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I’ve been lucky to visit my fair share of museums around the world. Being in Bloomington, we’re also fortunate to have excellent museums near us, such as the Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library in Indianapolis, the Muhammad Ali Museum in Louisville, Kentucky, and the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology here on campus. These museums, among many others, are important in connecting us to our past and applying it to the modern world.
In today's world, you can find information about anything online, seemingly leaving less space for museums. But I’d argue that museums are now more critical than ever, and their purpose is needed more than ever in a world of constant disinformation.
Take X, for example; it could be tough to tell if the information people posted during the election was real or fake. According to Reuters, misleading or outright false claims have garnered upwards of two billion views on X. A flood of disinformation is one of the main tactics in creating chaos, so it may be wise to stay off social media that engages in disinformation as much as possible. I’m doing my best to start this practice.
In addition to disinformation and misinformation on social media, some state school districts have enacted book bans. PEN America has counted more than 10,000 book bans in schools during the 2023-2024 school year. Out of 1,091 distinct titles, 57% included sex or sex-related topics, 44% of the books had characters of color and 39% included LGBTQ+ characters and people. This attack on factual information and books is what continues to make museums so important. They help us preserve and understand our history, regardless of its good or ugly parts. I want the stories to be told correctly. I want to learn about the truth.
Famed Indiana author Kurt Vonnegut was a supporter of free speech whose books were banned many times. The Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library showcases his life’s work and promotes the “freedom to read, express thoughts, and exchange ideas.”
Museums haven't always portrayed Indigenous peoples in an accurate or respectful way. However, the IU Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology has made it part of its mission to try to accurately depict the experience of indigenous communities. It is even working with American Indian advisory councils and curators to ensure accurate information.
Museums can also teach us more than what we learn in school. They bring history to life before our eyes. Where teachers can tell us about what happened, museums can show us. At the Muhammad Ali Museum, they display his boxing gloves, film of his matches and even the Olympic torch he carried. While the museum is meant to highlight Ali’s life and his career, it also teaches us how our world functioned during the time period when he boxed and beyond. It provides access to history by sharing his activism in the Civil Rights era.
A museum’s role isn’t just preserving artifacts, though. Every artifact should mean something, and a good museum is able to connect its collection to the current world around us.
Museums are more crucial now than ever. We live in an ever-changing world where information is the easiest it’s ever been to find and, somehow, also the hardest it’s ever been to protect. Museums keep us connected to the truths of our past and are a critical part of safeguarding factual information. Visiting and supporting museums through donations is the best way to keep them operating for future generations.
If you’re ready to start your museum journey, you don't need to go far. Just take a little time out of your day to visit the newly opened Indiana University Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology.
Jack Davis (he/him) is a sophomore studying journalism.
