Last August a researcher let us know about an artifact in a museum in
Colorado that may have belonged to an individual central to the biggest
story in our area. The staff was very excited about this info and my
registrar contacted the museum to see if we could obtain a photo, serial
number (item is a pistol) and the provenance. My registrar was told by the
curator there that the request would have to come in the form of a letter
from me, the museum director. I thought it a little odd that a director
would have to get involved in what is essentially a collection's staff
everyday procedure, but nevertheless in early October I wrote a letter to
the director of the museum requesting the above information. I explained the
importance to us of the pistol. 

Time passed without any response so in January I wrote a second letter and
attached the original letter. Still no response. The researcher who had
volunteered at the museum in the 70s (how he knew about the pistol), called
the director to see if he could get some action. No response. He called
again and the director asked that I call him after faxing a copy of the
original letter, which I did. (NOTICE THAT HE DID NOT OFFER TO CALL ME). In
my conversation with the director he laid it all on his curator... busy, on
vacation, thought it was taken care of, blah, blah, blah. Three weeks have
gone by and you guessed it... no response. 

Correct me if I am wrong but it is my understanding that museums are
supposed to work together. I know that our response to such a request would
have been answered as soon as possible. What also bothers me is the idea
that the museum in question is really tooting its own horn in an attempt to
get AAM conference attendees to take the long trip by Denver Light Rail to
their site in the spirit of collaboration! One additional item I noticed in
their board minutes, posted on their site, was the response by the director
to a question from a board member about whether the museum ever piggybacks
on the events of other organizations in the area. His response was, "...that
usually others piggyback on the museum." I suppose that is a telling remark. 

What do all of you think about this situation? The volunteer wanted to call
the director again and really let him have it, but I squashed that idea. My
only idea at this point is to write to the board members to make them aware
of the non-collaboration, or perhaps I should just let it die, especially
since I have now vented to this board!

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