The dissertation examines a community museum and its potential to increase civic engagement within a displaced community. If central to their mission, museums can initiate the reconstruction of memories in order to rebuild communities. Recently, museums in the US have been assessing how they can build bridges with the communities they serve. However, meeting the community needs appears to be one of too many tasks taken on by museum boards, and therefore it is rarely central to the museums mission.
This dissertation examines the process for meeting community needs by researching the evolution...