In article <[log in to unmask]>, Diane Gutenkauf
<[log in to unmask]> writes
>Fascinating
>
>I never thought of the list as a source of either community or peer review
>of label text before. :-)

But it's a thought, isn't it.  Those of us who pay the phone company for
every minute spent downloading wouldn't welcome hearing the panel-by-
panel account of a 'book on the wall' exhibition posted to the list, but
I, and I imagine others, would be happy to run an eye over texts for
others, and would appreciate it the service was available.

Of course, in our want-ads for reviewers, would have to be clear about
target audiences, aims and so on.  We also would have to specify whether
we are looking for a subject specialist to make sure we aren't saying
something stupid about items or offending anybody, or whether we are
looking for somebody who knows nothing at all about the subject area,
and is thus ideal for jargon-stripping (personally, I tend to use my
husband and the conservator for the latter - I am sure both are fed up
with being asked if they understand such textile terms as 'pinking').

As someone who has reasonable Italian, but who is otherwise limited to
asking for a glass (or bottle) of dry white wine in most of the
languages of Europe, I am very, very, greatful to those museums which
translate their labels into English - I would, therefore, be more than
happy to run my eye over translations.

Best wishes to all.
--
Pat Reynolds
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   "It might look a bit messy now, but just you come back in 500 years time"
   (T. Pratchett)