Museum Practice - by Conal McCarthy (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

MUSEUM PR ACTICE Edited by CONAL MCCARTHY

Museum Practice covers the professional work carried out in museums and art galleries of all types, including the core functions of management, collections, exhibitions, and programs. Some forms of museum practice are familiar to visitors, yet within these diverse and complex institutions many practices are hidden from view, such as creating marketing campaigns, curating and designing exhibitions, developing fundraising and sponsorship plans, crafting mission statements, handling repatriation claims, dealing with digital media, and more.

Focused on what actually occurs in everyday museum work, this volume offers contributions from experienced professionals and academics that cover a wide range of subjects including policy frameworks, ethical guidelines, approaches to conservation, collection care and management, exhibition development and public programs. From internal processes such as leadership, governance and strategic planning, to public facing roles in interpretation, visitor research and community engagement and learning, each essential component of contemporary museum practice is thoroughly discussed.

From the Back Cover

MUSEUM PR ACTICE
Edited by CONAL MCCARTHY

Museum Practice covers the professional work carried out in museums and art galleries of all types, including the core functions of management, collections, exhibitions, and programs. Some forms of museum practice are familiar to visitors, yet within these diverse and complex institutions many practices are hidden from view, such as creating marketing campaigns, curating and designing exhibitions, developing fundraising and sponsorship plans, crafting mission statements, handling repatriation claims, dealing with digital media, and more.

Focused on what actually occurs in everyday museum work, this volume offers contributions from experienced professionals and academics that cover a wide range of subjects including policy frameworks, ethical guidelines, approaches to conservation, collection care and management, exhibition development and public programs. From internal processes such as leadership, governance and strategic planning, to public facing roles in interpretation, visitor research and community engagement and learning, each essential component of contemporary museum practice is thoroughly discussed.

THE INTERNATIONAL HANDBOOKS OF MUSEUM STUDIES

General Editors: Sharon Macdonald and Helen Rees Leahy

The International Handbooks of Museum Studies is a multi-volume reference work that represents a state-of-the- art survey of the burgeoning field of museum studies. Featuring original essays by leading international museum experts and emerging scholars, readings cover all aspects of museum theory, practice, debates, and the impact of technologies. The four volumes in the series, divided thematically, offer in-depth treatment of all major issues relating to museum theory; historical and contemporary museum practice; mediations in art, design, and architecture; and the transformations and challenges confronting the museum. In addition to invaluable surveys of current scholarship, the entries include a rich and diverse panoply of examples and original case studies to illuminate the various perspectives. Unprecedented for its in-depth topic coverage and breadth of scholarship, the multi-volume International Handbooks of Museum Studies is an indispensable resource for the study of the development, roles, and significance of museums in contemporary society.

SHARON MACDONALD is Professor of Social Anthropology in the Institute of European Ethnology, Humboldt-Üniversität zu Berlin, where she also directs the CARMAH, the Centre for Anthropological Research on Museums and Heritage.

HELEN REES LEAHY is Professor Emerita of the University of Manchester, where she was Director of the Centre for Museology from 2002-2017.

About the Author

CONAL McCARTHY is Professor and Director of the Museum and Heritage Studies program at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. Conal has worked in galleries and museums in a variety of professional roles, sits on the boards and advisory groups of a number of institutions, and has published widely on museum practice.