>>> Janis Wilkens <[log in to unmask]> - 10/22/96 8:30 PM >>>
The way it sounds to me, by the time you've done all this you no
longer have a storage area--you have an exhibit.

What about security?  What happens when staff need to actually work
with the collections?

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Open storage doesn't necessarily need to as complex or self-conscious
as an exhibit to be effective.

When I worked at the Philadelphia Maritime Museum's old building, we
had open storage that was simply a glass wall on one side of storage
where a solid one would have been.  We explained with signs what we
did there and our main work area was visible to the public.  We
didn't have it arranged thematically for the public's use--it was
just a typical museum's storage area.  It did help us keep the place
clean (company was always coming.)

What the public didn't realize was that there were air vents at the
top and we could hear them.  While we were cataloging and numbering
objects there were many comments like:  "See Johnny, this is where
they make all the ship models." etc.  That gave us a chance to
correct misconceptions and interact with the public and I had many
interesting conversations with visitors.  However, one always had to
be aware of the public's presence and what one said--privacy was at a
minimum.  Sometimes we felt like zoo animals ("Oh, the curators aren't
out today.  It must be feeding time.")  But since curators are often
out of the public eye, it was nice to let them see what we did and
what the collection held that wasn't on exhibit.

Christine Mouw
Assistant Curator
Herbert Hoover Presidential Library-Museum
West Branch, Iowa  52358
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