Gosh, I guess I should have added a ;-) to indicate heavy irony in
my post about written rules of behavior, though I do think it would
be more honest to post them than to descend without warning on
people when they "misbehave." And why is it bigoted to question the
imposition of rules of behavior that often have little to do with
present-day museum missions? You can change your message to be an
inclusive and liberatory one all you want, and thereby attempt to
break free of Whiggishness, but if you still demand hushed silence
and awestruck attitudes you are still imposing a very specific
behavioral code that counters the message. What we need to figure
out is how the museum can be made a more relaxed and welcoming
learning space without endangering the objects in the museum's care
or the visitors themselves.

Pat Galloway
MS Dept of Archives and History