There must be a university museum at Penn State whose staff could help.  The
last time I visited this museum, years ago, it was more of a curiosity
although I am sure it has developed further.
Ross Weeks Jr.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Daniel Uncles" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, November 30, 2000 6:45 PM
Subject: Help defining professional museum standards


> My Name is Daniel Uncles.  I am a senior majoring in American Studies at
> Penn State University.
> Currently I am interning at the Boal Mansion Museum and Columbus Chapel in
> Boalsburg Pa.  I am trying to define professional museum standards and see
> how our museum measures up to these standards.  My first question is: Are
> there widely accepted museum standards? IF so how do you follow them?
> Let me tell you about our museum.  The home was built in the 1790's and
> added onto in the 1890's.  The museum includes a home; three outside
exhibit
> rooms, and the Columbus family Chapel.  The Chapel contents come form the
> Columbus Castle in Asturias, Spain and were inherited in 1908 through a
> Columbus family connection.  Among the contents of the chapel are an
> Admiral's Desk, which belonged to Christopher Columbus, European oil
> paintings and statues from the 14th through 17th centuries and two pieces
of
> the True Cross, which were given to the Columbus family in 1817 by the
> Bishop of Leon in Spain.
> The Museum contains the original furnishings, papers, portraits, tools and
> weapons of nine generations of the Boal Family, who were instrumental in
> building and shaping the central Pennsylvania region.  We have many needs
> spanning form preservation to presentation.  Every aspect of how our
museum
> is run must be reviewed and reconsider, from docent training and the tour
> script, to displays and security.  If you have a historic house museum do
> you run programs at your site?  Do you let people sit on the furniture?
Do
> you have a strict tour script, or do you have several scripts for varying
> groups?  Do you have items that have been removed from display when their
> monetary or research value outweighs their display value? (Especially if
> they are not "shown" on the tour)  Do museums keep rare books on
> bookshelves, or do they lend them to the local archives?  How can you best
> cope with climate control and security when you have almost no budget?
How
> can you better approach fundraising?  If anyone can help that would be
> greatly appreciated, even if you recommend a book we should purchase.
> Please respond to the list or personally at [log in to unmask]
>
>
>
>
>
>                                   Thank You
>
>
>
>
>                                   Daniel Uncles
>
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