang=en">http//www.thedungeons.com/en/dungeon.asp?gotof=top&lang=enThe Museum of Culinary History and Alimenta tion <a href="http//www.mocha.co.uk/">http//www.mocha.co.uk/The National History Museum <a href="http//www.nhm.ac.uk/">http//www.nhm.ac.uk/The National Museum of the Performing Arts <a href="http//theatremuseum.vam.ac.uk/">http//theatremuseum.vam.ac.uk/The National Science Museum <a href="http//www.nmsi.ac.uk/">http//www.nmsi.ac.uk/The Science Museum <a href="http//www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/">http//www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/Wilson, D.M. (1989). The British Museum usance and Politics. London British Museum Press.