The educational activities of the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, Illinois are described. (CP)

Discusses a special multicultural program, offered in a twelfth grade visual arts class which allowed Canadian students to learn about the pre-Columbian world of Mexico, and Central and South America . Through the study of pottery, students learned about the pre-Columbian cultures and created their own works which were displayed in a museum. (GEA)

Discusses the qualities that educators need to function effectively in a range of child care settings (multiple settings) such as traditional schools, shopping malls, industrial establishments and museums. Decision-making skills, sensitive communicative skills, interest in continuing to learn, and questioning of practice are among the qualities…

Historical background concerning the nature and function of museums is provided, and the aesthetic functions of museums are discussed. The first major aesthetic function of museums is to preserve the artistic heritage of mankind and to make it widely available. The second major function is patronage. (RM)

Growth in audiences and collections cannot mask the directionless drift of the American museum as it is buffeted by the moods and fashions of the moment in art, politics, and entertainment. The museum's current problems are examined. Museums must recover a historical sense of their social role in America. (RM)

A two-week summer institute for non-art teachers sponsored by the Philadelphia Museum of Art is described. Participants learned about the visual arts in order to enhance the teaching of subjects other than art. Teachers had to develop a classroom project that would demonstrate what they had learned at the institute. (RM)

This history of the Library of the Deutsches Museum (Munich, Germany) covers the library's situation at end of the nineteenth century, library collections and buildings, use of the library for research, the rare book collection, and service statistics. Library director, collection and staff size, and main subjects collected are included. (EJS)

Consists of an analysis of the data obtained in a recent survey of the libraries of 26 less known museums which emphasize some aspect of science and technology. Data discussed include staff size, collection size, subject specialties, interlibrary loan participation, online search activity, and memberships in consortia or networks. (Author/EJS)

Over the past 10 years, a handful of museums and school districts have joined forces to create an innovation that blends formal and informal learning, the museum school. As yet, there is no commonly accepted definition of the term, but such schools can be described as partnerships that create a curriculum that embeds the district-mandated learning…

Researchers examined two independent museum education studies conducted at the same large science center in Toronto, Canada, and considered the implications of both studies for museum education. Study "A" explored museum development practice and its relation to casual visitor understandings of key concepts. Study "B" engaged…

This exhibit was developed through an interactive display against a traditional phenomenological approach. The research report addressed in this paper focuses on informal science learning and points out the need for analyzing the large-scale data gatherings of museums and their visitors. The paper addresses the methodology involved in…

This manual was designed to assist museums in becoming accessible to all individuals, including people with disabilities, in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act 1990 (ADA). Following an introduction that addresses museum attendance, accessibility, universal design, and different types of disabilities, chapter 1, "ADA Basics…

This paper describes a realization approach to evaluate the best fitting service provider in the context of "The Digital Beethoven House" pilot project, involving the digitizing of a composer-referred collection of colored manuscripts and other sources at the Beethoven House Association (Germany). Practical hints for museums are provided…

In this selection of papers from the conference, authors from 10 of the more than 35 countries and every continent (except Antarctica) provide discussions covering all levels of museum Web design. They brought a wide variety of experiences and backgrounds to the conference, all of which ensured new perspectives and new ideas. The meetings opened…

The most ubiquitous of contemporary interactive multimedia (IMM), the Internet, is making steady progress as an interpretive tool within museums.However, its major impact is being felt beyond museum walls. As an outreach agent, the Internet has captivated many museums and particularly their educators. As a communication medium, the Internet allows…