Robert, you are right! BUT: there are more ways to skin a cat! There are
always more than two alternatives etc.
The question, we were confronted with, was: should we (museum) charge the
full costs (manpower, preservation costs, activity to get objects and
pictures etc.) for minor services like the private sector (gardening) is
doing, even "triple" the prize as was stated or should we refrain from it.
If, why?
My answer: If a museum gets part of its money from the public via taxes,
then part of the costs are already covered. If a museum is strictly private,
it is morally entitled to get the complete costs. BUT: of course, it is also
a market game: too high the price, too few the publications, hence too few
distribution of cultural knowledge.
BUT: thanks you for all the thoughts - I ( and I hope also others) learn a
lot from diverse and different point of views.
Peter, the Rebernik
+---------------------------------------------------
| PHAROS International - Bureau for Cultural Projects
| Peter Rebernik, Dipl.-Ing.
| Anton Baumgartnerstr. 44/C2/3/2; A-1230 Wien / AUSTRIA
| Tel.: (... 43 1) 667 7375; Fax: (... 43 1) 667 2984
| Mobiltel.: (... 43 664) 230 2767
| E-Mail: [log in to unmask]; Web: http://www.rebernik.at
+------------------------------------------------------
-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
Von: Robert T. Handy <[log in to unmask]>
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.museum-l
An: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Datum: Donnerstag, 14. Mai 1998 14:26
Betreff: Re: User Fees?, Natural History
>Peter,
>
>Put this in the context of the late and current "tax revolt" (something led
>by industry for their own purposes, into which a large number of citizens
>were drawn (duped?). The message I would like to shout from the rooftops
>is: "People, if you don't want to pay universally, in relatively small
>amounts, then you must pay individually for the services that would
>otherwise be covered by tax revenues."
>
>The logical conclusion to this tax revolt would be that those who live on a
>given street will have to pay for the repairs to that street. If one holds
>out, the street doesn't get fixed (I once lived on a street like that).
>
>Pity the government-supported agencies that will lose from this approach,
>to say nothing of those who won't be able to afford our entrance fee. Only
>those who can will be admitted--and we will soon go broke and close our
>doors to everyone.
>
>But the People have spoken! Get government off our backs! Lower our
>taxes!
>
>Looking forward to your response.
>
>
>------
>Robert Handy
>Brazoria County Historical Museum
>museum_bob
>[log in to unmask]
>http://www.bchm.org
>
>----------
>From: Peter Rebernik[SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
>Sent: Wednesday, May 13, 1998 4:21 PM
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: User Fees?, Natural History
>
>About those user fees for getting prints or pictures from museums.
>When I was working as a director in a museum I had the same thoughts: if
>somebody wants our services, let them pay, we can use it, we are a poor
>museum. We deserve it, because we keep the objects (sometimes in good shape
>for more than ten years) and provide the pictures. For somebody, who always
>worked in museums, the sums private entrepreneurs get for their (e.g.
>gardening) work, seems horribly high.
>But, and there is of course a big BUT: But if you are working not in a
>museum, if you are working on a day to day basis, trying to sell your
>services without getting your monthly pay for sure, then things seem
>different. Namely, if museums people would also get their pay only per task
>done efficiently and according to some client, their view on their tasks
>would change dramatically.
>Or put it that way: The tax payers pay for (non-profit) museums, they pay
>for the task to keep the object, but also to show them and to bring them to
>public use. If somebody wants to get a simple picture - for his share of
>tax - or for the other tax payers, why should he pay again the full amount
>of costs for keeping and preserving the object, for making a picture etc.?
>It seems a too simple answer, to say: we in the museum do our job, so
>everybody who wants something, has to pay for it.
>Maybe, somebody should put the two (or more) sides of the question together
>and share it with us. Its a problem or a question, which seems to run deep
>into the relationship of society, economy and cultural duties. I am sure
>the
>answer cannot be found alone in the museum community.
>Thanks for reading,
>Peter, the Rebernik
>
>+---------------------------------------------------
> | PHAROS International - Bureau for Cultural Projects
> | Peter Rebernik, Dipl.-Ing.
> | Anton Baumgartnerstr. 44/C2/3/2; A-1230 Wien / AUSTRIA
> | Tel.: (... 43 1) 667 7375; Fax: (... 43 1) 667 2984
> | Mobiltel.: (... 43 664) 230 2767
> | E-Mail: [log in to unmask]; Web: http://www.rebernik.at
>+------------------------------------------------------
>-----Ursprungliche Nachricht-----
>Von: Amalyah Keshet <[log in to unmask]>
>Newsgroups: bit.listserv.museum-l
>An: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
>Datum: Dienstag, 12. Mai 1998 12:07
>Betreff: Re: User Fees?, Natural History
>
>
>>A few suggestions:
>>
>>1. Price out how much it will cost you in terms of man-hours and
>materials
>>to accomodate the client. If that looks like a too-modest sum, double it
>>or triple it: this will be the client's contribution to your institution
>>towards the cost of accomodting those non-profit entities who receive your
>>services free.
>>
>>2. Find out what local professional consulting rates are in a somewhat
>>analogous field. Charge that, per hour. (Sometimes it's startling to
>>realize what a trainer or astrologer or garden designer gets...basically
>>for what museum people give away free: professional consulting services.)
>>
>>3. Enquire at your university if any other departments "sell" access or
>>consulting services (facilities rental? career counseling? special
>>events?) You may have a precedent right next door in one of the science
>>departments: find out how much your or another lab paid to an outside
>>source the last time they needed to buy professional services.
>>
>>4. Take into consideration the cost of acquiring and preserving the
>>objects to which you will be providing access, and the cost of compiling
>>the information on the objects, to which you will also be providing
>access.
>> That is, don't forget that your "product" is very expensive.
>>
>>Hope this helps. Opinions mine, not neccessarily that of my employer, etc.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>At 08:59 11/05/98 -0600, you wrote:
>>>Most usage of our natural history collections is by nonprofit entities,
>but
>>>we've had a recent request for access to our comparative collections (to
>be
>>>used for identification of archaeological bone) by a for-profit outfit.
>>We are
>>>required to charge a reasonable fee for usage of the collections by
>>commercial
>>>organizations, but have had no recent experience in determining what is a
>>>reasonable charge. I would appreciate any information about fee levels
>>charged
>>>for similar services by nonprofit organizations.
>>>
>>>Art Harris
>>>--
>>>Laboratory for Environmental Biology,
>>>Centennial Museum of Natural & Cultural History
>>>University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968-0519
>>>Phone (915) 747-6985, 747-6835 Fax (915) 747-5808 e-mail:
>[log in to unmask]
>>>
>>amalyah keshet
>>head of visual resources
>>(photographic services / rights & reproductions)
>>the israel museum, jerusalem
>>[log in to unmask]
>>fax: +972-2-670-8064
>>visit our web page: www.imj.org.il
>>
>
|
