I understand that you can be overwhelmed by requests, however I do agree
that's it's essential that donors and the public be able to see any item
they wish. We have set guidelines that include giving us 2 weeks to respond
to requests to view an item that's in storage or buried in the stacks. We
share these guidelines with the public as well. IF in 2 weeks we can't find
a particular item then we tell the person the problem and that we will
continue looking. I don't think we've had an "irate" customer yet! Your
idea to put requests in writing seems reasonable and then to give yourself
a reasonable amount of time to complete the search and get back to the
patron. If you start saying NO to everyone it will have a negative
backlash.
Mary Ames Sheret
Southern Oregon Historical Society


>Greetings! I used to be a library manager for a small historical society.
>People would come often enough, asking to "view" their accessions. After
>tripping over boxes while trying to sort out the library (which had been
>piled up for years), I put a temporary stop to it by asking for the
>requests in writing. I had no staff and in grad school full-time. It was a
>mess.
>
>I am inclined to respond to a request in the negative. Once an item is
>donated, then the museum can essentially determine its fate. A letter
>stating the huge volume of collections makes it impossible to accommodate
>such a request should be sufficient. However, I want to hear Museum-Ler's
>thoughts on the subject. I'm sure others have come across such requests.
>Thanks in advance!!
>Jennifer L. Williams
>Independent Museum-type Person (IMP)
>Boone, NC
>
>
>          "I'm a doctor! Not an escalator!"