Value of Museum Offering in the Visitors’ Opinion

Abstract

The purpose of this text is to review and conduct preliminary analysis of visitor evaluations of the museum offer with particular emphasis on their views on exhibitions. This will help identify the needs of the museum guests and make an attempt to determine the mechanisms for constructing a hierarchy of the importance of their expectations regarding museum activities. The term «opinion» in the title has been used as the equivalent of a judgment that is not necessarily substantive not necessarily formulated on the basis of the knowledge of the subject. It is based on strong, first impression caused by a museum visit. The value, in turn, is defined here as something precious, in the context of the organization and in relation to what is socially expected, defined as «this should be», and what is good. This is the value that is determined by the type of social mentality, and at the same time recognizing what has the characteristics of autotelic validity. It applies to the civic, aesthetic and organizational dimension. Values take the form of not always explicitly expressed preferences, interests, norms. The value indicator is any offer assessment included in the guest notes entered in the exhibition book in Museum Varmia and Masuria in Olsztyn.