I think these need to  be taken a case at a time......obviously a private
non-profit museum in a rural area considers itself very lucky to have
knowledgeable volunteers since the government doesn't provide for staff
salaries.

 In other cases, urban museums with lots of prestige may have a waiting
list for volunteers.   They can be as choosy as they want to be.

Then there are government museums, and having directed two in the
Williamsburg VA area, I learned quickly that people expected to be paid for
the work ordinarily done by volunteers -- that was part and parcel of being
in a tourist economy.

----------
> From: Dill, Christopher L <[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Volunteers & Personal Collecting
> Date: Monday, August 25, 1997 9:36 AM
>
>      Ross Weeks said:  "The question is, when does a
>      volunteer relinquish the freedom of being a private
>      citizen?"
>
>      Hmmm.  We they cross the "barrier" into our secure
>      areas and start working with our artifacts?  When they
>      "go to work" for us, and become part of our public
>      relations team?  When they become something more than a
>      public level visitor to the museum, and, in fact,
>      become part of our crew - team - staff?  Any of these
>      will suffice for me :)
>
>      Obviously we're not going to do anything horrid to a
>      volunteer who collects in competition with us, but do
>      we want them representing us?  I don't, because their
>      loyalty is elsewhere.  Seems to me that the AAM Code of
>      Ethics has a whole section entitled "Loyalty and
>      Conflict of Interest," and specifically mentions
>      volunteers.  So does ours.
>
>      Chris Dill
>
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> State Historical Society of North Dakota
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