Museums are public places where objects, images and memories are kept and shared. They exist in infinite variety and contradiction. They can be places of great excitement and great boredom, sharply insightful and hopelessly bland. Museums are anything that the political climate and the imagination allows them to be. No two museums are the same. The papers which make up this volume give ample evidence of the variety of views that exist about museums. They also demonstrate that museums and museum professionals are moving forward with energy and conviction. This volume will be invaluable to students and museum professionals and will provoke them to consider museum provision and professionalism in all their forms.

Museums are public places where objects, images and memories are kept and shared. They exist in infinite variety and contradiction. They can be places of great excitement and great boredom, sharply insightful and hopelessly bland. Museums are anything that the political climate and the imagination allows them to be. No two museums are the same. The papers which make up this volume give ample evidence of the variety of views that exist about museums. They also demonstrate that museums and museum professionals are moving forward with energy and conviction. This volume will be invaluable to students and museum professionals and will provoke them to consider museum provision and professionalism in all their forms.

This special issue of The Translator explores the field with a view to learning from the individuals and networks who take on such 'non-professional' translation and interpreting activities. It showcases the work of researchers who look into the phenomenon within a wide variety of settings: from museums to churches, crowdsourcing and media sites to Wikipedia, and scientific journals to the Social Forum. Drawing on a wide range of disciplines and models, the contributions to this volume enhance the visibility of non-professionals engaged in translating and interpreting and challenge a range of widely-held assumptions within the discipline and the profession.

The Encyclopedia of Library and Information Sciences, comprising of seven volumes, now in its fourth edition, compiles the contributions of major researchers and practitioners and explores the cultural institutions of more than 30 countries. This major reference presents over 550 entries extensively reviewed for accuracy in seven print volumes or online. The new fourth edition, which includes 55 new entires and 60 revised entries, continues to reflect the growing convergence among the disciplines that influence information and the cultural record, with coverage of the latest topics as well as classic articles of historical and theoretical importance.

This is the first book to examine, in depth, the multi-million pound redisplay and reinterpretation process in British museums in the early twenty-first century. Acknowledging the importance of the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) as project catalyst, Hannah Paddon explains and explores the complex process, from the initial stages of project conceptualisation to the final stages of museum re-opening and exhibition evaluation. She also provides an in-depth look, using three case study museums, at the factors which shape each museum redisplay project including topics such as museum architecture, government agendas and the exhibition team. Finally, the book offers discussions and conclusions around pitfalls and successes and thoughts about the future of collection redisplay.

What is the relationship today between museums, galleries and learning? The Responsive Museum interrogates the thinking, policies and practices that underpin the educational role of the museum. It unravels the complex relationship of museums with their publics, and discusses today's challenges and the debates that have resulted. The highly experienced team of writers, including museum educators and directors, share their different experiences and views, and review recent research and examples of best practice. They analyse the implications of audience development and broadening public access, particularly in relation to special groups, minority communities and disabled people, and for individual self-development and different learning styles; they explore issues of public accountability and funding; discuss the merits of different evaluation tools and methodologies for measuring audience impact and needs; and assess the role of architects, designers and artists in shaping the visitor experience. The latter part of this book reviews practical management and staffing issues, and training and skills needs for the future. This book is for students, museum staff, especially those involved in education and interpretation, and senior management and policy-makers. This is a much-needed review of the relationship between museums and galleries and their users. It also offers a wealth of information and expertise to guide future strategy and practice.

Collecting together a group of talented writers, Museum, Media, Message considers, in depth, the most up-to-date approaches to museum communication including: museums as media; museums and audience; and the evaluation of museums. Addressing the need for museums to develop better knowledge of visitor experience, this volume introduces a broad range of issues, and presents the ultimate how, why and who of museum communication. Museum, Media, Message combines philosophical discussion, practical examples and case studies and examines museum communication in three sections: analyzing how museums and galleries construct and transmit complex systems of value through processes of collection and exhibition raising philosophical and management issues and exploration of work with specific audiences introducing methods for studying the audiences’ experiences of communication events in museums. Perfect for people who want to develop a more critical and informed professional museum practice, and for students looking to enhance their skills of analysis and reflection, this book is of value to anyone interested in the current debates and issues of this new and growing field.