The Promise of Cultural Institutions - Paperback

by David Carr (Author)

This thought-provoking collection of essays is essential reading for anyone who cares about cultural institutions and their role in the community of learners. These institutions-often museums or libraries-have the power to profoundly alter our sense of ourselves and of the world around us, but that power carries with it obligations. David Carr challenges us to contemplate both the effects and the responsibilities, to examine carefully the nuances of these experiences. Yet a visit to a cultural institution is itself only one act in the broader activity of learning throughout our lives. Carr has much to say about the experience of learning in its best sense and thus speaks not only to lovers of cultural institutions, but also to lovers of learning everywhere.

Author Biography

David Carr speaks and writes as an advocate for critical thinking and reflective practice in libraries, museums, and other cultural institutions. As an inquirer, educator, and consultant, he has observed, spoken, and listened in many of the strongest and most thoughtful American cultural settings. His essays, articles and reviews have appeared in Museum News, Curator, Public Libraries, and in other journals and collections. Holding a B.A. from Drew University, M.A.s from Teachers College, Columbia University and Rutgers, and a Ph.D. from Rutgers, Carr has taught librarians and other educators for thirty-five years. He currently serves on the faculty of the School of Information and Library Science at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, where he teaches about reference tools, collection building, and the topics of these essays: information, culture, and the professional imagination.