So, I was hired as a Curator for a small museum that had long been
volunteer run. In the 1980s they had an AAM MAP assessment that told them
to accession their collection.  So, they did -- they accessioned EVERYTHING
from the copier to the office chairs to the actual artifacts AND loaned
items.
It was a record keeping NIGHTMARE!  We technically could not get a new
copier because the city council had to approve all deaccessions. So, there
I went with 20 page report justifying the deaccessioning of office
furniture, etc to the city council meeting and took up their valuable time
going through every item with them.

The moral of this story is...DON'T accession the gift shop! It's a gift
shop! The stuff is meant to be SOLD to unsuspecting tourists.  The story
you OUGHT to be collecting is NOT the story of the museum it's the story of
the town, the people, the buildings.  Don't curse future curators with
having to figure out what that was all about. It's NOT standard practice
-- ANYWHERE!

-- 
*Michelle Zupan*
Curator
Hickory Hill & the Tom Watson Birthplace
502 Hickory Hill Drive
Thomson, GA  30824
706-595-7777
FAX: 706-595-7177

Visit us at www.hickory-hill.org or on Facebook
<https://www.facebook.com/hickoryhillmuseum>.
Follow us on Twitter: HHEducation

Historic homes of the Watson-Brown Foundation, Inc
<http://www.watson-brown.org>.

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