In article <[log in to unmask]>, [log in to unmask] (R
norv) says:
...
>One of the money-spinning ideas arising from the meetings involved
>encouraging school group visits.   I heard one of these groups being told
>that the holes (stomata) in plant leaves were there to let in the light.
>
>Has anyone else noticed a similar trend ?
>
...
I've seen institutions lose technical expertise in the past, partly because
management didn't think it was important, and partly because the naturalists,
historians, educators, whatever, didn't make their contribution known in the
organisation.
It may be a trend that the war baby cohort is retiring, and better-dressed
boomers with different
ideas are replacing them. I'm not sure what trend you were referring
to--retiring
naturalists, suits, school programmes, or stomata.
It seems that the visitors do value expertise however. Open house, 'meet the
curator'
programmes usually have attentive audiences. THey may not want a verbal thesis,
but at
least the feeling that they are getting the 'truth'.
I have found that expertise is an important factor in why people visit museums,
and
we have begun to stress knowledge about the exhibits for the visitor services
floor
staff, as it is correlated to overall visitor satisfaction.
Institutions that are not in touch with their visitors can easily let slip away
the things that give them value in people's eyes. It sounds like your museum
may
be doing this--unfortunate.
You didn't say what your job was in your museum. I presume you don't wear a
suit :-)

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Doug Hoy              Evaluation           National Museum of
[log in to unmask]              &              Science & Technology
(613)998-6863v         Research       P.O.Box 9724, Station T
(613)990-3654f                          Ottawa K1G 5A3 CANADA
**Opinions expressed are not necessarily shared by the NMSTC**
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