I wrote an article on this complex issue called, "Hands-on or Hands-off?" for Curator about 1990.  It includes a description of the cataloguing process at the Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia, so you may wish to contact them to see how the program has developed and changed during the past decade.

 

Max A. van Balgooy

Director of Interpretation and Education

National Trust for Historic Preservation

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Wayne Motts [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Friday, June 21, 2002 12:28 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Educational Collections Issues

 

I am the curator of an institution that has a very active educational program. We have a separate educational collection of artifacts and material that is used for educational purposes. I am only recent to the organization. These objects are kept in the museum database and are noted as part of the educational collection. My question to the group is does anyone else have a similar set-up? Should these objects be accessioned into the actual museum? Should these objects be accepted just as a donation to the educational department for them to use as they see fit? Previous curator have removed items from use that they deemed unsuitable for the educational collection because of the condition or value of the artifact. I received to large maps for the educational department yesterday that were done in the WPA era. These are large, say 4 feet tall by 6 feet long. They are not to me museum quality, nor do they really match our collection policy. The eductional director wishes these for her purposes. What advice can the group give me about these issues for educational collections.

Thanks,

Wayne Motts

 

 

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