The International Handbooks of Museum Studies: 4 Volume Set

The International Handbooks of Museum Studies make up a multi–volume reference work that represents a state–of–the–art survey of the burgeoning field of museum studies. Featuring original essays by leading international museum experts and emerging scholars, readings cover all aspects of museum theory, practice, controversies, and the impact of new technologies. The 4 volumes in the series, divided thematically, offer in–depth treatment of all major issues relating to museum theory; historical and contemporary museum practice; mediations in art, design and architecture; and the transformations and challenges confronting the museum. In addition to invaluable surveys of current scholarship, the entries include a treasure–trove of examples and original case studies to illuminate the various perspectives. Unprecedented for its in–depth topic coverage and breadth of scholarship, the multi–volume International Handbooks of Museum Studies is an indispensable resource for the study of the development, roles, and significance of museums in contemporary society.

Sharon Macdonald is Anniversary Professor of Cultural Anthropology at the University of York and Visiting Professor in the Institute of European Ethnology, Humboldt University, Berlin. Her edited and co–edited volumes include, the Blackwell Companion to Museum Studies (2006), Exhibition Experiments (2007) and Theorizing Museums (1996). Her authored books include Behind the Scenes at the Science Museum (2002), Difficult Heritage: Negotiating the Nazi Past in Nuremberg and Beyond (2009), and Memorylands: Heritage and Identity in Europe Today (2013).

Helen Rees Leahy is Professor of Museology and Director of the Centre for Museology at the University of Manchester. Prior to working at the university, Helen was a museum director and curator, and is currently Curatorial Consultant at Elizabeth Gaskell s House, the Manchester home of Elizabeth and William Gaskell. She is the author of Museum Bodies: The Politics and Practices of Visiting and Viewing (2012).