Proceedings 2003

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2005-01-01Teil eines Periodikums
Proceedings of the Third Conference of the International Committee for University Museums and Collections (UMAC) - Norman, Oklahoma, USA, September 21-26,2003
(International Committee for University Museums and Collections (UMAC)) Stanbury, Peter; Edson, Gary; Diamond, Judy; Spiegel, Amy; Meier, Debra; Disbrow, Sarah; Harris, Amy; Hutterer, Karl L.; Janiszewski, Leonard; Alexakis, Effy
2005-01-01Zeitschriftenartikel
University museums and formative experiences in natural history
Simpson, Andrew
Many people who develop a passion for natural histoiy report formative experiences from their youth while exploring creeks and woodlands in their local area. With the advent of the internet and increased urbanization in the western world, these opportunities now often are lost to the current generation of young people because of the pressure of alternative leisure activities and reduced geographic availability. University science museums can have a role in fostering formative experiences by building elements of experiential learning into education programs for young visitors. This is particularly relevant to universities in a suburban or "green belt" location that preserve remnants of the original environment. These programs also instill positive attitudes toward increasingly important issues, such as biodiversity and ecological sustainability. Some of the education programs from Macquarie University's Earth Science and Biology Museums are outlined in this context.
2005-01-01Zeitschriftenartikel
The Ghent University Zoology Museum
Verschelde, Dominick
Modern society is characterized by wide ranging ideas on many different topics. This can be reflected in the manner university governments treat their university museums. At the University of Ghent Zoology Museum, we aim to provide the most diverse range of exhibitions and events possible for a non-university public, thus involving the community with our museum. This, in combination with collaborative exhibits with other institutions, means that our University government can no longer ignore us. This is an important benchmark, and as a result, the Ghent University administration is starting to develop our own University Museum Policy.
2005-01-01Zeitschriftenartikel
Going the distance
Moldenhauer, Susan
As the only four-year academic institution in the geographically large and rural state of Wyoming (WY), the University of Wyoming Art Museum (UWAM) was challenged to create meaningful access to the museum and ist collection statewide. Launched in 1982, the Ann Simpson Artmobile Program (Artmobile) is a vital outreach component of the UWAM and the University of Wyoming (UW). In this paper, I will discuss how the program is organized and funded as well as recent enhancements that are effectively addressing K-12 curricular support, community access and promotion for the UWAM and UW. I also will indicate how this program may serve as an example or model for other institutions in North America or elsewhere that wish to provide outreach to rural and distant communities.
2005-01-01Zeitschriftenartikel
Unlocking the legacy of Alberta's Natural Science collections
Sperling, Felix; Andrews, Janine; Mulligan, Roisin
Alberta's natural science collections face fundamental challenges that are part of much larger issues beyond museums and collections. University collections can thrive in the midst of these challenges by focusing on a simple theme: unlocking the legacy of our collections. This paper describes our dreams, our strategies and our progress in unlocking that legacy by building a distributed computer network that provides access to information about natural science collections objects in the province of Alberta. Knowledge summaries that act as intellectual roadmaps enhance access to basic specimen databases. A vital community of collections users energizes the network. Our aim is to build a virtual facility, for all public natural science collections in Alberta, that nurtures a dynamic, sustainable and mutually supportive balance among objects, ideas and people at multiple levels.
2005-01-01Zeitschriftenartikel
How to develop an unrecognized scientific heritage
Loneux, Michele
This paper presents the nature and value of the zoological collections conserved in the University of Liege zoological museum.1 The "hidden" collections comprise the scientific heritage of former and even famous researchers (e.g., Edouard Van Beneden and his students) ignored by most University of Liege researchers and administrators, and thus little utilized. Since World War II and the development of official public opening, researchers have not considered the museum to be the central place to preserve their study material and specimens. Collection management in the past twelve years has been oriented toward scientific development of the collections. This has led to the creation of computerized databases of collection holdings, a museum web site, collection care workshops for volunteers, thematic exhibitions, publications and participation in conferences with increasing attendance. Despite the accomplishments and successes of these volunteer activities, the University appears to care little about scientific development, instead favoring the collection's didactic value and public engagement. The museum and the aquarium actually are merged and collection management of both is the responsibility of the aquarium curator. The total activities, accomplishments and efforts needed to preserve the collections are not considered important enough to justify a separate museum curator. Therefore, the future of the "hidden" scientific collections remains uncertain.
