Often museums or libraries have the power to profoundly alter our sense of ourselves and of the world around us, but that power carries with it obligations. This work challenges us to contemplate both the effects and the responsibilities, and also to examine carefully the nuances of these experiences.

Part 1 Foreword by G. Rollie Adams Part 2 Introduction: Promises and Institutions Chapter 3 Chapter 1: A Museum is an Open Work I see the museum as I see the library... Chapter 4 Chapter 2: Museums, Educative An educative museum is a cognitive environment... Chapter 5 Chapter 3: In the Contexts of the Possible Great cultural institutions are incendiary... Chapter 6 Chapter 4: A Community Mind Invisible actions, unspoken connections... Chapter 7 Chapter 5: The Situation that Educates It is not the educator who educates... Chapter 8 Chapter 6: A Poetics of Questions What is it? What holds the thing in our minds?... Chapter 9 Chapter 7: Museums and Public Trust Our lives embody interpretations of trust... Chapter 10 Chapter 8: Crafted Truths The child's museum is not about objects... Chapter 11 Chapter 9: The Promise of Cultural Institutions This place we are in is new... Chapter 12 Chapter 10: Ten Lessons and One Rule Learners learn from learners... Part 13 Appendix I: To Read Part 14 Appendix II: To Observe Part 15 Appendix III: Each Life Part 16 Index Part 17 About the Author

In our professional literature, 'how to' books far outnumber 'why to' books. This is a 'why to' book. It reminds us why museums and libraries exist and what they have in common. It explores the power that redounds to both as places where knowledge and experience intersect. It calls upon us to expand our vision of the educational and life-enhancing potential that our institutions possess. And it articulates some key principles required to achieve that potential. . . . This is also a 'big picture' book. It is about recalling why we entered our professions and the obligation we have to support the learning of those we serve. This book reminds us that we support our users best by staying focused on the driving concepts of our work and not getting mired in its details. This book makes us understand that at the start of every day we need to remember that our primary task is not to complete the items on our daily agenda. Rather our primary task is to achieve the collective vision of our institutions, and their promise to enable learning.