(a) The department shall manage and have complete charge of all of the property contained in the institution known as the state museum. The museum is designated as a repository of natural and cultural history collections and shall be operated and maintained as a designated repository in the state capital. Branch museums may be established and maintained in other localities in the state.

(b) The department shall

(1) acquire artifacts, natural history specimens, art objects, etc., that pertain to the human and natural history of Alaska by purchase and by gift;

(2) identify, catalog, preserve, and display these acquisitions;

(3) acquire and catalog Alaskan photographs and maintain a card catalog of this collection;

(4) accept endowments, grants, and gifts in accordance with AS 37.07 (the Executive Budget Act);

(5) collect and maintain books, periodicals, pamphlets, and other materials pertinent to museum administration, techniques, and collections;

(6) assist and advise in the development of local museums;

(7) collect and keep current information concerning museum activities throughout the state;

(8) coordinate the museum activities of the state with those of other agencies;

(9) keep the museum open at reasonable hours for the convenience of visitors;

(10) provide museum services and administer state and other grants-in-aid to museums in the state to supplement and improve their services, the grants to be paid from money appropriated for that purpose, or from other money available for that purpose.

(c) The department may establish by regulation, and collect, reasonable user fees and other fees for services provided by the department under this chapter. The department may negotiate reduced fees or group discounts with, or offer reduced fees or group discounts to, persons who bring groups of people to visit the museum or a branch of the museum.