Evidence (and presentations) from a wide variety of sources about why we need to make the shift to engaging the public more fully and directly
American Alliance of Museums: Demographic Transitions and the Future of Museums
National Park Service presentation: Why use facilitated dialogue?: from Train the Seasonal Trainer (GRTE)
Achieving Relevance in Our Second Century: strategic plan for National Park Service Interpretation and Education
National Park Service Call to Action: Exploring what's next for NPS
Interpretive Skills Vision Paper: 21st-Century skills in the National Park Service
Imperiled Promise: The State of History in the National Park Service: explores why a new approach is needed (applies to natural history too)
Tenement Museum: How and why the museum moved from regular tours to "Tour and Discussion"
Heritage Interpretation as Public Discourse: Neil Silberman's case for rethinking interpretation
Using dialogue in science and environmental communication:
Environmental Communication article: Why dialogue works better than diatribe
Engaging the Scientific Community with the Public: web article
What's Next for Science Communication?: journal article making the case for respectful, thoughtful conversations with the public