I'm rather surprised at how many museums are listing donors on exhibit
labels.  For several reasons, we do not.  1), such a credit is regarded
as a condition of donation, and we insist on unconditional donations; 2)
exhibits such as a living room, general store front, etc. may contain
dozens if not hundreds of artefacts, and it would be impractical (not to
mention messy and extremely detracting!) to try to credit all donors to
such a display--and if you're only going to recognize some donors, how
do you draw that line?  Another reason; here in Canada we're bound by a
Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy (FOIPP) Act that
restricts the way personal information collection by a public body (ie.,
our museum) may be used--publicly linking a private individual with a
donated item may be in violation of FOIPP (for this reason, we've also
stopped answering casual questions like, "who donated the chesterfield
on exhibit?")

As an aside, a site I formerly worked at got embroiled in a family
dispute when one member donated a piano to the museum, and another
member of that family found out (through asking a museum employee) where
the piano came from.  Family Member #2 insisted that, although F.M. #1
was willed the piano, it did not rightfully belong to him/her, as the
mutual grandparent had intended to change the will, but died before
doing so.  Even though it appeared to us that the donor was properly
willed the piece, and did legally own it and had the right to donate it
to us, we still had to put up with F.M. #2 contacting the museum every
six months or so requesting the "return" of the piano.  I don't want to
think about the headaches this might have caused if F.M #2 was inclined
to pursue the matter through the courts.  Wouldn't ever had been an
issue if that site had a policy of not publicizing donor names.

Cheers,

------------------------------------------------------------
Tim McShane, Assistant--Cultural History
Medicine Hat Museum and Art Gallery
1302 Bomford Crescent S.W.
Medicine Hat, AB   T1A 5E6
Tel: (403) 502-8587
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