Author: National Research Center of the Arts

Publication Year: 1974

Media Type: Report

Summary:

[Museums USA: A Survey Report] is the first of its kind to be conducted in the of museums of all types - art, history, science, art/history, and other museums with combined subjects. It deals with more than 1,800 museums and covers every major aspect of operations; the purposes and functions of the institutions, programs, accessibility, attendance and admissions, collections and exhibitions, trustees, management and personnel, facilities, and finances.

Abstract:

[Museums USA: A Survey Report] is the first of its kind to be conducted in the of museums of all types - art, history, science, art/history, and other museums with combined subjects. It deals with more than 1,800 museums and covers every major aspect of operations; the purposes and functions of the institutions, programs, accessibility, attendance and admissions, collections and exhibitions, trustees, management and personnel, facilities, and finances.

[This report, Museums USA,] discusses all areas of museum operations covered by the survey. It analyzes the data collected and, where appropriate, relates the findings to assumptions about and opinions on the museum field from the viewpoint of both museum professionals and the general public. In addition, it specifies what was not elicited by the survey, makes some observations, and offers some suggestions for future efforts. (Introduction, p. 1)

CONTENTS
Introduction.

Chapter 1. The formation, characteristics and distribution of museums.

Includes:
     Classification and comparison of museums by four
     characteristics - type, budget size, governing authority, region.

Chapter 2. Purposes and functions of museums.

Includes: 
     Museum directors' evaluations of purposes and functions of  
     museums.
     Museum directors' selection of priority purposes and functions,
     compared with their assessment of the priorities of museum
     trustees and the public, and with their assessment of the
     purposes and functions most successfully satisfied by their
     museums.

Chapter 3. Programs.

Includes:
     Types and freqency of educational and cultural programs
     offered by museums.
     Increases or decreases in museum educational activities since
     1966.
     Staffing of programs.
     Joint programs with colleges and universities.
     Research and publications.

Chapter 4. Collections and exhibitions.

Includes: 
     Percentage of permanent collection exhibited.
     Special exhibitions.
     Traveling exhibitions.
     Loans of objects to storefront or community-based museums.
     Increases or decreases in the exchange of objects since 1966.
     Rental of objects.

Chapter 5. Accessibility and attendance.

Includes: 
     Size and composition of museum audiences.
     Amount of time museum facilities are open to the public.
     Admission policies.
     Membership policies.
     Efforts to increase attendance.

Chapter 6. Personnel.

Includes: 
     Distribution of full-time, part-time and volunteer personnel by
     job categories.
     Distribution of full-time, part-time and volunteer personnel by
     budget size, museum type and governing authority.
     Full-time personnel: characteristics and salary levels.
     Senior personnel: characteristics, work experience, education
     and salary levels.
     Directors: characteristics, work experience, education, salary
     levels, functions and responsibilities.
     Employee benefits and perquisites.
     Levels of minority employment in professional staff positions.
     Need for additional staff.
     Adequacy of staff training and salaries.
     Museum training programs.

Chapter 7. Trustees.

Includes: 
     Distribution, size and composition of museum boards of
     trustees.
     Reasons for and methods of selection of trustees.
     Length and number of terms served by trustees.
     Frequency of board meetings.
     Working relationship between the board and the director/staff.

Chapter 8. Facilities.

Includes: 
     Construction of primary and secondary structures and additions
     to and renovations of facilities.
     Ownership of buildings and space.
     Adequacy of exhibition and storage areas.
     Adequacy of and need for other facilities.
     Rental of facilities.

Chapter 9. Finances and budget.

Includes: 
     Museum finances, FY 1971-72.
     Income.
     Operating expenditures.
     Net income.
     Extraordinary expenditures.
     Current fund balances.
     Endowments and other funds.
     Financial status and income needs:
          Increase in operating costs and cutbacks in operations since
          1966.
          Distribution and adequacy of operating budgets.
          Long-term financial needs.
          Climate control, security and conservation.
          Outlook.

Chapter 10. Summary.

Appendix: Questionnaire.. Sampling procedures.
Index.

Arts & Intersections:

Categories: Cultural Facilities