Describes ways in which collection development at the Smithsonian Institution Libraries has been affected by the libraries' position within a museum context. The discussion covers the adoption by the libraries of a nomenclature that applies to management of museum objects collections and their capitalization on allied interests in such areas as…

Compares and contrasts museum registration and library cataloging processes, suggesting that differences in records management result from philosophical and historical differences. The feasibility and possible benefits of applying the competencies of library and information science to museum registration are discussed. (23 notes/references)…

Describes the historical premises behind a traveling exhibit of Egyptian Hellenistic art from the Ptolemic Period. Focuses on the uniquely Egyptian characteristics of this art, including religious symbolism, costume elements, and characteristics of craftsmanship. (LS)

Covers the cultural and aesthetic significance of Egyptian mummies, as explained in an exhibition at Boston's Museum of Fine Arts. The display, "Mummies & Magic: The Funerary Arts of Ancient Egypt," allowed for restoration work which did much to advance modern knowledge of Egyptian culture and funerary art. (LS)

Describes the working of an exhibit in the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum in which separated water drops from two nozzles collide to make interesting shapes. Discusses the calculation of the vibration frequency after the drop breaks away from the nozzle and the effect of drop size and surface tension on this frequency. (JRH)

Provides an introduction to and overview of the World Wide Web Virtual Library of Museums, an interactive directory of online museums, including organization of the hyperlinks visitor statistics, possible future direction, and information on some of the sites linked to the library. (JKP)

Contains excerpts from the companion book to the inaugural exhibition "Creation's Journey: Masterworks of Native American Identity and Belief" at the George Gustav Heye Center of the National Museum of the American Indian in New York City. Describes the cultural traditions behind some of the 165 objects chosen for their artistic…

Describes the children's museum movement, exhibits common to children's museums, and the role of children's museums in providing interactive environments for young children to complement the learning that goes on in classrooms and at home. Provides contact information for five children's museums. (DR)

Identification and Characteristics of 2 key visitor groups, seniors aged 55 and older and younger guests aged 18-34, emerged from a visitor study at Chicago's Botanic Garden. Discusses their differing leisure preferences, expectations of the garden, psychographics, demographics, and the impact their distinct leisure interests and values have on…

Examines the shared cognitive dimensions of cultural institutions like museums, libraries, and parks, suggesting they make similar situations for transmitting information. The article encourages a critical understanding of public cultural institutions to enlarge the potential for discourse about their analysis and criticism. Heuristic questions…

Presents a lesson plan for a second-grade class project. Suggests that the students will learn to identify the word "famous," complete a timeline for a famous person, learn facts about the person, and express individual thoughts and feelings. Explains the steps involved in the presentation of a living museum where students portray famous…

Reviews two exhibits of visual art at the Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) Art Museum, "Works by African-Americans," which showcases the contributions of nineteenth- and twentieth-century African-American artists; and "Pertaining to Philadelphia," acquisitions from the collection of Julius Bloch, an artist and mentor to many African…

The challenge of education is to preserve the imagination, questioning, and theoretical stance of a five year old, but gradually replace unfounded prejudices and mind-engravings with more accurate theories, ideas, conceptions, and stories. Correct test answers seldom signify genuine understanding. Gardner's book "The Unschooled Mind"…

The communication methods used by the mass media, museums, and schools and the features common to all three are described. Four themes that have arisen from a communication project are discussed. These include communication, context, construction, and constraint. (KR)

Addresses the role of children's museums, recounting both positive experiences of meaningful interactions and negative encounters in which such interactions were discouraged or were too cursory. Suggestions for scaffolding children's discovery and problem-solving learning with children's museum activities are offered. (DB)