Collaborate and Listen: How Small Museums Define and Pursue Community Engagement

Abstract

It is becoming common for museums to feel the need to justify their existence to society beyond just what is in their collection. This research identifies and describes how small museums pursue community engagement in order to find their purpose in society. Many small museums find themselves stagnant, so making sure that they are relevant to their communities will help to ensure survival. A small body of literature discusses community engagement in small museums; however, this research bridges the gap between community engagement theory and practice by interviewing three small museums in the area surrounding Seattle, Washington. The findings from the three case studies indicate that small museums embrace community engagement as an important strategy to becoming an integral part of a community. The research suggests that small museums believe that community engagement revolves around collaborating and listening to their own communities.