2005-01-01Zeitschriftenartikel
University collections as a tool for teaching multimedia literacy
Weber, Cornelia
The rapidly growing use of digital media demands adequate multimedia and information technology skills. Students without sufficient media literacy are in need of further training. University collections provide a setting particularly suited to teach these much needed skills. There, students can take advantage of the many opportunities to gain skills in various techniques (digital photography, web sites and databases, for example). Such projects are real-life situations of long-lasting value. University collections profit from the fresh ideas and appealing web sites created by the students. Finally, students develop a genuine understanding and interest in the collections.
2005-01-01Zeitschriftenartikel
Teaching from objects and classics in a college art gallery
Rothermel, Barbara
The Daura Gallery exists to support the mission of Lynchburg College by being a resource for teaching through the collection, care, interpretation and exhibition of works of art. This paper examines the Lynchburg College undergraduate museum studies program, which combines teaching from the objects in the Daura Gallery collection with the Lynchburg College Symposium Readings, Classical Selections on Great Issues (LCSR). This innovative program connects ideas and objects, and develops critical thinking skills through readings by such diverse authors as Thorstein Veblen, Leo Tolstoy, Chief Joseph and Elie Wiesel. These readings foster discussion of the theory and practice of museum education, exhibitions and programming; ethical standards for museums; issues of sensationalism and pornography; government support of the arts and humanities; the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act; the repatriation of Holocaust-era assets; and other current legal and ethical issues.
2005-01-01Zeitschriftenartikel
Museums as a mirror of society
Clercq, Steven de
Following the Darwinian approach, which describes a form in nature as the functional adaptation to its environment at a given time, I will explore the development of museums and collections of science as an expression of their function in historical and social context. This approach allows us to establish a classification of scientific museums where features like owner, user, role and use of the object and its social, cultural and intellectual environment act as discriminating factors. This approach may stimulate discussion about how a museum of science could develop to remain attuned to the characteristics and demands of its specific environment, and hence prove to be viable.
2005-01-01Zeitschriftenartikel
Museum exhibitions and the consecrated object
Silva, Mauricio Candido da
The purpose of this paper is to present some ideas on museum exhibitions and aspects of significance of the museum object. It aims at understanding the changes in meaning intrinsic to a museum object—the different meanings resulting from museological processes in its institutional life. The object selected for this study was an archaeological vestige, a human skull called Miss Sambaqui, belonging to the collection of the Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology of the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil. This research tested the proposition that when the same museological object is submitted to various exhibitions that belong to different kinds of scientific museum collections they reveal fresh, new values about the object.
2005-01-01Zeitschriftenartikel
Seize the day!
Blondheim, Frannie; Andrews, Janine
University museums and collections exist within a changing academic culture where a "seize the day" attitude prevails, where actions are required to be revolutionary and where strategic alliances still promise to make institutions and programs more viable. Building connections with broader communities is now seen as influential and often essential to the academic mission. With museums worldwide, community engagement strategies need to be developed and honed to work within this new culture. Our challenge, as university museum people, is to develop strategies that will position us as leaders to help shape the university's vision by working collaboratively within the changing culture. Using a framework that outlines the changing continuum of university culture proposed by Hanna (2003), this paper describes how the University of Alberta's museum system is working within and around the University system to develop projects and programs that strengthen the University museum system while contributing to the strategic direction of the University.
2005-01-01Zeitschriftenartikel
UMAC worldwide database
Weber, Cornelia; Lourenço, Marta
A web-based database has been developed in support of UMAC's mission. The database aims at providing a global directory of university museums and collections to be used by UMAC, researchers, students and the general public worldwide. The advantage of the system is that museum professionals from all over the world are able to enter data and keep it up to date. At present, the database can be browsed by geographical index, type or subject. An additional "Search" allows a fall-text search. Further development of the database is planned.
2005-01-01Zeitschriftenartikel
Linking museums and libraries
Gorman, Joshua M.
Access to information about museum collections is especially important in university museums because of the academic nature of their missions. This paper proposes the use of a ubiquitous tool to provide an additional access point to information about museum collections: the Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH). Integrating museum objects with the library's monograph collections gives users access to great amounts of potentially relevant information. I have examined a case study conducted at the Spurlock Museum at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, in which LCSH were attached to object records in the museum's database. It was found that LCSH were not efficient tools for the project, therefore, I have examined the possibility of a new tool to do the same work: the LC Class Web.
