And in a  vein similar to this email, is anyone listening to the discussion about museums, commercialism, entertainment, education, and scholarship and the roles/responsibilities of museums going on on Talk of the Nation on NPR today?  Very interesting discussion and points of view.

Keni Sturgeon
Jensen Arctic Museum

----- Original Message -----
From: Lonn Taylor <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Wednesday, June 1, 2005 6:52 am
Subject: Re: Message to the Museum Community

> Dear Sally,
> 
>     Dr. Samper's statement concerning the ID film is one of the 
> saddest things that I have ever read. It means that the 
> Smithsonian is completely in the hands of the development officers 
> and the special events and business enterprise people, a process 
> that was beginning when I retired from the Museum of American 
> History three years ago. From my own experiences with development 
> offices at the Institution, I am sure that the scholarly staff at 
> Natural History had no say at all in the decision to screen this 
> film. What has happened to the Smithsonian should be a lesson to 
> all museums: when the fund-raisers take over, all scholarly 
> considerations go out the window, because they have different 
> goals and march to different drummers. Someone, perhaps a new 
> secretary, needs to reassert scholarly leadership at the 
> Smithsonian. 
> 
> Lonn Taylor
> Fort Davis, Texas  
>  ----- Original Message ----- 
>  From: Sally Shelton 
>  To: [log in to unmask] 
>  Sent: Wednesday, June 01, 2005 7:49 AM
>  Subject: Message to the Museum Community
> 
> 
>  Posted on behalf of Dr. Samper. 
> 
>  Sally Y. Shelton
>  Collections Officer
>  Room 425, MRC 165
>  National Museum of Natural History
>  Smithsonian Institution
>  P. O. Box 37012
>  Washington, D. C. 20013-7012
> 
>  NEW phone (202) 633-0835
>  NEW email [log in to unmask]
> 
>  List owner, PERMIT-L
> 
> 
>  >>> Cristián Samper 7:34 PM Tuesday, May 31, 2005, 2005 >>>
>  To the Museum Community,
> 
>  After considerable discussion with NMNH staff and in 
> consultation with the Secretary and his staff, we have agreed to 
> issue the following statement regarding the planned presentation 
> of the Discovery Institute film, "The Privileged Planet," in Baird 
> Auditorium on June 23. Please feel free to share this statement 
> with your colleagues. I will look forward to discussing this 
> further with each of you in the very near future.
> 
>  Statement by the Director, National Museum of Natural History 
> 
>  The Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History recently 
> approved a request by the Discovery Institute to hold a private, 
> invitation-only screening and reception at the Museum on June 23 
> for the film "The Privileged Planet." Upon further review we have 
> determined that the content of the film is not consistent with the 
> mission of the Smithsonian Institution's scientific research. 
> Neither the Smithsonian Institution nor the National Museum of 
> Natural History supports or endorses the Discovery Institute or 
> the film "The Privileged Planet." However, since Smithsonian 
> policy states that all events held at any museum be "co-sponsored" 
> by the director and the outside organization, and we have signed 
> an agreement with this organization, we will honor the commitment 
> made to provide space for the event.
> 
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