Museums & the community in West Africa

This book draws on the practical experience of the West African Museums Programme in encouraging the establishment of museums which are responsive to local needs. Museums, as institutions of cultural importance, should be responsive to the needs of the community. They can contribute in vital ways to its growth and development.

The contributors show that in the preservation of the cultural heritage of the community, the focal responsibility falls more on the local museums than on the centrally-controlled national museums. The running of local museums must harmonise with the national museum.

The contributors have wide experience in countries right across West Africa and provide examples of imaginative ways to respond to local needs. They also give practical advice on such basic matters as staff training, security and the legal framework, without which little can be achieved.