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*


"History is no longer a spotlight. We are turning up the stagelights to
show the entire cast.”

 -David McCullough

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