ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
*****************************************************************************

Working at a science centre with Jim Watson as patron, I think I'm safe in
saying that the quote from the NY Times is exactly the sort of controversial
thing he likes to say (particularly if it can flatter one audience over
another).  I think his is a minority view (of one?) of the US science museum
world.  In the UK the distinctions between the exhibitions and programmes
offered by science centres and science museums are shrinking (particularly
when people like me introduce objects into science centre exhibitions).
However, for us there is a critical distinction between the two on the issue
of funding.  Museums, as keepers of collections, receive government funding
(national or local, depending on their size and location) whereas in England
there is no state funding for science centres and no equivalent of NSF.
There's currently a parliamentary enquiry into this, so we might see an
improvement one day.

 

Regards

 

Andy

 

Centre for Life, UK  

 

 

 

 


***********************************************************************
For information about the Association of Science-Technology Centers and the Informal Science Education Network please visit www.astc.org.

Check out the latest case studies and reviews on ExhibitFiles at www.exhibitfiles.org.

The ISEN-ASTC-L email list is powered by LISTSERVR software from L-Soft. To learn more, visit
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html.

To remove your e-mail address from the ISEN-ASTC-L list, send the
message  SIGNOFF ISEN-ASTC-L in the BODY of a message to
[log in to unmask]