Its b-a-n-a-n-a-s

Read this article about the International Banana Club and Museum.

This seemingly inane article actually poses a fascinating question: what is a museum? And, depending on that definition, does the International Banana Club and Museum really count as one?

First, a definition. Dictionary.com defines a museum as "a building or place where works of art, scientific specimens, or other objects of permanent value are kept and displayed." What an ambiguous definition! "Objects of permanent value" can mean almost anything because any object is bound to be valuable to someone in some location. The origin of the word "museum" doesn't help a tremendous amount either. According once again to dictionary.com, the word dates to 1605 and refers to a building devoted to learning the arts. But as the Mutter Museum makes obvious, museums effectively cover many more areas than just the arts.

I prefer the definition from the American Association of Museums. It argues that all museums must make a "unique contribution to the public by collecting, preserving, and interpreting the things of this world." The key word? Interpreting. A museum has to be more than just a repository for the world's stuff. It has to tell us what all that stuff means and why it matters. Museums should help us to learn something about ourselves and our pasts. To use the word "museum" freely and without abandon does a disservice not only to the cultural institutions that do preserve and interpret objects, but to the individuals who work so hard and with so little recognition to do so.