Dear All:

        As the original poster of the "visitors charter" question, I was (and
remain) disappointed to have received only three comments: two inquiries
if I could offer further information about Joslyn Art Museum's approach
to the issue.    [Joslyn Art Museum hasn't an approach to this issue
because I -- the person in charge of Visitor Services (amongst several
other "hats") -- have found little information.]  One listing of items
for a visitors charter -- based on a conference paper presented by Judy
Rand at the 1995 Visitor Studies Association Annual Conference in Estes
Park, CO.
        In fact, all the information I have on visitors charters is from the
web (URLs I posted for Museum-L) . . . and all are based on "customer
service."  However, non-profit museums and for-profit businesses *are*
fundamentally different.  (No, I do not want to get into that debate . .
. <grin>)
        Perhaps this is the point where Museum-L is prepared to deal with the
issue of visitors charters in the context of defining what it is that
we -- museum professionals -- promise our visitors?  Obviously, we
promise exhibitions of quality, with educational application.  And we
promise accessibility to all people -- regardless of age, sex,
sexuality, ethnicity, etc.  But, what else do we promise?  What is the
minimum . . . what is "beyond the call of duty"?

I really would appreciate feedback on the topic of visitors charters . .
. something I'd like to post on our web site.

Sincerely,

Jay Heuman, Visitor & Volunteer Services Coordinator
Joslyn Art Museum, 2200 Dodge Street, Omaha, NE, 68102
342-3300 (telephone)     342-2376 (fax)
http://www.joslyn.org


Paula Hill wrote:

> After all of this my question to the list is why the debate -
> interesting as it is - on proper terms, when the issue of visitors
> charters raised a couple of weeks ago went unnoticed?  Having
> standards of public programs and visitors' charters would, I
> think, go a long way towards reducing fantastic history (or
> science or art).
>
> P. Hill
> Royal Saskatchewan Museum

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