The Washington Post recently published a short evaluative guide to some of the newest museums in Washington, DC, entitled “Worth the Price of Admission?” The question arises especially because the museums discussed in the article charge admission, while many museums in Washington are free. The museum themes include crime and punishment, international espionage and spycraft, news and journalism, and Madame Tussaud’s wax models of famous people.
Works that focus narrowly on museum finance are classed in 069.0681 Financial management of museums (built with 069 Museum science plus T1—0681 Organization and financial management), e.g., Data by Discipline: 2003 Museum Financial Information.
Works about museums in a specific area that cover multiple disciplines are classed in 069.09 Historical, geographic, persons treatment plus Table 2 notation for the area, e.g., Britain's Best Museums and Galleries 069.0941 Museums of British Isles, Museums of Chicago: A Guide to Residents & Visitors 069.0977311 Museums of Chicago. The instructions that permit addition of notation from Table 2 are found in Table 1 at T1—093-T1—099 Treatment by specific continents, countries, localities; extraterrestrial worlds. These instructions apply because the 09 in 069.09 Historical, geographic, persons treatment is the standard subdivision T1—09 Historical, geographic, persons treatment, as the caption indicates. The standard subdivision is printed in the schedule to carry special instructions, but the standard instructions still apply.
Among the special instructions at 069.09 Historical, geographic, persons treatment are the following:
Class here specific museums not limited to a specific discipline or subject
Class museums devoted to specific disciplines and subjects with the discipline or subject, plus notation T1—074 from Table 1, e.g., natural history museums 508.074
The class-here note indicates that comprehensive works on a specific museum with general scope, like the British Museum, are classed in 069.09 or its subdivisions, e.g., The British Museum: 250 Years, classed in 069.0942142 Museums of Camden London Borough. Similarly, comprehensive works on the Smithsonian Institution, a museum complex with 19 museums, are classed in 069.09753 Museums of Washington, DC, e.g., The Smithsonian Institution.
The scatter note under 069.09 indicates that museums that focus on a specific discipline or subject are classed with the discipline or subject, plus notation T1—074 Museums, collections, exhibits from Table 1. For example, Official Guide to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History is classed in 508.074753 Natural history museums in Washington, DC (built with 508 Natural history plus T1—074 Museums, collections, exhibits plus T2—753 Washington, District of Columbia, following instructions at T1—074 Museums, collections, exhibits). Incidentally, that number is correct because the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History is not limited in its coverage to the natural history of any specific area; if it were limited, for example, to the natural history of the United States, the number would be 508.73074753 Museums of U.S. natural history in Washington, DC (built with 508 Natural history plus T2—73 United States, following instructions at 508.4-508.9 Treatment by specific continents, countries, localities in the modern world, plus T1—074 Museums, collections, exhibits plus T2—753 Washington, District of Columbia).
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