We have several smallish storage units scattered around campus. Scholars
are only interested in items in our main unit, closest to our offices. We
weigh each request based on staff availability, study space availability,
and which object is being requested.  If it is small and easily moved, I
will bring the object to the scholar inside a room in the gallery space.
For larger, heavier pieces it is not worth the risk of moving the object,
so the visitor is allowed supervised access to storage.  They don't stay
long, though, as it is uncomfortable for humans--no seating and somewhat
chilly.

We ask for prior notification, a legitimate purpose (book, paper, etc.),
and a willingness to abide by our rules and regulations.  We are part of a
private university, so we are not obliged to show the collection to anyone,
but we do try to accommodate as often as possible as a measure of good will
and professional support between colleagues.  Besides, our little
collection is varied and the museum benefits from scholarly visits--we add
object and artist information to our files.

Jennifer Jaskowiak
Curator
Fisher Gallery
University of Southern California



>Hi! I'm wondering what kinds of policies (formal or otherwise) other
>museums have for permitting public access to collections.  And when I
>say *public* I mean the general, lay public and/or collectors who have a
>strictly personal interest in viewing portions of a collection.  In
>facilitating a visit by some pottery collectors several issues (such as
>"why don't you have more on display?" and "why don't you allow more
>public access to this collection") came up, which I addressed. He's
>written back to complain about our parsimony in the display of the
>pieces and allowing public access.  In my reply, I'd like to give him a
>sense of other museums' policies.
>
>Anybody care to share?  Thanks in advance.
>
>Stacey Otte
>Deputy Director
>Catalina Island Museum
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>310-510-2414