Addresses concerns of museum informatics as an application domain and calls for new methods in information science as a whole. Topics include the design of museum spaces; information retrieval methods; multimedia integration; social interaction and the World Wide Web; tools of virtuality; and technology and the Americans with Disabilities Act.…

Identifies misconceptions concerning the effect of gravity on planetary motion and attempts to foster conceptual change through the hands-on, informal environment of a science museum. (Author/CCM)

Serves as a starting point for discussions that intend to define the mechanisms and rationales for the inclusion of the history of science in the science curriculum. Initiates dialog between the producers and consumers of these learning opportunities. (DDR)

Operating under the umbrella of the Santa Barbara County Education Office, the Beyond Tolerance Educational Center serves as a resource for educators. It provides county schools with information and programs that promote social awareness and tolerance while teaching kids the dangers of hatred and discrimination. (MLH)

The Canadian Canoe Museum evokes the essence of canoe with outdoor sound effects and galleries that trace the history of canoes, honor Native arts and crafts, and present current recreational uses of canoes. Experiential educational programs include core programs keyed to curriculum expectations and related optional experiences including basketry,…

Studies how visitors use mechanical interactive exhibits: how they respond to interactive controls, problems encountered, and how museums can best solve those problems through redesign of controls and exhibits. Problems are described under the following headings: (1) Visitors' Understanding of Exhibits; (2) Design of Interface Controls; (3)…

Reviews the results of an in-depth investigation of research on learning in children's museum settings. Focuses on how young children aged 4 and 5 engage with exhibits and how this might lead to learning. The investigation yielded not-very-surprising findings and some coding categories that may be useful to museum researchers and designers. (PVD)

This narrative describes the author's visit to Washington DC to attend the opening of the National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI). As a member of the Chickasaw, the author pondered what he would find in the museum that would represent the Chickasaw Nation. Would the museum reflect his people in all their diversity? Would he see something of…

This personal narrative relates the author's conflict regarding whether or not to attend the celebration of the grand opening of the National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI). Being a pro-independence Native Hawaiian in Washington DC, where usually only state-sponsored Hawaiians speak about the political struggle for decolonization, the author…

In this personal narrative, the author shares her experiences in Washington DC while attending the opening of the National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI), and describes the events of the day as a life changing experience. She describes the mood surrounding the opening ceremonies as one of celebration. Never had so many people representing so…

The last decade has brought considerable progress in our understanding of how institutions like museums affect people's lives. However, there is still a great deal we do not know, and the research challenges ahead sometimes appear quite daunting. In this paper, we suggest that three characteristics of learning, its personal nature, that it is…

What do Washington, DC, Fredericksburg, VA, and Charleston, SC, have in common?--Each city will, in the next three to five years, become home to a major African American museum site. This article evaluates the pros and cons of this plan, providing insight from those working most closely on the project. It is divided into the following sections:…

Describes efforts by the Newberry Library (Chicago) to obtain original source materials for studying the literature and history of western Europe from the Middle Ages to the eighteenth century. Discusses joint acquisitions with higher education institutions; acquisition of rare book collections from religious colleges and seminaries; and…

An innovative collaboration between the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge and the University of Cambridge Faculty of Education encourages new questions to be asked of ancient objects. In the museum galleries children work directly from ancient Egyptian objects through activities designed to encourage questioning that unpicks the technologies of the…

This article reports one part of a project that examined collaborations among public institutions providing informal lifelong learning opportunities to children and adults in the United States. It presents the results of a survey of chief executive officers and staff of public libraries, museums, public television stations, and public radio…