Manual of Museum Planning
Sustainable Space, Facilities, and Operations
Edited by Barry Lord, Gail Dexter Lord, Lindsay Martin
Publication date:
29 March 2012Length of book:
720 pagesPublisher
AltaMira PressDimensions:
266x188mm7x10"
ISBN-13: 9780759121454
As museums have taken on more complex roles in their communities and the number of museum stakeholders has increased to include a greater array of people, effective museum planning is more important than ever. The Manual of Museum Planning has become the definitive text for museum professionals, trustees, architects, and others who are concerned with the planning, design, construction, renovation, or expansion of a public gallery or museum.
Rewritten and reorganized, the third edition features revised sections on planning for visitors, collections, and the building itself, and new sections on operations and implementation, which have become an essential part of the planning process. This new edition of the Manual of Museum Planning has been updated to meet the needs of professional museum practice in the 21st century and includes contributions by leading museum professionals.
This manual is intended to be used as a guide for museum professionals, board members or trustees, government agencies, architects, designers, engineers, cost consultants, or other specialist consultants embarking on a capital project—expansion, renovation, or new construction of museum space.
Rewritten and reorganized, the third edition features revised sections on planning for visitors, collections, and the building itself, and new sections on operations and implementation, which have become an essential part of the planning process. This new edition of the Manual of Museum Planning has been updated to meet the needs of professional museum practice in the 21st century and includes contributions by leading museum professionals.
This manual is intended to be used as a guide for museum professionals, board members or trustees, government agencies, architects, designers, engineers, cost consultants, or other specialist consultants embarking on a capital project—expansion, renovation, or new construction of museum space.
This highly readable and greatly revised third edition updates the 2001 second edition, edited by G. Lord and B. Lord. As stated in the introduction, this manual has been considered a classic of museum literature for nearly 30 years. This latest edition is sure to continue that tradition. Its subtitle sums up the 21st-century changes to the volume. Authoritative, definitive, and dense, the volume offers up-to-date information and serves as the go-to resource for best practices for both beginners and seasoned museum practitioners. Of special note are the changes from earlier editions, which were divided into three parts covering people, collections, and construction. This new edition is in five parts: "Planning for People," "Planning for Collections," "Planning for Operations," "Planning for the Building," and "Implementation." Each part features several chapters, for a total of 21 chapters that are further subdivided by section. Included are extensive and descriptive figures and tables. The list of contributors reads like a Who's Who in the museum field, making the volume a very approachable essay collection. Chapters address such issues as sustainability, planning documents, facility strategies, site selection, design and construction processes, project management, and the issue of "right sizing" new facilities. Of special note is the introduction by the editors, covering what to look for in the new edition and how to use the manual, along with a discussion of the dimensions of sustainability. Summing Up: Highly recommended.