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I'll cast my vote with yours!

There are many reasons to persuade that adaptation in the language,  
to the extent we can, but the most pragmantic reason to me is that  
Museums and Centers demand different behaviors of their audiences,  
and the confusion of terms does a diservice to the public's  
expectations.  The most historically significant reason is the  
identity crisis true American museums are suffering as they define  
their missions.  Significant institutional collections have been moth  
balled to make way for fair-style crowd-pleasers.

Science center history can be traced back to the 19th Century Barnum- 
style "Museum" attractions, as well as the World's Fair exhibitions,  
but they are certainly a different and new species.  They deserve  
their own designation as a matter of respect.

All that being said, there are dozens of Science Centers with the  
word Museum in their names, and lobbying Congress to legislate more  
precision in the names of these institutions seems like a lost cost.

I disagree, however with the assessment that America lacks museums, a  
museum being deifined as an organized collection.  The U.S.A. is a  
country packed full of crazy collectors.  I'd wager there are museums  
tucked in rooms in multiple homes on every block in the nation.

I look forward to information about your paper!

Sorry my email got a little long, there.  I've been thinking a lot  
about this stuff lately, too.

--Jason


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JasonJayStevens
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On Jun 22, 2007, at 11:59 PM, Julia Berger wrote:

> ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology  
> Centers
> Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related  
> institutions.
> ********************************************************************** 
> *******
>
> I did catch that quote from Dr. Watson, and it did make me think.   
> I just finished up a large paper (details forthcoming) and I  
> finally decided to
> commit to "science center" rather than "science museum".  I've been  
> struggling to decide on this for some time (basically any time I  
> open my mouth),
> and I will agree, the US does not have so many science "museums",  
> and even fewer prominent ones.  That is, a bunch of collections  
> housed in glass cases.  The article in question highlights a  
> personal collection of medical effluvia - a museum "collection" if  
> you will.
>
> Our many excellent science "centers" are dynamic places where glass  
> cases are few and far between, and that's okay by me.
>
> Problem is, I bet most people reading that article don't stop to  
> make these types of distinctions.
>
> Here's one for a Starbucks cup:
>
> "Science museum vs. Science center - discuss."
>
> -Julia
>
> fresh M.Ed. who is in-between stuff
> University of Washington
> Bay Area Science Centers
>
> ********************************************************************** 
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