As the past president of the Association of College and University Museums and Galleries (ACUMG) I have spoken with many colleagues who share this same predicament. Though there is a justifiable tendency to give in and not bite the hand that feeds you, educating the president about our profession's standards and practices will often do the trick. You could mention to him/her that to loan artworks to their home would be much the same as if your librarian were asked to loan a rare book to be put on display for guests in the president's home to page through. (Or a moon rock from the Astronomy Dept. or a rare dinosaur fossil, etc.) Many of us have found that when we alert the president to the extra care we must give to the works under our protection they understand our plight. That said, some academic colleagues have found that there are always some pieces in the collection that can be loaned, if the conditions are right. (Security in the president's mansion is usually not an issue-- but humidity can be.) Many have recognized that what the president is really borrowing is prestige. You could make a special loan for a special fund-raising occasion and ask to be invited. You could even give the president and his/her guests a behind the scenes tour of the museum and vault. There are no pat answers to this timeless quandary. After all, we do want the boss to be happy--and raise money. LES REKER, Executive Director ART MUSEUM OF GREATER LAFAYETTE -----Original Message----- From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Dr. Elizabeth A. Moore Sent: Thursday, September 18, 2003 4:10 PM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: university museum office loans standards? I swear, why does nearly every new President/Executive Director/Secretary/etc. have to do this? Can't there be a manual written for them with things NOT to do your first time on the job? Elizabth ----- Original Message ----- From: Bonni-Dara Michaels <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Thursday, September 18, 2003 7:21 AM Subject: FW: university museum office loans standards? The University with which we are affiliated has a new President who would like to decorate his office (and possibly his home) with works from the collection. Our practice has always been to refuse such requests. Are there any official published guidelines - AAM or ACUMG - we can quote in support of our position? Bonni-Dara Michaels Collections Curator Yeshiva University Museum 15 West 16th Street New York, New York 10011 Tel: 212-294-8330 x 8815 ========================================================= 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). ========================================================= 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). ========================================================= 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).