I know that several of my conservation colleagues in the UK wholeheartedly
advocate starting your collections training at the level of the
maintenance and building crews, who (as Robbin points out) are one of the
most overlooked and essential links in preventive conservation. Are we
guilty in larger museums of a creeping elitism when it comes to dealing
with our fellow workers? As is being brought out so well in this
discussion, a museum has to be a holistic entity. If everyoner isn't
working toward prservation, then it is doomed because everyone is working
at cross purposes. And, if this is our mission, we need to tell people
inside as well as outside why it's important and what their roles (that's
right: THEIR roles) in this are. I'm all for training from the ground
level up instead of from the top down, because I see precious little
trickle-down effect and no real knowledge of who we are or what we do. We
make "them" part of "us", and part of the problem is solved. I think. But
I've always worked in public-trust institutions and have to keep reminding
curators that they are not the owners of their materials. Comment?
Sally Shelton
 
P. S. Cited in the eponymous mystery "Trophies and Dead Things":
Vain the ambition of kings
Who seek by trophies and dead things
To leave a living name behind
And weave but nets to catch the wind.
 
--Attributed to 17th century English poet John Webster; any more
information on the poem or poet appreciated. Send to me directly. Un mil
gracias...sys