Visit http://bit.ly/MuseumOrigins2012 for details, including cost estimate.

Museum Origins

Summer 2012

What better place to study the origin of museums than in Florence, Italy! Join the Kent State University School of Library and Information Science on a journey through the past to explore the ancestors of modern museums and their collections. This three-credit course is scheduled for summer 2012. Course runs online from June1 through July 13, with on-site in Florence, Italy, from June 16 through 28.

Details

Course:           LIS 61095

Prerequisites: None

Open to:          Graduate students at Kent State or at any other graduate program in the U.S.

Alumni of Kent State graduate programs (master’s or Ph.D.)

Class limit:      12 participants

Itinerary in Florence:

Morning         Visits to museums

Afternoon      Discussions and lectures at Kent State Florence Palazzo de Cerchi

Apply by:                    Feb. 1, 2012. Late applications will not be considered.

Program fee due:      March 1, 2012

Visit http://bit.ly/MuseumOrigins2012 for details, including cost estimate.

Course Description

While the collecting of objects can be found as far back as ancient times in various parts of the world, the birth of the modern museum finds its roots in Europe, especially in Italy. In the context of today’s world, students will “go back in time” to understand the origins of Western museums and the meaning of publicly shared collections through a series of competing dualisms in knowledge creation and organization. Students will explore the history of the modern museum and spend two weeks visiting actual sites and collections that played a role in this history.  Exploring the past in this way is geared specifically to help today’s museum workers gain a better understanding of their own role and purpose in their community, society and nation.