I agree that we are a valid component of our community; the public
relizes costs involved and a donation or admission (which ever)
is not out of hand if within reason.

In fact, most people expect to pay or drop something in the
bucket.  Maybe a donation jar would pull in more/less than
admission -- that is another side of the story.  What works?

At 03:49 AM 5/29/96 -0400, you wrote:
>Dear Museum Professionals,
>
>I also work in a free museum and disagree with your concepts. We are a rural
>community and have the contemporary American adolesent problems of our age.
>Our museum staff could have doen what it appears that many of our fellow
>museum professionals are doing, staying out of sight behind our museums
>locked doors content to let the modern world and its problems pass by.
>Instead we endorsed to go forth and expose ourselves to our communities
>progeny. Exposing them to their heritage and culture which is contained
>within their community museum. Monetary concerns were never once an objective
>in tendering our communities history to its youth the program here in is
>unfunded.
>
>A monetary value, how does one place a price on a communities history or it
>treasures?
>When we as professionals begin to argue over a museums option to charge
>admission or not, then we have reduced our profession to a tacky and
>superficial level. Some collections are well worth tthe price of admission to
>pay for conservation. This decision is one best determined by the museum
>board and community as a whole. To make the statement that to not charge
>admission makes a museum worthless is out of line.
>
>We must remember why there are museums and that we are not in the
>entertainment business but are an extension of our communities education
>process. If the communities children are shunning your museum then you as a
>museum have shun the children long ago. If you wish children to place a value
>on their past then you must help them acquire an understanding of it through
>experience. To gain this experience the children must be given a chance to
>become a part of their community.
>
>The Union City Area Historical Society & Museum extended to our youth this
>chance through the student conservators program. We extended to students 6
>through 12th grade the ability to earn public service hours by assisting the
>museum with projects and conservation. The student came at first only to get
>out of classes at school, now they come on their free time Saturdays, Sundays
>and after classes. What did we offer them trust a sence of community and a
>place to learn self worth. They have become a strong influence working with
>staff developing new exhibits We went out into our community and the youth
>come freely to the museum not kicking and screaming. When class come from the
>schools the students see their fellows working as a part of the community not
>being pushed or bossed but accepted as staff.
>
>Our youth is our future if they are not a part of our community history and
>its museum operations, then why have a museum, who will care. The question
>here has nothing to do with fee or free but has everything to do with how the
>museum is presented. The museum has presented an object to expose students in
>a quiet learning manner a program which offered fun, responsibility and
>community values within the museum.
>The program does not always work, some students still come to see what they
>might steal ofr destroy. This is suppressed by their fellows standing guard
>over what they feel rightfully belongs to them the student conservators.
>
>You don't drag a child into a museum you entice them in and present them with
>the wonders of the world. Let me tell you that this is our job and it hard!
>The subject of money has nothing to do with children and museums. If you are
>doing your job the children will come.
>
>In closing, lets leave the subject of admission and the problems with todays
>children to other adults:Who have better things to do with their time than
>listento persons venting their personal hostilities and anger over choosing
>the wrong career.
>
>The UCAM Staff
>
>

John Martinson
[log in to unmask]
Work: Fort Walla Walla Museum
755 Myra Rd
Walla Walla, WA  99364
(509) 525-7703 (Work)

Let's not forget our past