This book addresses the important question: what is the purpose of museum collections? The role of the museum has changed from object- and collections-centred to audience centred. Yet most people are unaware that museum collections even exist, so how can they be justified?
Image: I saw this poster in a London street one day (quotation from Proust); it seemed to encapsulate the museum predicament.
Fragments of the World examines this issue, drawing on clearly explained cultural theory. It explores the use of collections for research, learning, memory and identity, creativity and enjoyment, and discusses the various aspects of cultural value. Examples of these uses are drawn from around the world.
Contents
1 Introduction
Poem: The Pitt-Rivers Museum, Oxford, by James Fenton
2 Museums
3 Collections
4 Collections for research
5 Collections for ongoing learning
Poem: Place du Jeu de Balle, Brussels, by John Fuller
6 Collections, memory and identity
7 Collections and creativity
Poem: Beowulf - the treasure and the dragon, translation by Howell J. Pickering, Jr.
8 Collections for enjoyment
9 Collections and digitization
10 Collections and values
Poem: Poetry, by Saadi Youssef
11 Piecing together the fragments
