In this discussion, there was no mention of the progress made toward accreditation.  We expect to begin our "self-study" in December, 1998.  The North Carolina Transportation Museum is located at the former Spencer Yards (Southern).  Any ideas on the accreditation topic related to transportation museums and railroad museums would be appreciated.

Thom Rhodes
Executive Director, NCTM

-----Original Message-----
From:   Randall Hees [SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
Sent:   Thursday, February 19, 1998 6:30 PM
To:     [log in to unmask]
Subject:        Re: What do you call....

>On Tue, 17 Feb 1998, Mia Llarena wrote:
>
Our institution is in the process of preparing for accreditation.
There were some questions in our MAP evaluation in regard clarifying
department roles and functional responsibilities.  My question is:
What do you call the department that handles all curatorial,
collection, research and educational responsibilities?
>>
>> Thanks!

I think that what you call "it" is insignificant... The important issue
is defining who and what department is responsible for what... The MAP
process doesn't require you to have a specific organizational system,
nor to call a department by name accepted by the museum community.  It
is a review to make sure that you have systems in place, and to suggest
ways to improve.

When we went through a MAP I a couple of years ago we provided a
organizational chart...  and yes, we had the collection, research and
interpretive departments in one branch under the curator, and we called
it curatorial department.

Randy Hees, President
Society for the Preservation of Carter Railroad Resources (SPCRR)
PO Box 783, Newark CA 94560

A not-for-profit museum specializing in preserving and interpreting the
heritage of narrow gauge railroading of the Pacific Coast & equipment
built by the Carter Brothers of Newark California. Operating the last
regularly scheduled horse-drawn railroad at Ardenwood Historic Farm in
Fremont, CA.

Visit my web page "The Birth of California Narrow Gauge" at
http://www.netcom.com/~hees/NRRWGauge/main.html