Looking Reality in the Eye

Attempts to point the way towards a sustainable future for museums by examining institutions that have found creative ways to attain a socially responsive model for cultural resource management. This title features articles which act as the starting points for any discussion on what museums have been and what they should strive to be. The articles in this book are outstanding examples of socially responsible museum work, based on the premise that museums, galleries and science centres must move beyond education and entertainment to embrace socially relevant missions. Being a socially responsible museum means addressing issues of relevance to one's community, as well as identifying issues and challenges where a museum's expertise can make a positive difference. This book presents nine rich and diverse case studies of successful civic engagement, which are both practical and engaging. Looking Reality in the Eye provides new directions for assisting museums in achieving long-term sustainability within their communities, while at the same time providing a rich source of ideas on how this can be achieved. With Contributions By: Ruth J. Abram Stephen H. Baumann Beth Carter Gerald T. Conaty Joanne DiCosimo Michele Gallant Robert R. Janes Emlyn H. Koster Gillian Kydd Janet Pieschel Susan Pointe Glenn C. Sutter Paul Tapsell Douglas Worts