The House Education and Labor Subcommittee on Healthy Families and Communities
Examining the Role of Museums and Libraries in Strengthening Communities
Washington, DC, 9/11/2008 -

On behalf of the members of the American Association of Museums (AAM), I want to thank Chairwoman McCarthy, Ranking Member Platts, and Members of the Subcommittee for holding this hearing today on how museums and libraries help to strengthen communities.  Given the many important issues facing our nation, I am grateful to you and to your staff for devoting time today to the crucial work museums do every day to strengthen communities. It is particularly appropriate that this hearing take place on this solemn, sober anniversary; museums are where future generations will likely learn of September 11, 2001 and how the events of that day changed America and the world.

As president of AAM, I am keenly aware of the ways in which museums work in our communities to offer lifelong learning opportunities, promote civic engagement, celebrate cultural heritage, and much more.

Unlike schools and libraries, most museums operate as private, nonprofit organizations with nominal government funding.  According to AAM’s most recent financial survey, nonprofit museums receive approximately 24 percent of their budget from local, state and federal funding.  The bulk of their income is derived from private philanthropy in the form of donations, grants and corporate sponsorships and earned income from admissions and gift shop sales.

With 2.3 million museum visits per day – 850 million visits per year, more than all professional sporting events combined – museums remain one of America’s most popular attractions. Moreover, museums are everywhere.  There are more than 20,000 museums in the United States and nine out of 10 counties in America have at least one museum.  Forty-three percent are located in rural areas.  More than one-third (35 percent) of museums are free to the public, while the average admission fee is $6.

One-third of Americans say they have visited an art museum, a history museum, an aquarium, zoo, botanical garden, or science and technology center within the past six months.  Almost a quarter has gone within the past year.  Trips including cultural and heritage activities comprise one of the most popular and significant segments of the travel industry, accounting for over 23 percent of all domestic trips.

But enough statistics. Museums play a more profound role in American society. In many ways, museums are the stitching in our social fabric, serving to bind America’s diverse communities into a nation. Moreover, museums are a rarity among public institutions, in that they simultaneously illuminate our past, present and future. Museums are also finding creative ways to address social issues facing communities today. The mission of museums is public service. It is a role we are proud and privileged to fulfill.

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Press Contact:
Dewey Blanton
202-218-7704
dblanton@aam-us.org

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