Museum publishing : purpose, management and evaluation in small history museums in the San Francisco/Bay Area : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Museum Studies at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
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Date
2006
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Massey University
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Abstract
This thesis studies the purpose, management and evaluation of publishing by small historical societies. In considering these issues three key research questions were posed. What are museums publishing? Why are they publishing? How can publishing and publications be assessed? Answers were sought by undertaking a literature review of museum publishing to situate the publishing activity of small historical societies within that of the wider museum community, interviewing the staff of two small historical societies in San Francisco about the realities of publishing, conducting a content analysis of a selection of their resulting publications, and using evaluation techniques to elicit the views of readers. As a result the prevalence of newsletters and journals or magazines is apparent for small history museums, while books were a more prominent feature for larger history museums. The roles of the publications were also identified. Publications contribute to the museum's mission and goals. They record and announce museum activities and influence the museum's professional and public profile. The thesis also shows how publications reflect the museum's nature and priorities. Publications can therefore be an excellent way of evaluating the history museum and its interpretation of the past. The thesis argues that successful publications have clear and specific goals and that their form and content match these goals, the museum's mission and the needs of readers. To achieve this it is suggested museums must carefully plan and evaluate their publications at a number of junctures using a range of methodologies that consider the desired image, the values portrayed, and the history to be presented. The methodologies used suggest themselves as pragmatic and useful tools that small museums can now use to evaluate and improve existing publications and ensure new ventures are purposeful, intellectually robust and more likely to meet their goals.
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Supplementary material held on disk held in the library
Keywords
Pioneer (San Francisco, Calif.), California -- San Francisco Bay Area, Museum publications, Historical museums, Society of California Pioneers, San Francisco Museum and Historical Society -- Publishing, Publishing