At 12:16 PM 5/13/97 -0400, you wrote:
>Has anyone out there ever introduced audio tapes in their museums and as a
>result had docents feel displaced?  How did you deal with the issue before,
>during and after the audio tapes were produced.  Thanks.
>
>

Great question!  We are going to pilot our first audiotape tour this summer
and discussed the issue thoroughly with our staff and the docents before
deciding to go ahead.

We determined that at our facility the audience for docent tours is
primarily large groups booking in advance, but that the audience for an
audiotape tour would be individuals coming on the spur of the moment and
wanting something more in-depth than the printed didactics could offer.  (we
don't normally have docents hanging around waiting to give tours--our
visitation levels are too unpredictable)  We also decided to offer the
audiotape tour for rent at the same price as a docent tour ($2.50 per person).

We are going very low tech on this--Walkmen rented with a driver's license
given as a "security deposit" along with the rental fee--just to see how it
will work.  We will have 3-5 sets available.  The maiden voyage will be at
the end of July, so I am interested to hear how others' experiences are so
we can anticipate our own.

Julia Moore
Director of Exhibitions and Artist Services
Indianapolis Art Center