Dear Listers,

We currently use the AAM Standard Facilities Report to provide
information about our exhibit areas and also request that it be filled
out and provided to us from other museums wishing to borrow exhibits
from us.  The SFR provides the questions, but no guidelines or
recommendations for interpreting the answers provided.

I did not see any guidelines or recommendations for environmental
conditions for various kinds of exhibits (object-based, non-object
based, art, natural history, etc.) on the AAM website.  We have several
books and references discussing environmental concerns.  There is no
shortage of relevant literature, it's just that most of it gives you
lots of information and then you are left come up with your own
guidelines.  We have come up with our own guidelines but would like
something that has the weight of a formal publication behind it to
distribute to our exhibit designers and exhibit team members. While
every museum will have different concerns and needs, surely there must
be some concise set of "industry standards" that we could use.  I would
think this would be especially useful for small museums or historic
sites who don't have trained collections or conservation staff.

My question is this:  Does anyone know of a single document that gives
environmental recommendations or guidelines for exhibits?  If so, where
can I get a copy?  I'm not on the exhibits group from AAM so I don't
know if that group has prepared something or not.

Thank you in advance for any insight you may have.

Elizabeth

Dr. Elizabeth A. Moore
Curator of Collections and Archaeology
Virginia Museum of Natural History
1001 Douglas Avenue
Martinsville, VA  24112
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(276) 666-8634


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