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Thesis
Deaccessioning, values, and communications in current museum practice
Master of Science (M.S.), Drexel University
Dec 2011
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/etd-3905
Abstract
This Master's Thesis focuses on the topics of deaccessioning, communications, and the role of values in leadership in order to establish the interrelated nature of these three areas in current museum practice. It illustrates how the combined result of these factors might contribute to the overall future well being of the American art museum, and investigates bridges between the practices of collections management and the management of the communication of organizational values and identity in American art museums. The analysis presented herein marshals information from periodicals, industry blogs, museum policy literature, and individual museums' websites in addition to case studies and scholarly sources to lend greater context to this topic area. Following a review of the provisions and shortcomings of professional policies governing deaccessioning, a review of current literature on leadership theory illustrates the role of values in the governance of organizations. This discussion is supported by the identification of a general lack of explicitly articulated values, as evident in publicly accessible museum mission statements. The long-term results of this ambiguity are identified. Two brief deaccessioning case studies examining the National Academy Museum and the Indianapolis Museum of Art demonstrate the achievable benefits of an organizational culture wherein values are made a part of daily decision-making. The arguments presented in this paper are intended to begin a dialogue surrounding values and leadership within art museums, an examination of how their expression influences collections and deaccessioning policies and hopefully prompting individual research on the topic or ultimately leading to the planning of a leadership retreat or workshop.
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Details
- Title
- Deaccessioning, values, and communications in current museum practice
- Creators
- Genevieve Puleo - DU
- Contributors
- Cecelia Fitzgibbon (Advisor) - Drexel University (1970-)
- Awarding Institution
- Drexel University
- Degree Awarded
- Master of Science (M.S.)
- Publisher
- Drexel University; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Resource Type
- Thesis
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Arts Administration; Arts and Entertainment Enterprise; Drexel University; Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts and Design
- Other Identifier
- 3905; 991014632237204721