Lianne McTavish’s new book Defining the Modern Museum (published by the University of Toronto Press) explores the history of the New Brunswick Museum in Saint John, as well as other organizations in Canada, the United States, and Europe, to challenge assumptions about what a museum is, what function it serves, and who partakes in its ongoing formation. In particular, McTavish focuses on the culture of exchange ‘between museums,’ linking economic, educational, and other interests. She has undertaken extensive archival research in order to study such themes as the commodification of museums, museums and entertainment, and the professionalization of museum workers, which are currently debated in scholarship devoted to critical museum theory and museum practice.