The story in "The Times" quoted by Jadran is wrong on one key point.

Thanks to a combination of continuing cuts in the central government
grants that pay for up to 90% of English local government funding, and a
mania for creating mega-departments covering up to a dozen traditional
services, the post of Museum Director has been virtually wiped out over
the past decade or so, with at least 100 directorships being replaced by
jobs at a far lower status (and salary) within other departments of the
local authorities.

The result is that there are now major international - indeed world class
- museums and collections in which the new "Head of Museums" is at third
or even fourth tier of responsibility, who have little or no effective
control of, and little influence over, policy or finance, and are paid
salaries that are a mere fraction of those of just a few years ago,
(which in turn means much fewer promotion opportunities and far lower
salary prospects for other staff of these devastated museum services).



Patrick Boylan

===========================

On Mon, 30 Jul 2001, Jadran Kale wrote:

> Hard-up museums are left leaderless
> The Times, July 30 2001
>
> Regional museums housing some of the nation's finest treasures are unable
> to attract directors because of a lack of funding.
>
> While billions of pounds in public funding continue to pour into London and
> the South East, cuts in staff and opening hours are the reality for
> impoverished museums in the North.
>
> The situation has become so serious that three important directorships have
> fallen vacant and not one senior curator from a national collection in
> London appears to be showing any interest.  (...)
>
>
> http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/0,,2-2001260999,00.html
>

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