>Thus (at long last) my question: should museums attempt to explain their
>inner workings to an apparently disinterested public?  Does our audience
>have the "right" to know what goes on behind the scenes?  A "need" to
>know? A desire to know?

Most certainly! It's been my experience that people are more prepared to
pay entrance fees or give donations if they can see where their money is
going. The type of people who tend to be more generous towards museums
certainly aren't the disinterested ones.


George Bailey
Objects Conservator
Australian War Memorial
Treloar Centre for Conservation
4 Callan St, Mitchell, A.C.T. 2911
Australia
Phone: +61 6 241 6122
fax:   +61 6 241 7998
email: [log in to unmask]