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Dissertation Information for Esther Green Bierbaum

NAME:
- Esther Green Bierbaum

DEGREE:
- Ph.D.

DISCIPLINE:
- Library and Information Science

SCHOOL:
- University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (USA) (1982)

ADVISORS:
- Lester E. Asheim

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
- Fred Roper
- Ray Warren Carpenter
- Budd Leslie Gambee
- Paul Barryman Hounshell

MPACT Status: Fully Complete

Title: THE MUSEUM LIBRARY: ITS RELATIONSHIP TO EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING IN SCIENCE OR NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUMS

Abstract: To explore the relationship between the library and the educational programming in natural history or science museums and nature or science centers, the study surveyed 160 randomly-selected institutions. Questionnaires designed for each staff position were sent to the director, the educator, and the librarian in each museum. Useable responses were received from 142 institutions. The data derived from the survey instruments were the bases for statistical testing of a series of hypotheses concerning the museum library, the educational programming in the museum, and variables associated with the parent museum.

The library was defined in terms of four oganizational levels ranging from a collection of materials owned by staff members to a formally-organized and professionally-directed collection. The educational programming activity level was indicated by the range and variety of types of programs other than those associated with exhibits.

Major findings were: Forty-six percent of the museum libraries had a budget of less than $500, and only in the 18% which were formally-organized and professionally-directed was the librarian usually a fulltime employee, rather than a volunteer or a parttime employee. A larger number of educational programs occurred in museums in which the library was fully organized and professionally staffed, but the correlation was not high. The museums with the largest budgets were also most likely to have a formally-organized and professionally-staffed library, whereas a highly active educational program occurred in museums at every budgetary level. The librarian in the formally-organized and professionally-directed library saw the support of the mission of the museum as the goal of the library, while persons in charge of libraries at other organizational levels viewed the library as a resource for museum staff. However, persons in charge of libraries at each organizational level tended to agree with the museum administrator rather than with the museum educator regarding the goals and objectives of the museum.

In general, the library in science or natural history museums was not well-funded nor did it seem to play a significant role in the museum's educational programming.

MPACT Scores for Esther Green Bierbaum

A = 0
C = 0
A+C = 0
T = 0
G = 0
W = 0
TD = 0
TA = 0
calculated 2008-01-31 06:19:48

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