Dear Emma,

I believe the basic statement you're referring to is exact, in a very realistic
sort of way.  Visitors have always come to museums; as a rule, they traditionaly
were a certain kind of visitors, members of an elite which associated itself to
museums and saw that association as a privilege.  What has changed is the context:
pressured by the demands of democratization and the trend toward commercialization,
museums are expected to attract more visitors.  For the first time in history, the
usual group of visitors is no longer sufficient and museums are transforming into
more user-friendly, attractive institutions.  In this new context, the visitor must
be catered to, attracted, satisfied and appreciated and anyone who still holds the
old elitist view has a serious need to be re-conected to reality - or shown a good
Service Standards policy.

Regards

Hervé Gagnon
Director-Curator
Colby-Curtis Museum
Stanstead (Québec)
Canada)

Emma McCartney a écrit:

> Dear Subscribers,
>
> It's been a while since my last listing and I thought I'd drop you all,
> or whoever happens to read this, a line.
>
> I'm currently trying to develop, in partnership with my Public Affairs
> Department, Service Standards for my organisation. These relate primarily
> to our visitors and the service we will try to ensure. However, through
> talks I have had with other organisations there is a feeling of - why
> bother. There reason being that,'visitors have come to Museums for years
> regardless of whether or not we operate Service Standards or similar'.
>
> Do you agree with this view? Or, like me do you feel that the visitor
> does matter and indeed without them the Museum is missing some of its
> potential vitality. Some may even say that without the visitor why have an open
> Museum but clearly that's another debate- perhaps for the future.
>
> Please drop me an E-Mail or a letter with your views and some ideas,
> suggestions and examples of how you include and encourage your visitors.
> And, if your organisation has produced Service Standards it would be
> great to have a look.
>
> With hope and anticipation
>
> Yours
>
> Emma McCartney
> Head of Visitor Services
> Royal Museum of Scotland
> Chambers Street
> Edinburgh
> EH1 1JF
> Tel: (Internatinal Code)0131 247 4100
> E-MAIL: <[log in to unmask]>