I have been concerned about museum security since reading the April
30, 1996 article on the front page of the Wall Street Journal
("Bandits Steal Pieces of American History from Tiny Museums" by Jon
Bingness).  Someone from the Kansas State Museum conducted an
informal survey and learned that 38 robberies at small museums  have been commited
in the mid-west and west since 1994.

I am interested to learn what small museums are doing to improve
security and would like to see more discussion on Museum-L.  Since learning of the degree of theft and after visiting
museums around Idaho, I would like to put together a workshop on security
during our next state museums association.

My own museum, a university-based medium-sized museum, hires students
as gallery attendants.  All visitors pass by the museum store staff
(usually 1-2 students) when entering and leaving the museum.   All
artifacts and specimens are in cabinets usually with a variety
of security srews.  When the museum is closed, university security
guards are supposed to pass through the museum once every 8 hours.  It's not a great system, but we haven't figured out anything better that
is affordable and practicle.  We've looked into cameras, but don't
have staff to watch the monitors.

Jane MacKnight
Registrar
Idaho Museum of Natural History
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