On Wed, 31 Jul 1996, JHANDLEY wrote:

>     Dear Sally:
>
>     I think your comments are right on.  I was recently thinking about
>     another example similar to yours--many towns will raise huge sums
>     to build a community swimming pool, while the local museum is
>     struggling to survive.  This may be in part because museums are
>     still trying to shake old stereotypes--that museums aren't family
>     places.

      This thread has a whiny overtone that can't even be described as
self-serving, because it serves no one. If a museum is perceived as not
being a family place, this is not the fault of the families. It is the
fault of the museum staff for not making the institution inviting. It is
symptomatic of the us/them attitude that leads some librarians to try to
hide their books from the barbarians, i.e., the public.
      The purpose of a museum is not only to collect and conserve but to
entertain and inform. The value placed upon a museum by the public is a
reflection of the institution's perceived public service. If the museum
isn't attracting people, it isn't attractive: This is not a tautology but
an intractable fact. Get your house in order and you will have visitors.

     Hank Burchard * <[log in to unmask]> * Washington DC | USA