On the topic of collectors in the museum, the following is an extract from
our museum's conflict of interest policy (based on the guidelines provided
by ICOM):

"Should an employee have a private collection of objects, they will be
required, on appointment, to provide the appropriate Museum authority with a
description of the private collection, and a statement indicating that they
will refrain from pursuing any collecting activities during the course of
their employment with the Museum. No member of Museum staff shall
participate in any dealing (buying or selling for profit) in objects similar
or related to objects collected by the Museum."

Basically if you collect cameras and want to work in a Camera Museum, you
have to forgo the personal collecting of material relating to your museum. A
lot of specialized knowledge in museums comes from having been collectors,
but you should give up the personal collecting of material that when you
enter the employment of a museum. (now if you collect dino bones and work in
a camera museum, no conflict!)

Having been a collector, when our institution updated their policy, I had to
state in writing what I collected, and agree that if I had anything the
museum wanted, I have to give them first refusal, and of course agree not to
collect material that the museum would be intersted in.

Carol
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