If we truly wish to promote science or STEM education, then it would seem that the joining of resources and expertise from the communities of formal schooling and informal science education institutions or ISEIs (museums, aquariums, and the like) would be an important early step. Yet creating such connections between teacher and museum remain a…

The tension among the different models for understanding the relation between the artist and the artwork is brought most explosively to light when legal battles erupt between artists and institutions. This can be found in both the "Tilted Arc" controversy of the 1980s and in a recent dispute involving the Swiss installation artist…

This essay considers the rhetoric of space in a rapidly transforming culture. Using Michel Foucault's concept of "heterotopias" to understand the rhetorical power of a building's disposition, it is argued that the Jewish Museum Berlin contains two heterotopias, one within the other. The first is Daniel Libeskind's original building…

Many airports have transformed empty waiting spaces into mini malls, children's play areas, and displays of beautiful art, making a long wait a bit more pleasant. For the modern airport, showcasing art has become an important component, with perks including a built-in global audience, as well as the vast spaces of modern architecture. For the art…

Based on data from an exploratory, online survey, this article reveals that a surprisingly high number of art and history museums currently offer programs for very young children. The author describes the kinds of challenges that survey respondents faced when planning and conducting programs, and calls for more research and more collective action.…

It is time to revisit the way we describe and advocate for the "learning power" of museums. Museum learning is unique, multi-faceted and inspires higher-order affective and cognitive development. Yet, when museums describe their educational impact to stakeholders, it is often described narrowly, using the measures of formal education rather than…

This article presents results from an IMLS-funded project to evaluate the current state of collections in Florida's libraries, archives, and museums, current practices to preserve and conserve these collections, and perceived needs to maintain and improve these collections for future generations. The survey, modeled after the Heritage Health Index…

This article discusses a vault-to-virtual overview of how collections information datasets are formed and how they provide opportunities for museum educators to incorporate rich collections content into their programming. By promoting understanding of the processes involved, the author hopes to encourage partnerships between collections and…

This article will discuss how museums may serve as community anchors by catalyzing and helping to sustain significant behavioral and attitudinal changes among the public. When museums integrate research, deep community roots and trust, and a museum and arts-based pedagogy, they are uniquely positioned to effect change. The article will review a…

Theatre is often introduced into science museums to enhance visitor experience. While learning in museums exhibitions received considerable research attention, learning from museum theatre has not. The goal of this exploratory study was to investigate the potential educational role of a science museum theatre play. The study aimed to investigate…

This publication follows the tradition of publishing selected papers from the Pacific Islands Association of Libraries, Archives and Museums (PIALA) annual conferences. This 26th annual conference was held in Colonia, Yap State, Federated States of Micronesia, November 21-26, 2016 and celebrated the Association's Twenty-Fifth anniversary. This…

By attaching LEDs and lasers to moving objects, and shining their light on photochromic surfaces below them, we can display traces of many motions of interest in introductory physics courses and science museums.

This article deals with teaching tools in the context of museum display, their role in organized educational programs, and their impact on educational aspects of non-organized museum visits. Using practical examples from the Olomouc Museum of Art in the Czech Republic, this work demonstrates the use of interactive tools based on play (blocks,…

New technology enables museums and other heritage institutions to establish more personal links with their audience, and hopefully by doing so make history more compelling to them. The author explores some Dutch practices with interactive community websites and other ways of making connections between personal stories and urban history.

Museums in the past have been static institutions, exhibiting their collections as public displays. Today, the public has come to expect more from these institutions, seeing them as safe havens where conversations can begin. As reproductive rights have moved to the forefront of political and social debate, dialogue seems to be a step in the right…