Promise of Cultural Institutions

David Carr speaks and writes as an advocate for critical thinking and reflective practice in libraries, museums, and other cultural institutions. As an inquirer, educator, and consultant, he has observed, spoken, and listened in many of the strongest and most thoughtful American cultural settings. His essays, articles and reviews have appeared in Museum News, Curator, Public Libraries, and in other journals and collections. Holding a B.A. from Drew University, M.A.s from Teachers College, Columbia University and Rutgers, and a Ph.D. from Rutgers, Carr has taught librarians and other educators for thirty-five years. He currently serves on the faculty of the School of Information and Library Science at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, where he teaches about reference tools, collection building, and the topics of these essays: information, culture, and the professional imagination.

In our professional literature, 'how to' books far outnumber 'why to' books. This is a 'why to' book. It reminds us why museums and libraries exist and what they have in common. It explores the power that redounds to both as places where knowledge and experience intersect. It calls upon us to expand our vision of the educational and life-enhancing potential that our institutions possess. And it articulates some key principles required to achieve that potential. . . . This is also a 'big picture' book. It is about recalling why we entered our professions and the obligation we have to support the learning of those we serve. This book reminds us that we support our users best by staying focused on the driving concepts of our work and not getting mired in its details. This book makes us understand that at the start of every day we need to remember that our primary task is not to complete the items on our daily agenda. Rather our primary task is to achieve the collective vision of our institutions, and their promise to enable learning.

• Part 1 Foreword by G. Rollie AdamsPart 2 Introduction: Promises and InstitutionsChapter 3 Chapter 1: A Museum is an Open Work I see the museum as I see the library...Chapter 4 Chapter 2: Museums, Educative An educative museum is a cognitive environment...Chapter 5 Chapter 3: In the Contexts of the Possible Great cultural institutions are incendiary...Chapter 6 Chapter 4: A Community Mind Invisible actions, unspoken connections...Chapter 7 Chapter 5: The Situation that Educates It is not the educator who educates...Chapter 8 Chapter 6: A Poetics of Questions What is it? What holds the thing in our minds?...Chapter 9 Chapter 7: Museums and Public Trust Our lives embody interpretations of trust...Chapter 10 Chapter 8: Crafted Truths The child's museum is not about objects...Chapter 11 Chapter 9: The Promise of Cultural Institutions This place we are in is new...Chapter 12 Chapter 10: Ten Lessons and One Rule Learners learn from learners...Part 13 Appendix I: To ReadPart 14 Appendix II: To ObservePart 15 Appendix III: Each LifePart 16 IndexPart 17 About the Author