does the British Museum inform the public properly?
This case study relates to the mission of museums in general and in particular to the policy on how the public shall be informed about the nature and background of the collections exhibited. There are many legal issues involved according to Ira Kaliampetsos. Here the case is examined if the British Museum informs the public properly about the background of the Parthenon marbles, alterately called the Elgin marbles. At the same time, the case study reflects upon the changing role of museums in the Information Society. British Museum calls itself as Keeper of Civilizations and the experts linked to the Parthenon Marbles its keepers. This dates back to when the British Parliament bought the marbles from Lord Elgin and gave them to the British Museum ‘to keep’ them. If accessibility to cultural heritage is a general priority for museums, then not without controversy while facing difficult choices, the Parthenon sculptures one such case, the other giving recognition to what cultural heritag
