In addition to the care of the objects, take care of your volunteers feelings - unless you can afford to do without them.  We ran into the same problem here - volunteers who felt they had been doing a good job for 20 years.    The first step, professional staff took was to stop all touching, moving, etc which led to a lot of hurt feelings and volunteers quitting.  We are now trying to explain the importance of accuracy (historic, based on research, not what you think it oughta be), the differences between restoration, conservation and "fixin' it".  I have found that the more you talk to them about why we do what we do and more importantly why we don't do what we don't do, the more volunteers will understand and work with you, not against you.  We have also separated our collection into core or original collection (meaning don't touch at all), supplemental collection and educational collection (you can pick it up and play with it).  Our collections policy covers many of these topics as well.

Bronwen Sanders
Mifflinburg Buggy Museum
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Julie Blood 
  To: [log in to unmask] 
  Sent: Thursday, January 29, 2009 11:28 AM
  Subject: [MUSEUM-L] Restoration Policy


  My museum has a large collection of agricultural equipment (e.g. tractors, combines, trucks, etc).  I have a group of volunteers who do all of the restoration work.  Since I am new to the museum I am hearing that the volunteers do not always accurately restore the equipment to the way it was.  I was wondering if anybody else has run into this problem and if so how did you handle it?  I am also looking to implement a restoration policy, any help on this would be appreciated!  Have a great day!

   

  Thanks,

  Julie

   

   

  Julie Blood

  Collections and Exhibit Manager

  San Joaquin County Historical Society & Museum

  P.O. Box 30, Lodi, CA 95241

  (209) 331-2055   

  (209) 953-3460

  [log in to unmask]

  www.sanjoaquinhistory.org 

   

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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).