Thanks Indigo.  Great ideas and topics and an interesting list again.  I'll
put in my wooden nickel's worth as "newbie" and Museology student on the top
ten list.

Thanks to Jay for a great contribution:

Jay wrote:
"5. Respect for all visitors and staff, regardless of:
        (a) the fancy letters that may or may not proceed or follow
their names;
        (b) where they were born or grew up;
        (c) what they look like;
        (d) who they love; and,
        (e) any other characteristics that have been used to divide
rather than unite."


However, I think this is the number one problem facing museums.

1) "R-E-S-P-E-C-T, Find out what it means to me..."  This basic elitism
causes or exacerbates reasons 2 -  10:

2) Limited funding / funding sources - Many capable of giving don't because
they don't view us as important since we don't reflect their            ; or
we don't even seek them out because we assume "those people" won't give
anyway or won't blend with our established donors.

3) An undiverse staff because "who you know" is more important than what you
know or are willing to learn.  The "old boy" or "old girl" network is alive
and well and limits who is accepted into this field.  Demands that those
entering the field work for free or wages insufficient to survive without
outside income sources and the further demands that even entry level
positions require advanced degrees eliminates anyone (white, black, Latino,
Asian, other) from a lower socio-economic background.  They simply can't
afford to work in the field, even if it is their life's dream.

4) An undiverse audience because many persons with lower education levels,
members of lower socio-economic backgrounds, and members of minority groups
don't identify with any of the staff or programming.

5) Esoteric programming that caters to experienced, educated, repeat
visitors and not the casual, average man on the street for fear that we are
"lowering our standards" by actually programming to appeal the masses and
building community rapport.

6) Spending thousands on fancy technology for interactives which only
overwhelm most visitors and showy displays with flashing lights / bells /
whistles while insisting that the registrarial, curatorial, research, and
administrative staffs make do with 386's and Windows 3.1 which severely
limits their ability to do their jobs effectively and efficiently.

7) The need to "keep up with the Jones's".  We have blockbustered,
architected, and acquired ourselves into a corner.  We have to get the
latest and greatest show, building, or object in order to attract numbers in
order to get funding in order to survive.   Meanwhile, our permanent
collections are under-utilized and our staffs over-worked.

8) Numbers as a primary qualification for funding rather than staff
diversity; audience diversity; community partnerships with schools, child
care centers, etc.; quality of educational programming and its availability
to the public; use of the permanent collection; service to the community;
and quality of exhibits; etc.

9) Unapproachable architecture designed to intimidate and instill awe rather
than welcome and embrace.  Insufficient facilities such as bathrooms,
baby-changing areas, "mommy rooms" for nursing mothers, complete handicap
accessibility, a wide range of dining services with quality food in all
price points, parking, and access to public transportation limit an
institution's appeal and some visitors' ability to participate entirely.

10) Untrained, unprofessional, undiverse Boards of Directors who are
uninvolved and/or overbearing and ego-centric.


Lori Allen,
Grad Student, UMSL

=========================================================
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).