| dc.description.abstract | The knowledge that permanent exhibitions do not change often prompted this study.
Permanent exhibitions can last even for thirty years while temporary exhibitions are
expected to last for between a day to six months. This study investigated the attitudes
of local Museum visitors towards museum exhibitions. The assumptions were that
local visitors apparently dislike permanent exhibitions to temporary ones. It was also
assumed that the community would be interested in participating in conception and
mounting of exhibitions.
This study was carried out in the Nairobi Museum, which is located within the
headquarters (HQ) of national museums of Kenya in Nairobi City. The respondents
targeted were local visitors, grouped into two teenagers (aged 15-23 years) and adults
(aged 24 years and above), males and females. A sample size of eighty four
respondents was purposely selected, from among local visitors coming from Nairobi
and the neighboring districts.
A questionnaire was designed for the above respondents (appendix I), and interviews
were held with key informants, to shed light on some issues. Purposive sampling
technique was applied to select the respondents, both the local visitors and key
informants. Nairobi Museum was also purposely selected.
This study concluded that local visitors have different attitudes to different permanent
exhibitions, while some are not attractive others are. Display methods that have put
into consideration the context of the object/specimen were cited as reasons for
preference of some of these exhibitions. Community participation was an idea the
local visitors are in support of, in fact 92% of the respondents commented positively
towards the issue. Several ways through which participation can be enhanced were
listed. These were donation of artifacts, suggestions and funding or sponsorship | en |
