According to Robin Panza, serving as an intern is no different than taking classes. Why then, should an intern expect to be paid? I'll tell you why: because an internship is *nothing* like taking classes! With only some *very rare* exceptions, an educational institution does not derive direct benefit from a student's classroom work. However, with an internship, the Museum DOES benefit directly from the intern's work. Many people posting to this thread have already eloquently testified to that fact. It was not very long ago that participants on this list were bemoaning the underpaid/overworked state that most museum professionals find themselves in. If you don't value the work of your interns enough to provide even minimal monetary compensation, how can you reasonably expect your employer to give your work the value (read: compensation) it deserves? Your employer's heartfelt appreciation doesn't pay your rent, and your appreciation won't pay your intern's. I would like to add that I don't think that this is a sin only of museums. The university system is increasingly relying on underpaid (and in some cases *unpaid*) teaching assistants to take up the teaching load which formerly was the responsibility of the tenured/tenure track faculty. And what does the university say to it's exploited underlings? "You should be grateful for the experience! It's part of your professional development!" All the while carefully omitting mention of the fact that the ultimate beneficiary of this "professional development" is the university, which saves a bundle on salaries and benefits. Paula Molloy [log in to unmask] Repatriation Office National Museum of Natural History Smithsonian Institution *standard disclaimers*