Museum Libraries Quotes

“I attempted in vain to calculate the size of the holdings on the shelves, floor on floor, only to boggle hopelessly, baffled by bibliographic boundlessness.”
― Richard Fortey, Dry Store Room No. 1: The Secret Life of the Natural History Museum

“. . . my underlying, not-so-hidden agenda is to help enhance and enrich the encounter of the museum-goer with enduring objects, in a time when we all seem to be assailed by random noise and flickering images.”
― Esther Green Bierbaum

“Museums hold collections in trust for future generations. It is our responsibility to see that these objects—representing the cultural heritage of more than 8,000 years of civilization—are passed on to the next generation . . . . The next generation may choose to look at objects afresh—without our carefully collected input—and form its own opinions about their purpose, history or intended use. What is important is that future observers have at their disposal the records of what was known or believed at the time.”
― Holly Witchey