What is museology? A simple definition might be that it is the study of museums, their history and underlying philosophy, the various ways in which they have, over time, been established and developed, their avowed or unspoken aims and policies, their educative or political or social role. More broadly conceived, such a study might also embrace the bewildering variety of audiences - visitors, scholars, art lovers, children- at whom the efforts of museum staff are supposedly directed, as well as related topics such as the legal duties and responsibilities placed upon ( or incurred by) museums, perhaps even some thought as to their future. This study is caused by the concerns of the modern world about preserving artifacts from the past and present times for the next generations.

Seen in this light, museology might appear at first sight a subject so specialised as to concern only museum professionals, who by their occupation are more or less obliged to take an interest in it. In reality, since museums are almost, if not quite as old as civilization itself, and since the plethora of present-day museums embraces virtually every field of human endeavour- not just art, or craft, or science, but entertainment, agriculture, rural life, childhood, fisheries, antiquities, automobiles: the list is endless - it is a field of enquiry so broad as to be a matter of concern to almost everybody.