Non-profit boards answer to members, and ultimately to tax payers. In exchange for tax exempt status, non-profit museum boards have a responsibility to protect
and maintain the collections they hold in the public trust. I too have been one of the first, or the only, professional to work with several different boards, and you will find yourself constantly educating board members on museum standards and best practices.
That’s ok as they are usually well-intentioned lay people who are just not knowledgeable about typical museum issues and how things work industry-wide. You’ll have to decide which battles to fight, and what you can afford to walk away from. I always made
collection management an issue I was going to stand firm on, when possible.
Most of your items should be owned by the museum—which makes it unethical for the board to be so willing to let items be used in a parade. If the items are
on loan (a whole other can of worms…), then those items pose another set of issues regarding care and insurance (and should either be returned or donated). You’ve had a lot of other good suggestions too. You should see if you can get staff from another area
museum to become involved either as potential board members, volunteers, or trainers. Also identify which items in your collection are your “Picassos,” and which could be used in a hands-on education collection. You’re going to have some board members who
might not ever let this issue go (they’ll still complain about it years after you’ve moved on to a better job). Hopefully, you’ll find a quorum that “gets it” after a bit of education.
Good Luck,
Dani
--To identify, preserve, interpret, and promote the heritage of North Dakota and its people.
Danielle “Dani” Stuckle
Educational Programs and Outreach Coordinator
State Historical Society of North Dakota
North Dakota Heritage Center
612 East Boulevard Avenue
Bismarck, North Dakota 58505-0830
(701) 328-2794 (P)
(701) 328-3710 (F)
From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
On Behalf Of Rachael Ward
Sent: Friday, July 08, 2016 12:51 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [MUSEUM-L] Board Members and Artifacts
Michael,
Unfortunately ist is a non-profit board that answers to nobody, but I like your idea on bringing in an outsider to help educate. They might be willing to listen if they knew it wasn’t just me who was saying these things. Good idea. I will
have to try that.
-Rachael
On Fri, Jul 8, 2016 at 12:44 PM, Michael Rebman <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
Rachael,
Is this a non-profit board that answers to nobody else? Or is it a board that answers to a municipality or county government? If the former, you could hopefully educate them or find an outsider who can explain best standards and practices.
If the latter, you could ask the municipal or county government for a new board, since the board is not allowing you to do your job and is posing a direct threat to the safety of the artifacts held in public trust.
Michael R.
On Fri, Jul 8, 2016 at 11:19 AM, Rachael Ward <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
Hello All!
I am currently the director of a small historical society and museum where I am the first museum professional to be employed for their site. In a nut shell, there are no archival records of any sort, no collections room, collections policy,
no provenance for a majority of the artifacts - essentially I’m starting from the ground up. Which, as trying as it is at times, isn’t why I’m writing to you all.
The board of directors and I view the treatment of artifacts in drastically different manner. In the most recent scenario (and trust me when I say there are MANY scenarios), they came to me asking if they could use some of the artifacts
(props as they termed them), on a float for local township parades. I explained that the artifacts could be harmed or stolen by exposing them to all the manner of variables a parade brings (rain, falling off a wagon and breaking, someone snatching the artifact
when they weren’t looking), but they did not see the harm in this and continued to press the subject. I then tried to bring up other institutions and professional standards in the field of museums and let them know that it, quite frankly, is not acceptable,
again not changing their minds. They ultimately have the final say and so I have expressed to them that I would respect their decisions regarding artifact usage outside the confines of museum, as is their right as the board.
My question for you all is this: How do I convey to them that what they are choosing to do is harmful to the artifacts other than what I have already done? They claim to want to increase their professional standing in the museum community,
but are unwilling to listen to my professional advice. I have had my fair share of ‘interesting’ situations regarding, shall we say, eccentric boards in my career, but this takes the cake. I’m at a loss on how to help them understand the ways of our field.
Any advice on how you may have handled a similar situation would be greatly appreciated. I want to see this institution succeed, but right now that is looking rather bleak.
--
Rachael Ward
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--
Rachael Ward
Christian County Historical Society
Director
217.508.3557
"History is no longer a spotlight. We are turning up the stagelights to show the entire cast.”
-David McCullough
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