"Academic museums have proliferated over the past fifty years and yet they are often misunderstood, even neglected by their primary constituency - the students and faculty of their host universities or colleges. They provide opportunities for research, education, and inspiration, at the very least. This book is a vital resource for anyone working in or concerned about such museums. It will become the standard text for generations to come." James Cuno, President & CEO, The J. Paul Getty Trust. "In an age of visitor participation and interdisciplinary engagement, academic museums play an increasingly crucial role in the museum field, and the essays contained in this book provide a roadmap that will help these cultural institutions to navigate the future and fulfil and broaden their teaching missions." Michael R Taylor, Director, Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College. "Academic museums reflect and profit from the research institutions which host and nurture them. But more than that, they are a means through which the academy can engage with the community, both local and national, to allow the wider society to gain access to knowledge of all kinds about the natural and man-made world. This book demonstrates how this is made possible." Kate Pretty, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, University of Cambridge.