Treasures on earth

the long version

"Our nation's museums are dynamic entities in which we not only preserve the past and interpret the present, but also launch our dreams for the future. They are vitally important, a physical manifestation of our culture and history, of nature and science, of art and artifice - so why are many museums seriously short of funds and some failing?" "We find ourselves caught in a dilemma, wanting to utilize as much as possible of our cultural and natural heritage but being unable to save it all. In this work, Professor Thomson, the Director of the highly respected Oxford University Museum, examines the glories and tribulations of modern collections and asks some probing and inconvenient questions: Do we really need all those collections and museums? Who are museums for? Who will pay? Who will choose?"--BOOK JACKET.