On 23 Jan 1995, Robin Panza wrote:
 
> In article <[log in to unmask]>, [log in to unmask]
(Patricia Reynolds) writes:
> > In article <[log in to unmask]>
> >            [log in to unmask] "Hank Burchard" writes:
> > Replying to Susan Patterson's post of Sun, 15 Jan 1995
> >>      As a professional museum visitor I am delighted that someone on the
> >> inside of the business is taking a fresh look at the role of guards. Most
> >> museums model their guard forces on police forces, which seems reasonable
> >> until you think about it.
> >>      Security is in reality a rather minor function of museum guarding.
> >> Aside from the occasional exuberant child, teenage vandal or nutso,
> >> visitors present virtually no danger to themselves or the collections.
>
> I agree that guards to a lot more than police work, and I'm in no position to
> comment on vandals and nuts, but exuberant children are NOT an occasional
> phenomenon.  Most of my work day is behind closed doors, but virtually every
> foray into public areas shows children running (and tripping), climbing on
> exhibits, trying (not always successfully) to get past barriers and grope the
> exhibits, and climbing up the "fence" that protects people from a 4-story
fall
> at our front and rear airwells.  I have seen children breaking off plants and
> prying up pebbles from exhibits that are not behind glass.  Throughout this,
> parents make little or no effort to stop (much less prevent) such behavior,
so
> it becomes necessary for our guards to intervene.
 
      RP, it sounds to me like a great part of the difficulties you're
having there at Carnegie Institute are as much a result of poor design as
of poor parenting. And in any case, guards should be able to deal with
such problems whether they're in  "security mode" or "docent mode."
      And I think I detect in the tone of your message a considerable
element of the defensive and somewhat derisive "us against them" attitude
that I find all too common among museum administrators--and which is all too
commonly transmitted to the security staff, reinforcing their cop mentality.
      Try looking at visitors as an opportunity rather than as a problem.
What's a museum for, anyway?
 
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Hank Burchard * Weekend Section * The Washington Post
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