Essential Reading for Museum Educators

Interpretation & Practice

Freeman, Tilden. Interpreting Our Heritage. University of North Carolina Press; 3rd edition (June 1977).

Grinder, Alison and E. Sue McCoy. The Good Guide: A Source for Interpreters, Docents and Tour Guides Ironwood Publishing, 1985.

Hirsch, Joanne S. and Lois H. Silverman, Transforming Practice: Selections from the Journal of Museum Education 1992-1999. Museum Education Roundtable, 2000.

Roberts, Lisa C. From Knowledge to Narrative: Educators and the Changing Museum. Smithsonian Institution Press, 1997.

Serrell, Beverly, Exhibit Labels: An Interpretive Approach. AltaMira Press. 1996.

Task Force on Professional Standards, Standing Professional Committee on Education (EdCom) Excellence in Practice: Museum Education Principles and Standards. American Association of Museums, 2005.

Audiences

Collins, Zipporah W. Museums, Adults, and the Humanities: A Guide for Educational Programming. American Association of Museums, 1981.

Csikzentmihalyi, Mihaly. Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience (P.S.) Harper Perennial Modern Classics, 2008.

Gardner, Howard. Multiple Intelligences: New Horizons in Theory and Practice. Basic Books. 2006.

Sachatello-Sawyer, et al., eds. Adult Museum Programs: Designing Meaningful Experiences. AltaMira Press, 2002.

Salmen, John. ed. Everyone’s Welcome: The Americans with Disabilities Act and Museums (Book/Video). American Association of Museums, 1998.

Sheppard, Beverly. Building Museum & School Partnerships. American Association of Museums/Pennsylvania Federation of Museums & Historical Organizations, 2000.

Museology

Anderson, Gail, ed. Reinventing the Museum: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives on the Paradigm Shift. AltaMira Press, 2004.

Falk, John and Lynn Dierking. Learning from Museums: Visitor Experiences and the Making of Meaning. American Association for State and Local History, 2000.

Falk, John and Lynn Dierking. The Museum Experience. Howells House, 1992.

Hein, George E. Learning in the Museum (Museum Meanings). Routledge, 1998.

Hirzy, Ellen Excellence and Equity: Education and the Public Dimension of Museums, American Association of Museums, 1992.

Pittman, Bonnie, ed. Presence of Mind: Museums and the Spirit of Learning. American Association of Museums, 1999.

Trant, Jennifer and David Bearman. ed. Museums and the Web 2008: Selected Papers from an International Conference. American Association of Museums, 2008.

Weil, Stephen E. Rethinking the Museum and Other Meditations. Smithsonian Institution, 1990.

Leadership & Management

Bolman, Lee G. and Terrence E. Deal. Reframing Organizations: Artistry, Choice, and Leadership. Jossey-Bass, 2003 (3rd edition).

Kotter, John P. Leading Change. Harvard Business School Press, 1996.

Compiled by Scott Kratz, Vice President for Education, National Building Museum and Sarah P. Rice, Assistant Curator of Education, Winterthur Museum & Country Estate