2005-01-01Zeitschriftenartikel
Distant lives & digital surrogates
Walsh, Robin
Innovation, outreach and collaboration in university museums can take many forms. In recent years, virtual access through web sites and electronic publishing has helped to transform university museums into dynamic spaces for teaching, research and community outreach. The Lachlan Macquarie Room, located inside Macquarie University Library in Sydney, is a unique heritage museum containing the original timber panelling and fittings from the Scotland home of the University's namesake, Lachlan Macquarie. Since 1995, public use and awareness of The Lachlan Macquarie Room, and its related display items, has been expanded through the development of dedicated web sites, public exhibitions and seminars examining the life and times of Lachlan Macquarie in Britain, North America, Asia, the Middle East and Australia. This paper examines how curatorial staff at Macquarie University are exploiting web-based technologies to provide 24-hour access to the museum and describes the initiatives under development to establish national and international research partnerships to promote the history of this unique historical collection.
2005-01-01Zeitschriftenartikel
The spirit crying for meaning
Hill, Kirri; Davis, Rhonda
"Central Street Live" was an innovative research-based exhibition in a campus gallery that was made possible through linking the working principles that govern Macquarie University in its core areas of business: Research, Teaching and Learning and Community Outreach. These connections enabled the project to develop a creative approach to the research and presentation of the overall project. As a result, the project allowed the State Art Gallery to identify and supplement a lacuna in their existing collection of Australian Art. This paper presents the development phases of a research-based exhibition. It shows that a University environment was necessary to complete and implement this research.
2005-01-01Zeitschriftenartikel
"In their own image: Greek-Australians" NationalProject
Alexakis, Effy; Janiszewski, Leonard
"In Their Own Image: Greek-Australians" National Project was established 21 years ago by photographer Effy Alexakis and historian Leonard Janiszewski. We are researching and documenting the Greek-Australian historical and contemporary presence both nationally and internationally—resulting in books, research articles, multimedia displays, successful international touring exhibitions and a documentary for television. In 2001, the proj ect became an associate of the Australian History Museum at Macquarie University. We provide lectures, photographic exhibitions and workshops both within the University and as an outreach activity, as well as maintain our ongoing research. That the Australian History Museum has incorporated our project within the University is both unique and significant. Projects dealing with ethnic groups have tended to be marginalized, but our current situation facilitates the mainstreaming of such research and recognition of the cultural and ethnic diversity and hybridism of Australia's past. The project acts as a conduit between the Museum, the University and Greek-Australians, and engages the broader community through the activities arising from the research relationship. Our current research project, '"American Beauties' at the Niagara Cafe," which will result in the production of a major book and touring exhibition, provides an excellent example of how such a relationship can provide previously untapped documentation and material to university museums and collections.
2005-01-01Zeitschriftenartikel
University museums and collections of natural history
Hutterer, Karl L.
Natural history museums and collections at American universities have been in decline for the past 30 years, due in part to increasing constraints on the financial support framework and the perception that natural history museums may be no longer central to the mission of universities. This paper disputes the validity of this assumption and suggests strategies for strengthening the position of natural history museums within the academic structure.
2005-01-01Zeitschriftenartikel
Explore evolution at the University of MichiganExhibit Museum of Natural History
Harris, Amy
The Exhibit Museum of Natural History at the University of Michigan is one of six partner museums in the NSFfunded Explore Evolution project. Participating museums will tailor their involvement in different ways to achieve various institutional goals. This article is a short discussion of the Exhibit Museum's plans to use the Explore Evolution exhibits to enhance visitor understanding in its largest exhibit hall, as well as to supplement the new exhibits with related displays on University of Michigan research.
2005-01-01Zeitschriftenartikel
Virus and the whale: exploring evolution in amuseum collaboration
Spiegel, Amy; Meier, Debra; Diamond, Judy; Disbrow, Sarah
A major new collaboration of museums in the U.S. will teach the public about current research in evolutionary biology. This project, entitled Explore Evolution, combines the strength of interactive exhibits, Web activities and outreach programs for youth to feature seven influential research projects on organisms ranging in size from the smallest, Hiy to the largest, a whale. Launched in 2003 and funded by the Informal Science Education Program of the National Science Foundation (NSF), Explore Evolution is one of the most comprehensive informal education projects in the U.S. to focus on teaching about evolution research
2005-01-01Zeitschriftenartikel
ICOM and UMAC: a joint venture
Edson, Gary

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