How does your Museum acknowledge the invaluable service of its volunteers? At the California State Railroad Museum (Sacramento) about 800 volunteers work in several programs: some help visitors to the Museum of Railroad History, others narrate a program on board Amtrak trains into the Sierra, assist in the restoration and maintenance of full-size railroad equipment, or serve as crew members on the Museum's excursion train. Some choose to help with mailings, sort and mark documents for the Library, clerk in the Museum Store or help maintain and prepare exhibits. Recognition of their significant contributions includes free membership in the Museum as resident associates, free admissions and train rides, discounts in the Museum Store, pins, dinners, free parking and annual gifts. CSRM would be interested to know what other institutions do to acknowledge volunteers. What form of recognition do your volunteers receive? Is there an annual event or do awards and activities occur throughout the year? Do benefits differ among various programs within the institution? Who manages volunteer recognition? How is the volunteer recognition budget determined? Please reply to the e-mail address above, or to [log in to unmask] I will summarize for the list if topic proves to be of interest. Thank you. Ellen Halteman, Librarian California State Railroad Museum 111 I Street Sacramento CA 95814 916-323-8073