Museums

[close] Book group for staff based at Oxford University Museum of Natural History. A place to share things you've read and what you thought, as well as a place to voice what you'd would like to read and get people's thoughts. We will post regular recommendations. Comments are welcome even if you haven't read the books(!).

[close] Let's explore museums, one narrative at a time. This group is for all of my fellow museum registrars, historic preservation enthusiasts, art lovers, archivists, amateur archaeologists, post-colonianal scholars, museum educators, and anyone who has ever found themselves falling down a World's Fair rabbit hole. If you are fascinated with the history of museums, you've found the right place. I want to explore the institutional history of museums and am pleasantly surprised by the amount of reads out there, even if you have to search a little to find them. I hope you will join me in gaining a better understanding of the past of museums so that we can comprehend with context their important and complicated role today. Biographies, fiction, theory, text books, primary sources, historical fiction, and memoirs are all welcome, as long as they relate to the wide world of museums. My hope is that by reading a plurality of works, we can better understand this big, broad thing that is museums. So, let's dive into the cabinets of curiosities, insidious philosophies, humble beginnings, questionable practices, honorable efforts, scientific discoveries, dazzling displays, dangerous digs, stunning artwork, tedious tasks, and daring efforts that make up this nuanced field.

[close] Join BURNAWAY's Book Club to see what our staff, writers, and artists are reading and recommending in literature about art, culture, critical theory, and life. We'd love you to contribute to the list too! BURNAWAY is an online platform that promotes contemporary art and writing in the South, enriching the region's cultural life and connecting its diverse communities.

[close] Inspired by the Royal British Columbia Museum's feature exhibition, Gold Rush! El Dorado in British Columbia, this book club will read fiction and non-fiction books related to gold rushes.