The following questions were asked in the HELP?! column of the most recent
issue of Spectra, the quarterly journal of the Museum Computer Network.
They were asked anonymously by members of MCN.  If you would care to
contribute answers to the column for any or all of the questions, your
response is welcome.  It is subject to editing for clarity and/or length.
You will be credited for your contribution UNLESS YOU NOTIFY ME OTHERWISE.
Thank you in advance for your contribution!

Suzanne Quigley
Spectra editor
[log in to unmask]

Question 1.  Please point me in the direction of someone who has had
experience linking up a museum's remote sites for office automation, email,
collection information sharing, etc.  I'd rather not use modems to connect
if possible.

Question 2.  I would like to know whether people are thinking of charging
for some of their information available on the Internet.  If so, how are
they planning to do this, what types of things will they be charging for,
what kinds of rates are they charging, what policies are they putting in
place re this, etc.  (We are considering having some information available
free and more comprehensive or detailed information available for a fee.)

Question 3.  How are museums restructuring internally to accommodate the
new workload demands imposed when offering network information services?

Question 4.  We are contemplating putting up permanent collections records
on the Internet, but there have been numerous reservations expressed by
various different staff members, e.g. will donors object to their names
being publicized; will it result in more loan requests; will people
(funders, maybe) be critical of collection balance (too many of this
artist, for example).  I'd be interested in hearing from museums who have
put up their collection records on a web-site as to what their experiences
have been.   Or maybe equally valid to ask if any other museums have put up
their collection records yet?  By the by, I'm not interested in
"selections" from the permanent collection...we've already done that ..more
the politics of putting up your entire collection, both from the point of
view of intra-museum reservations (and were any of the fears justified), as
well as to public use and perception.