Message from the Director

"Giving a child a chance to see and handle things about which they study is not only the greatest time saver, but the most effective way at giving an absolutely correct impression. With careful training and having attention called to particular characteristics, not only is knowledge imparted but close observation is developed." – Dr. Levi Mengel, Founder, Reading Public Museum

Dr. Mengel spoke those words a century ago and, if you visit our Museum History Gallery on the first floor, you can hear his animatronic recreation speak them today. Interactive and experiential learning were the foundation of Mengel's vision for this institution and we now know what a visionary he truly was. Researchers, educators, and scientists have studied the ways we learn best and in the museum and informal education field, nothing carries more importance these days than hands-on experiences, especially when dealing with children.

Through time, the Reading Public Museum migrated away from some of Mengel's original vision, both to better protect the collection from gradual degradation and as a calculated strategy for how The Museum would interact with its constituencies. While those decisions may have made sense at the time, we believe that a return to Dr. Mengel's original vision for this institution as a leading center for learning about science, technology, culture, history and the arts is the right decision for us at this time.

As you've likely noticed over the past year, the educational programming and exhibitions have taken on more of a friendly and welcoming feel for children, families, educators — frankly, everyone. Learning opportunities like our current Theresienstadt and Warhol exhibitions are accessible to a wide swath of the general public and a renewed focus on our permanent collection galleries have made interest among Berks County's youth skyrocket. As an example, our school group attendance grew more than 500% from last February to this February — and we show no signs of slowing down!

We're looking to push the education envelope even further now, as you can read about in this issue of Museum Road. The integration of our Education Team into our Curatorial Team and the addition of new staff members focusing on Humanities Education and STEM Education (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) will open a myriad of new doors for us as we return to more interactive and experiential learning models for our visitors. Future exhibitions like Dinosaurs: T-Rex Face-to-Face, Toothpick World, and Animal Secrets (all coming later this year) will continue to draw in families and educators and the soon-to-be-renovated North American Indian Gallery will completely redefine how the Reading Public Museum presents its subject matter to the public. Soon, Dr. Mengel's century-old vision of this museum as the natural history and science museum, children's museum, and art museum all under one roof will be realized!

John Graydon Smith
Director and CEO

Note: This letter, along with images, appears in the current issue of Museum Road. Museum Members receive this publication quarterly in the mail – you can stop by The Museum to pick up a copy, or download the current issue here.