The comparison of museums to libraries could go further.  How many publicly
funded museums restrict access to 98% of their resources to professional
researchers?  How many libraries use most of their public space to provide
their users with the library's interpretation of the books in their collection
instead of letting the public read the book if they want to make their own
judgements?
 
I only ask these questions to illustrate that comparing libraries and museums
is probably not an entirely useful comparison.  However, I do agree that
museums have to do more to take themselves from marginal players to more
important players in the "information resource" world.  The National Museum
of Natural History's Naturalist Center has been one type of effort to increase
public access to information resources, such as collections, books, and
scientific staff.  I know of a number of other museums who are designing or
exploring the creation of Naturalist Centers in their museums.  And we are
actively exploring how to make those "information resources" more accessible
via computer network...obviously a second best access but more than would be
available without one.  Library reference networks typically can
only provide bibliographic information because of copyrights on the books in
their collections.  Museums have more freedom to disseminate more information
via network because most can claim ownership of their collections and
accompanying data.
 
So far a professional licensing goes...that's a topic that has been going on
for years with what seems to be minimal progress.  Maybe that will come along
when museums get recognized by the public as vital PUBLIC information
resources? I don't really know.
 
Richard Efthim, Naturalist Center
National Museum of Natural History
Washington, DC 20560
(202)357-1503   fax:(202)786-2778   [log in to unmask]