My experience with locations has been that a gift shop should always be
positioned in a transitional space so that visitors are encouraged to stop on
their way in or out. From a strictly mercantile point of view, it encourages
spending. From a more institutional perspective, provided your gift shop has
quality merchandize, it creates a nice image.

Should shops have an educational potential? I personnaly believe so. For
example, we sell local crafts, victorian reproductions but also a vast array
of reference books ont the victorian period, local history and antiques.
Depending on your institution's mission and policies, you might even entertain
the notion of selling antiques - as long as they are not pieces you would have
acquired for your museum's collection.  We've been doing it for a bit over a
year with surprizing success.

Hervé Gagnon, Ph.D.
Director-Curator
Colby-Curtis Museum
Stanstead (Québec)
J0B 3E0

Mark Erik Nielsen a écrit:

> I sent a post out a few days ago asking for responses to the idea of
> having the gift shop located in the lobby area of the museum. I got a few
> good responses but I was hoping to get more. So far the responses are all
> in favor of the lobby location. Some interesting issues for discussion:
> Does the gift shop have an educational potential?  Would the shop create a
> good transitional space between the world and the museum?
>
> **************************************************************************
> Mark Nielsen
> Exhibit Designer/Preparator
> University of Michigan Museum of Art
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