I would also be interested in getting a copy of your pamphlet. Thank you in advance. Leslie A. Vollnogle Curator of Collections Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer -----Original Message----- From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of David Harvey Sent: Tuesday, October 27, 2009 12:18 PM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: [MUSEUM-L] Paranormal Investigation Policy Hi Jennifer, This is actually an area that I have been working on in the past year to formulate guidelines for both paranormal groups and museums and historic sites on these on-site investigations. I did an informal online survey on Museum-L back in the spring and received quite a number of responses from a variety of institutions. I have given two recent lectures on this - first at a paranormal conference in June and then at the annual meeting of the Western Association for Art Conservation this past August in Juneau, Alaska. There are benefits and concerns on both sides and I am working to bridge this so that there is increased awareness and sensitivity among all involved. I am actually in the middle of writing up my lectures into a pamphlet form. Once I have this new pamphlet finished I will be happy to send out PDF's to any who are interested. (I have one pamphlet that was written last year on doing Paranormal Research). I would be happy to talk to you about the specifics off the list - especially if you have some immediate concerns. Cheers! Dave David Harvey Senior Conservator and Museum Consultant Los Angeles, CA On Tue, Oct 27, 2009 at 9:33 AM, Jennifer Hurst <[log in to unmask]> wrote: Does anyone have a paranormal investigation policy that you can share? We have been inundated with requests for paranormal researchers to "study" our historic properties. Before we proceed further we would like to be as informed as possible so if anyone has any experience with this and any policies or guidelines in place that you could share would be much appreciated. Also, how do you deal with insurance for researchers? What do you charge? Do you make them sign a waiver? How much control do you have of the distribution of information gathered during the investigation? What kind of controls do you put in place? How do you screen these groups? Is it worth it? Does it affect site visitation? Has income and visibility increased? Thanks so much for the help! Jen <http://preservationvirginia.org/> <http://preservationvirginia.org/> <http://preservationvirginia.org/> <http://preservationvirginia.org/> Jennifer Hurst Statewide Education Coordinator PRESERVATION VIRGINIA 204 West Franklin Street Richmond, VA 23220 Phone: 804-314-7530 | Fax: 804-775-0802 E-Mail: [log in to unmask] | Web: preservationvirginia.org <http://preservationvirginia.org/> Connecting people and resources to ensure the continued vitality of Virginia's historic places ========================================================= 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).