Kari Laurent <[log in to unmask]> writes: "We love our work, yes? Otherwise we would be CPAs ($$$$). And when we love what we do and get excited about it, this comes out in how we express ourselves, and others get excited about what we do. In other words, if we provide for the visitor exciting exhibits, events, lectures, pamphlets, etc. that give them a sense of what museums are fundamentally, we are going to get people excitied with us. This will lead to increased visitorship, increased membership, increased donations..." You get it, exactly. I'm not a museum professional, just a newspaper reporter who is very interested in American history, interior design, and architecture. I've spent enough time around museums and their professionals and visitors, and I can see both sides of this question. I personally find the inner workings of a museum to be fascinating. Is that just me, or is it because museum professionals spend so much time talking to one another they've forgotten what it was like to be a layman? I've also noticed in a few cases that some museum professionals seem to hold both their visitors and their volunteers in what seems to be a type of contempt - as in, "I'm an expert, and you're not." That's fine if museums exist just so other museum professionals can visit them on their days off. But I don't think there are enough of you guys out there to support the project!! The other end of this seems to be how some museum professionals become SO engrossed in reaching out to the people that they resemble overly-enthusiastic second grade teachers. They seem to think the more simple and obvious one can make an exhibit or accompanying explanation, the more one has succeeded. Maybe there's some truth to that, but second grade was a long time ago. Isn't it possible to keep the level of museum work up so that adults who don't need to be coddled might enjoy it? Frankly, the guy who was following the visitor group around to note down everything they did would give me the creeps! You know what it appeared they were doing; did you know what went on inside their heads? So why didn't you just ASK - you know, like they were people and not a lab experiment! I think the curators and others who communicate their love of their museum best are those who like people, and don't despise them for not being experts, yet don't pander to those who feel that museums must compete with television, video games, etc. for "special effects," or lose their audience. Trust me....this stuff is fascinating all on its own. You will find your audience, and they will find you, if you give them the same respect and concern you would give to anyone - even a museum professional! Just my two cents' worth...