Having followed the discussion on museum guards, I would like to add a
comment on our experience with using graduate students as instructors and
guards at a university-owned natural history museum.
25 years ago we decided to hire graduate students in zoology on a part-time
basis instead of the traditional type guards, with the idea that they could
instruct and answer questions from the visitors in a qualified way.  Soon
afterwards we initiated a school-visiting program where classes were
instructed in the morning before the regular opening hours by the same
students that we use as quards.
This has worked rather well.  As teachers in the school program they have,
over the years, developed a number of new and innovative teaching schemes
that have definitely contributed to keeping us up to date, and they also
contribute to our week-end lectures for the visitors, often telling about
results of their oun M.Sc. or Ph.D. programs. The drawback is that the
students tend to be much more enthusiastic about teaching than about guard
duties, so sometimes we have to tell them rather loudly that they are
definitely also supposed to make their regular rounds in the exhibition area
as guards. After such an outburst thing work well enough for a reasonable
period of time.
All in all, we are satisfied with this arrangement which provides jobs
related to the study for the students and gives us a zoologically very well
qualified staff to meet the public.
 
Kay W. Petersen
Head, Exhibitions Department
Zoological Museum
University of Copenhagen, Denmark
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