A Legal Dictionary for Museum Professionals

Product Description

Presented in an easily digestible format, this go-to desktop reference guide provides explanations and clarifications on a variety of legal issues and concerns facing today’s museum professional in over 200 plain-language dictionary entries. Alphabetized and extensively cross-referenced, this text will provide a quick go-to when a general introduction to or refresher of a concept is needed on the go, including:

Intellectual property issues, including copyright, trademarks, and fair use
Corporate issues, including nonprofit status and tax-exemption
Governance issues, including boards of trustees and fiduciary duties

The second edition adds over 40 new dictionary entries that address emerging issues in the field such as the 2019 FASB update and direct care of collections, plus new topics such as marital property and business structures.

The text is divided into three main sections:

In the first, over forty common acronyms and symbols are explained, and over twenty statutes impacted museum work are listed, with common names or acronyms plus citations provided.
In the second, over 200 terms are concisely defined and situated specifically in relation to the day-to-day work of the museum professional, each cross-referenced to related definitions.
In the third, ten additional topics are developed in depth, allowing the subtleties and complications to be examined and explained in an accessible plain-language manner.

Further, the supplemental, in-focus section includes new chapters on museum deaccessioning and disposal, business structures, and worker classification and independent contractors in addition to updated chapters on topics ranging from intellectual property to business formation, tax-exempt status, and worker classification.

Written by a past museum director with legal training, this reference book is intended to be kept within arm’s reach at a desk and be the first stop for a professional whenever a question arises.

Review

A Legal Dictionary for Museum Professionals, Second Edition is a must for any museum professional’s bookshelf. It is a great resource for both new members of the field trying to acclimate to the terminology and seasoned professionals who could use a reference when working on documentation and policies. There are great examples and detailed explanations of not just regularly used legal terms, but also events that are an ongoing part of understanding museum legal issues. — Jac Parker, associate registrar for collections management, RISD Museum

A Legal Dictionary for Museum Professionals, Second Edition by Heather Hope Kuruvilla is an excellent resource for all museum professionals. This book both defines basic museum-related vocabulary and delves deeply into more advanced topics such as copyright laws, NAGPRA, and Holocaust restitution in an accessible way. Later chapters explore trademarks, the duties of a museum’s board of trustees, and more. A Legal Dictionary for Museum Professionals, Second Edition is not only a must-have for collections managers and registrars, but also for museum directors and trustees. — Gillian Suss, Collections Manager and Registrar, Morris Museum, Morristown, NJ

The Legal Dictionary for Museum Professionals, Second Edition provides a comprehensive overview of legal issues that museum professionals face. All subjects are presented in straightforward , easy to comprehend descriptions. The definitions are accessible and include references to texts that go into greater detail. In a series of longer essays, the book also addresses important topics related to the law and ethics, deaccessioning, and board responsibilities as well as copyright and intellectual property, among others. This is an important reference for anyone working in or with a museum — from directors/CEOs and governing board members to staff, contractors, and volunteers alike. It provides an easy entry point for understanding the complex issues with which we should all be m