This note posted to MUSEUM-L and TAXACOM - apologies for
duplications.
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Manchester Museum has for many years had an
Aquarium/Vivarium showing large snakes, other reptiles,
amphibia and fish.
 
We are now in the throes of an architectural and policy review,
one aspect of which is the future for the live animal displays.
One view is that we should build upon the undoubted popularity
of the live displays and attempt to integrate them more with the
planned new static displays.  Another view is that 'Society' has
moved on and that live displays no longer have any place in
museums.
 
We have a meeting in early December with the Architects at
which this topic will be discussed.  I'd be grateful to receive
views and experiences from colleagues around the world on the
subject of live displays in museums.
 
Concious of the volume of traffic on the lists, if you reply
privately to me I will summarise all replies received by 2nd
December 1994, and post the summary to the list.
 
Regards,
Bill P.
 
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* Charles (Bill) Pettitt           *     Keeper of Invertebrates     *
*                                  *      (& network supervisor)     *
* E-mail: [log in to unmask]      *     Manchester Museum           *
*                                  *     University of Manchester    *
* Tel: +44.(0)61.275.2666          *     Manchester  M13 9PL         *
* Fax: +44.(0)61.275.2676          *     United Kingdom              *
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* "I enjoy deadlines. I love the whooshing sound they make as they   *
*  fly by" (Douglas Adams)                                           *
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