Re: the recent postings about touching objects... >We say do not touch, but perhaps we should explain the importance of that >to our visitors. Give them a clue to the importance of not touching >objects rather than saying 'not to touch that because I said so'. At our historical museum, as you come in the door, there's a small wall case that no one can miss. It holds an old teddy bear which has lost most of its fur and an eye and is pretty much the worse for wear. It bears the sign "Its fur has been loved off" and briefly talks about why we don't allow visitors to touch objects, and why we DO allow them to touch in "The Attic," our hands-on area with replicas and items from the teaching collections. We get a lot of comments about this, and it appears to be an effective and kind way to explain the "no touching" rule to children as well as to adults. ---------- Allyn Lord, Asst. Director Rogers Historical Museum 322 South Second St. Rogers, AR 72756 501/621-1154 Fax: 501/631-2767 [log in to unmask]