Defining Memory

Local Museums and the Construction of History in America's Changing Communities

Edited by Amy K. Levin, Joshua G. Adair

Publication date:

20 October 2017

Length of book:

346 pages

Publisher

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Dimensions:

236x161mm
6x9"

ISBN-13: 9781538107874

This updated edition of Defining Memory: Local Museums and the Construction of History in America’s Changing Communities offers readers multiple lenses for viewing and discussing local institutions. New chapters are included in a section titled “Museums Moving Forward,” which analyzes the ways in which local museums have come to adopt digital technologies in selecting items for exhibitions as well as the complexities of creating institutions devoted to marginalized histories.

In addition to the new chapters, the second edition updates existing chapters, presenting changes to the museums discussed. It features expanded discussions of how local museums treat (or ignore) racial and ethnic diversity and concludes with a look at how business relationships, political events, and the economy affect what is shown and how it is displayed in local museums.

The second edition of Defining Memory is a wide-sweeping and engaging read for public history professionals and scholars who, along with the authors, continue to grapple with the complexities and potential of local museums.