Museums Matter

November 9, 2015

Going to work every day, it’s easy to forget exactly where you work. After all, it’s just your job, and a job’s a job. But every now and then, you have to take a look around and be amazed at the wonderful place where you work. You work in a museum! How great is that?

Museums are special places. They are the keepers of culture and history, where people are given the opportunity to tour both the unique and the mundane. Museums allow us to better understand what’s gone before and what’s going on now. It doesn’t matter if you work at the Smithsonian or the World’s Smallest Museum in Superior, Arizona (It’s 134 square feet). Museums make a real difference in the lives of the people who visit and the communities they serve.

The American Alliance of Museums website has a list of museum facts. According to their list there are more than 850 million visitors every year to America museums. That’s more than all the attendance for major-league sports and theme parks combined. And don’t forget the other half a billion online visits to museums.

The AAM website also points out… ” Museums also provide many social services, including programs for children on the autism spectrum, English as a Second Language classes and programs for older adults with Alzheimer’s or other cognitive impairments. Some museums also facilitate job training programs, provide vegetable gardens for low- income communities and serve as locations for supervised visits through the family court system.” Clearly, museums are more than a stodgy place to go see some old, dusty paintings. Museums are vibrant and dynamic.

The AAM website reminds us that Business Week looks at the density of museums in determining its list of America’s Best Cities. In a recent article in Britain’s Telegraph you can view a slideshow of future museums being built around the world. Every one of these spectacular buildings endeavors to be more than just a repository of art and history. These buildings are events unto themselves, where visitors are thrust into unique environments that will be forever burned into their memories. As you look at these great new museums, you can’t help but wonder what their stores will look like.
Will they be content to simply sell books, posters, and knickknacks. Or will they work to mirror the experience that there museums provide to their guests?

When you look at the numbers it’s easy to see why museums have such an amazing impact. According to AAMe, museums employ more than 400,000 Americans and bring more than $21 billion to the U.S. economy every year. And you might be surprised to learn that 26% of museums are located in what’s considered rural areas. Everywhere museums are located, they have a positive ripple effect on the surrounding areas.
Museum stores are a vital part of the museum culture and experience. They help extend the visitor’s experience well beyond their doors. With every purchase in the museum shop, they are able to bring that experience home or to share it with a friend. The stores also increase the financial stability and viability of the institutions they inhabit. Some stores contribute as much as a third of the annual income.

The next time you go to work, take pride in the amazing difference that you and your team can make, not only within the boundaries of your store, but in your community and your city. While museums may be a repository of the past, they are at the cutting edge of our future.

Jama Rice is the Executive Director and CEO of MSA