Museums are sanctuaries of culture, history and art; spaces where you can slow down, take time to look closely and gain new perspectives on everything from ancient civilisations to classical masterpieces. They’re also great economic drivers, providing jobs and attracting visitors to local communities. And of course, if they’re good at their job, museums inspire us to think differently about the world around us.
Museum’s role is to collect, preserve, document, research, communicate and exhibit the evidence of human culture and history, aiming for global equality, social justice and environmental sustainability.
However, museums are now facing huge challenges that require a transformation of their practices and their understanding of what makes a museum. For example, the decolonisation of museums and heritage sites, repatriation and restitution of artworks and artifacts and conversations around who owns culture, are key issues that have been raised in recent years. Previously, the definition of a museum, which stated that a museum ‘acquires…the tangible and intangible heritage of humanity’ divorced objects from their cultural context. This has now been changed.
The definition that is currently in place was the result of a long process of consultation with ICOM’s national and international committees, regional alliances and affiliated organisations and institutions. In addition to a more transparent process, it reflects the need for greater diversity and inclusivity in museums.
In an era of globalisation and the Anthropocene, museums must be open to all and work in active partnership with diverse communities to acquire, preserve, research, document, interpret, exhibit, promote and enhance knowledge about the world, contributing to humanity’s common heritage, ensuring that the past is present and the future is inclusive.
Having a solid foundation is essential to the success of any museum. This means ensuring that staff members have the right skills and training, building strong relationships with the community they serve and making sure that they are addressing important issues that are relevant to their visitors. This also means ensuring that the institution is sustainable financially. Most museums are non-profit organisations, meaning that if they have a successful year and make a surplus, it goes back into planning for the future or for renovations to the building.
Managing a museum requires a variety of skill sets. For instance, a facilities manager is responsible for keeping the museum clean and safe to visit. Museums have registrars who manage all of the objects in the collection, know where they are at all times and can move them between locations as needed. Museums also have curators who put together exhibitions, spend time researching and learning about the objects in their collection, and often help visitors understand what they’re seeing by leading them on tours or writing guides to take home.
Museums have also been important drivers of economic development and revitalization in some cities, for example the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, which attracted tourists and created jobs and regenerated an area of the city. This is especially true of smaller museums, which can meet a community’s needs and provide them with an opportunity to grow.