Please Touch Museum(r)
Museum Resource/Research Room Questionnaire
Please fill out the questions by copying this section to a new message
then typing in your response and e-mailing the completed questionnaire
back to [log in to unmask] as soon as possible.
1. How was the importance of a resource/research room determined?
What process led to the decision?
We have such a number of archival documents and photos that it has been
considered an essential element of our public service to provide a
resource/research room.
2. What was involved in the planning of the resource/research room?
Feel free to mention anything you and others did.
It has been in existence so long that I don't know what planning was
involved. It existed before I worked here.
3. Who was involved in planning and designing the resource/research
room? What were their roles?
The archivist planned the space.
4. How was its location chosen? Is it connected to or near the
store? Are rest rooms and or water fountains nearby? Are you satisfied
with its placement?
We have always made do with whatever space was available and secure. It
was first on the 3rd
floor of the county courthouse, and is now is our "Franklin Co. Records
& Research Center."
This is a separate county-owned facility from our museums.
5. How was the resource/research room designed? What does it look
like? Describe
its important design features.
It is a large room with folding tables and comfortable but
stackable chairs and decent light. It is
A reading room. Articles to be examined are kept in other, safe
areas, and brought out to the
researchers.
6. What changes or adjustments in planning and design happened
along the way?
The room was also usable as a meeting room, so sufficient chairs,
a lecturn and a pull-down
screen were added to enhance its usefulness.
7. Is there a fee to use the services? What is the cost?
There is no cost.
8. How is it staffed? Are there any qualifying credentials that one
must have to be staffed there?
We staff it with our archivist, my office is there in case several
groups of researchers come, and more help is needed. There is usually a
volunteer or two working there.
9. Who are the intended users of the resource/research room? Who
actually uses the resource/research room? How extensively do they use
it?
Family researchers and local history researchers were the intended
users. That's pretty much who we get, though we also host elementary,
secondary, and college classes on occasion.
As the popularity of the internet has grown, we have equal numbers
of email contacts and live users.
10. Please describe what happens in your resource/research room.
People come in, are greeted and asked to sign in. We discuss what
items they need to consult, and they sit down in the reading room and
wait for us to bring the materials to them.
11. What materials are offered? What materials are most often used?
Are the materials connected to the exhibits? How?
We offer the use of all our materials, both primary and
secondary, though restrictions apply to
Some items which are restricted, such as county lunacy
records. Sometimes the users must don white cotton gloves to handle
delicate items.
12. Are these materials available to be lent out? How does the
lending out process work? - Are you happy with this system?
No, nothing circulates. We offer photocopies and scans of items
for a fee. The ever-increasing demand has created a time-consuming
activity, but that only requires more help.
13. Are you a collecting institution? Are there any collections
displayed in the resource/research room? Do the collections tie into the
exhibits in your gallery? How much space is allotted to the collections
in the resource/research room? How often are the collections changed
within the resource/research room, if at all?
We provide a changing number of artifacts from our archives to
the public library which puts them on display for a month or so. Their
traffic is so much higher than ours, it is the best use of these items.
14. Is your resource/research room child friendly? Are there
children's books or toys?
Are there any programs offered through the resource/research room? What
types of programs are offered if any?
While we do provide paper, crayons, markers and such, we don't
have a special children's area,
and I wouldn't call it especially child friendly. We have on our
education goals list the idea of
developing special tours of the records center for school
children, but that is not developed yet.
15. What aspects of the resource/research room have been the best?
What has worked less well? Is there anything that you would change or
add to the resource/research room and Why?
I would like to add a magnifier for people who have vision
difficulties, and I would like to have
microfilm copies of our county newspapers, but those are all
available at the public library. We
have the actual newspapers, but don't allow them to be handled,
due to their fragility.
Deborah Barker, director, Franklin County Historical
Society, Ottawa KS
From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
Behalf Of Danielle Harrison
Sent: Wednesday, March 05, 2008 12:45 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [MUSEUM-L] Research/Resource Room Questions
Hello to all,
If you are with a museum that does not currently have a
research/resource room please disregard this message.
If you are with a museum that currently has a research/resource room
please read on. This message is being sent to you in hopes of your
participation in an online questionnaire. I am an intern at the Please
Touch Museum(r). We are a children's museum in Philadelphia for children
7 years old and under. Our mission is learning though play. We are in
the process of expanding and moving to Memorial Hall in Fairmount Park,
Philadelphia. My main task at the museum is surveying other museums and
surveying professionals on the use of a research/resource room.
The questionnaire asks about the planning and daily operations of your
research/resource room. The questionnaire was designed so that the
Please Touch Museum could take the appropriate steps to create a solid,
functional, and well equipped Play Study Center. Planning intentions are
focused on the exchange of information between parents, child
caregivers, and professionals dealing with play in early childhood. The
Play Study Center at the Please Touch Museum will be a place where
professionals, parents or child caregivers can investigate and report on
diverse topics and uses of play. The below questionnaire has only
fifteen (15) questions and should not take much of your time at all.
Your time and contribution is deeply valued and will have a lasting
impression on our Play Study Center.
Thank You,
Danielle Harrison
Please Touch Museum
Play Study Center Intern
Please Touch Museum(r)
Museum Resource/Research Room Questionnaire
This questionnaire was designed so that the Please Touch Museum could
take the appropriate steps to create a solid, functional, and well
equipped Play Study Center. Planning intentions are focused on the
exchange of information between parents, child caregivers, and
professionals dealing with play in early childhood.
The Play Study Center at the Please Touch Museum is a place where
professionals, parents or child caregivers can investigate and report on
diverse topics and uses of play.
Your involvement in this research is greatly appreciated and will have
an enduring impression on our Play Study Center.
Please Touch Museum(r)
Museum Resource/Research Room Questionnaire
Please fill out the questions by copying this section to a new message
then typing in your response and e-mailing the completed questionnaire
back to [log in to unmask] as soon as possible.
16. How was the importance of a resource/research room determined?
What process led to the decision?
17. What was involved in the planning of the resource/research room?
Feel free to mention anything you and others did.
18. Who was involved in planning and designing the resource/research
room? What were their roles?
19. How was its location chosen? Is it connected to or near the
store? Are rest rooms and or water fountains nearby? Are you satisfied
with its placement?
20. How was the resource/research room designed? What does it look
like? Describe
its important design features.
21. What changes or adjustments in planning and design happened
along the way?
22. Is there a fee to use the services? What is the cost?
23. How is it staffed? Are there any qualifying credentials that one
must have to be staffed there?
24. Who are the intended users of the resource/research room? Who
actually uses the resource/research room? How extensively do they use
it?
25. Please describe what happens in your resource/research room.
26. What materials are offered? What materials are most often used?
Are the materials connected to the exhibits? How?
27. Are these materials available to be lent out? How does the
lending out process work? - Are you happy with this system?
28. Are you a collecting institution? Are there any collections
displayed in the resource/research room? Do the collections tie into the
exhibits in your gallery? How much space is allotted to the collections
in the resource/research room? How often are the collections changed
within the resource/research room, if at all?
29. Is your resource/research room child friendly? Are there
children's books or toys?
Are there any programs offered through the resource/research room? What
types of programs are offered if any?
30. What aspects of the resource/research room have been the best?
What has worked less well? Is there anything that you would change or
add to the resource/research room and Why?
Thank You
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Important Subscriber Information:
The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes).
If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).
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