>>>>From: Lori Allen [mailto:[log in to unmask]] Alcohol, despite the right-wing's position, is a big part of American history and to ignore or delete it from the story seems much like revisionist history to me. Please respond on or off list.<<<< It seems to me, you've answered your question right there! That's what you need to tell anyone who starts to object. I have a real problem with dumping the contents of containers if the museum is about the contents (like the Brown Forman Museum). If the collection object is the packaging, then by all means empty (even clean!) the packages. But to dump the contents when that's the "specimen" is like throwing out the bird and saving the box it was sent to us inside. So, in my mind, the question is whether you are maintaining a bottle collection (history of packaging) or a spirits collection (history of foodstuffs). If it's the latter, you just have to work harder at maintaining it safely. Those of us storing animals and plants can do it, so why not? Robin, a hard-core Pepsi fiend (de-caf or high-test, none of that diet stuff). Given a choice between coke, coffee, and nothing, I'll take nothing, thank you! Robin K Panza Section of Birds, Carnegie Museum of Natural History 4400 Forbes Ave. Pittsburgh PA 15213 USA phone: 412-622-3255 fax: 412-622-8837 [log in to unmask] ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).