About sense of existing of a small museum in a small town

 

Changes that have place in contemporary museum world, either in large western-europe museums or small, regional museums clearly indicate the way of development of this type of institutions in Poland. It is natural tendency that museum are considered as a place-monument or place-gallery, not especially interested in developing of cultural offer.

 

You should have it in mind that (for a typical visitor, who doesn’t have direct contact with this type of institutions) a museum still remains as a preservative place, which exists for itself and has a conservative approach to a visitor. The main aim for a museum is not only to change it’s own strategy, but also a change of consciousness of town’s inhabitants, which most of them doesn’t even know there’s a museum in their town. An old conception based on stereotype „museum’s sacra space is foreign to visitors”, in which museum exists despite external factors (without any external stimuli) should be forgotten and replaced by some new conception, more open and modern one.

 

A change of strategical aims that museum has to encounter, are coming down to consider this place as a common place, available for all and very interesting source of direct knowledge, but also a source of joy and aesthetic impressions. It shouldn’t be overly directed to extending of event offer, because it’s a danger, which may cause that a museum may become a place like a cultural centre.

 

Multiplying tasks by two institutions (especially in one town) seem to be unjustified and in case of a museum – reprehensible. Museum should always (in terms of preparing of an offer) take into account first of all an educational-scientific factor, regardless of statistical consequences. Autoritativeness of actions (and their level at the same time) shouldn’t only be the statistical sources – in this case – a significant growth may indicate an overvaluation of an „easy” offer, that doesn’t demand any effort from a viewer and as an effect – it has nothing to do with museum’s main aims. While preparing an offer, there are two things that should’ve be taken into account – statistics (in terms of viewers) and educational influence as well.

 

This balance is noticeable for many years in Western Europe’s museums, which are paying attention to educational offer made for not only children and youth, but also for adults and even whole families. Educative service is sometimes an element of educational-scientific strategy involving various museum and cultural institutions to make a perfect, learning tools for visitors. The weight moves on to educational form of influence.

 

A range and structure of direct influence of a museum should be taken into account, because it should be reorganised – it should have been expanded with an educational aspect.

Substantive activity should come down to realisation of museum’s statutory aims, which precisely determine a hierarchy of museum’s activity. This hierarchy shouldn’t be overvaluated because a range of basic activity is basically gaining, devising and care for keeping collections – educational activity is an additional element. A new approach based on west-european experience, but on the other hand experience from 5 years of activity expressly show that there’s a need for connecting of main tasks with educational activity. It is not impossible, it is only about indication of a range of mutual influence. This manner of understanding tasks, which are facing contemporary museum institution indicate the new ways of working, as well as verification of museum’s offer so far.