MUSE 6890 - Managing Museum Collections and Interpretation

Credits: 3
Museums have long played a vital role in the preservation of invaluable physical artifacts, manuscripts, books and documents. Perhaps most importantly, museums have also served as an accessible gateway for the public to explore and learn about history and culture. This course examines the different types of institutions that collect, preserve and exhibit objects. It explains how cultural institutions differ from one another and discusses the ways certain groups have been systematically left out or mis-portrayed by institutions throughout history. This course examines the theory and practice of museum collections planning, preservation, interpretation and development. Particular focus will include topics related to collection policy and management, physical care and preservation of museum collections, interpretation, exhibit design and planning, and educational outreach.