Dear Colleagues -

As a new member of this list, I hope I am not covering old ground, but I'd
like to instigate some discussion on a matter which has concerned me for
some years, and is particularly on my mind at the moment, for reasons I will
relate.  I will keep this as short as I can, but some background is
necessary to make the point.

I was for over twenty years, until recently, a Director/Curator of a small
university museum which was fully administered through an academic science
department.  I was the only paid museum staff.  The facility included 5,000
feet of exhibits, an active retail operation (up to $150,000 per annum) and
a membership programme and newsletter.  The collection is nationally
significant and has been successfully managed electronically since 1975, one
of the first such applications to my knowledge.  The museum (had) an annual
attendance of about about 25,000.

Recently, as a result of general financial cutbacks, the curatorial position
was eliminated.  Fortunately, I have for some years been designing and
installing curator-driven database systems in a variety of museums large and
small.   I am now quite contentedly pursuing that activity on a full-time
basis internationally. In addition to my consulting activities, I am
currently a Research Associate at the UBC Museum of Anthropology.

What particularly concerns me is how the decision I describe was made, and
what it may mean to the collection I leave behind.  Some aspects of the
decision process:

1. There was no consultation
2. Creative alternatives were not explored
3. There was no cost-benefit analysis done
4. No plans were made for the collection and programmes.  A month after my
departure, nothing has yet been done.

In short, the museum, one of the oldest in the region, was summarily and
dismissively eliminated.  My curatorial position was the last of five
full-time curatorial positions once in place in the Faculty of Science at my
university.

Issues for which I'd appreciate some feedback::

1.  Is this situation and process duplicated at other universities?

2.  What does "public trust" mean in a university setting?

3.  Universities hold extremely important and varied collections, many in
the sciences.  When these are orphaned (no curator), they may become
inaccessible, or for some types of collections, even be plundered and
destroyed.  How can the museum profession act to mitigate such circumstances?

I am considering authoring an article on these issues and appreciate any
comments.

Thanks



Joe Nagel (KUSTOS Inc.)
2961 Semiahmoo Trail
Surrey, B.C.  V4P 1H4
604-531-6879, 604-594-2628 (FAX)