International Directory of Museum Training: Programs and practices of the museum profession

International Directory of Museum Trainingprovides a standard international reference guide to the needs and opportunities of museum professional training. Surveying over 600 museum training programs throughout the world, the volume also illustrates the variations in training needs from region to region, as determined by regional experts. Each entry offers a wealth of information, including the type of course, its range and coverage, and other useful contact information. In planning for the future, author Gary Edson argues, the museum profession must look beyond the traditional strength of the collections and recognize the value of the human resource. The concept of the museum as not only a collection of objects but as a collection of professionals dedicated to protecting, using, and interpreting the objects for the purposes for which they were brought together is an imperative element of proper stewardship. The professional museum worker also requires adequate care andtraining to guarantee the correct and appropriate response to collection and constituency needs. Addressing the increasingly complex training requirements for contemporary museum professionals, this volume distills the information supplied by course providers throughout the world into a form that allows readers to see at a glance which course would be most suitable for their needs.

Gary Edson is director of the museum training program at Texas Tech University and executive director of the university museum.