The International Council of Museums (ICOM) defines a museum as "a non-profit making, permanent institution in the service of society and of its development, and open to the public which acquires, conserves, researches, communicates and exhibits, for purposes of study, education and enjoyment, material evidence of people and their environment." (http://www.icom.org/statutes.html).
This definition makes it clear that, while museums are primarily about objects ("material evidence"), they must also generate and manage a great deal of information if they are to do their job properly.
That little word "permanent" is also critical: museums are in the for ever business. Both the objects and their associated information are to be maintained, as far as humanly possible, into the indefinite future.
Something to bear in mind is that a museum may in fact contain other things. For example, they often contain libraries, which can be a major resource in their own right (for example the National Art Library within the Victoria and Albert Museum) and archives.
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