I am reminded of my "Fourth Law of Museum Work":

You can't save everything

Not every piece of material culture can go into a museum or be preserved,
and certainly not forever.  Choices -- and often difficult ones -- need to
be made about what is kept.  And even once in museums choices need to be
made about level of use ("total" preservation, exhibit, research,
destructive analysis).  And those choices may change over time: what was
once common may become rare and need more preservation and less use.

Janice Klein
Director, Mitchell Museum of the American Indian, Kendall College
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-----Original Message-----
From: Okiver V Hirsch <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Saturday, April 15, 2000 11:33 AM
Subject: Re: school books


>Mr. Weeks comment, while not reflecting a particularly scholarly
>attitude, reflects an outlook that has certainly given rise to
>labyrinthine scholarly pursuits over the centuries.  That is, had modern
>folk stored ephemera, say, in 17th century Florence, rather than carting
>books and the like off to the land (or water) fill, we would probably
>know a good bit more of importance than we do now.
>
>If one can't store "ephemera" that holds potentially
>interesting/informative/valuable information, then at least digitalize
>the material so that generations down the line can evaluate what is
>landfill-worthy, and what is important.  It is certainly too early for us
>to make that call.
>
>Oliver Hirsch
>Hirsch & Associates Fine Art Services, Inc.
>New York
.

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