Why Keep It If You Can’t See It!: an Investigation into Public and Professional Attitudes Towards Collection Care, Access and Utilisation in New Zealand Museums

Increasingly museums throughout the world are seeking to work more closely with their communities so that their values, needs and expectations can be better understood. However, problems arise when professional and public understanding is out of step, as can be seen with the frequent popular controversies about museums supposedly ‘locking up their treasures’ in their basements. There is a perceived notion in current museum practice that stored museum collections need to become more accessible and utilised to a greater degree, without jeopardising the care of the collection. The access and utilisation of collections is addressed by museums in the name of public need, yet little research is done on what the public know or think about it. Within museum studies a small amount of literature has skirted around this topic but few have discussed it directly, or conducted research into public and professional attitudes to this issue. This dissertation addresses this gap by conducting original research which canvassed both the museum visiting public and museum professionals for their opinions. The research design was based on both qualitative and quantitative methods: namely surveys, interviews, a review of current museum policy and practice and an analysis of new initiatives in collection development, access and use Internationally and in New Zealand. The data generated revealed a much clearer idea of public understanding from a sample of visitors, and more detailed individual opinions from key professional informants in two local museums in Rotorua and Hamilton. This research will contribute to the literature on museum practice in New Zealand, help the museum sector to approach this often emotionally charged discussion with more information, and also encourage an important debate allowing the visiting public to have a greater say in what they think about the current access to and care of their local stored collections. The dissertation concludes by suggesting that the complexities and commonalities that arose out of all the opinions canvassed offer a framework for future solutions and strategies. There is an urgent need for further research on the thoughts and feelings of the public about collection care, access and utilisation so that New Zealand museums can embark on a journey that will take their stored collections out into the full light of the public realm.