I know that several of my conservation colleagues in the UK wholeheartedly advocate starting your collections training at the level of the maintenance and building crews, who (as Robbin points out) are one of the most overlooked and essential links in preventive conservation. Are we guilty in larger museums of a creeping elitism when it comes to dealing with our fellow workers? As is being brought out so well in this discussion, a museum has to be a holistic entity. If everyoner isn't working toward prservation, then it is doomed because everyone is working at cross purposes. And, if this is our mission, we need to tell people inside as well as outside why it's important and what their roles (that's right: THEIR roles) in this are. I'm all for training from the ground level up instead of from the top down, because I see precious little trickle-down effect and no real knowledge of who we are or what we do. We make "them" part of "us", and part of the problem is solved. I think. But I've always worked in public-trust institutions and have to keep reminding curators that they are not the owners of their materials. Comment? Sally Shelton P. S. Cited in the eponymous mystery "Trophies and Dead Things": Vain the ambition of kings Who seek by trophies and dead things To leave a living name behind And weave but nets to catch the wind. --Attributed to 17th century English poet John Webster; any more information on the poem or poet appreciated. Send to me directly. Un mil gracias...sys