There are few, if any, museums, libraries & archives which could do their jobs as well as they do without the assistance of volunteers. Over the years I have trained many volunteers to perform conservation treatments (under supervision) on institutional collections and some of them have developed skills of a very high order. One observation is that volunteers who are networking (i.e., looking to become a musuem professional) or who may be retired but miss contact with the public or the give and take of an office atmosphere are not likely to want to work in the conservation lab, or be shut away in storage/processing areas. Most of the volunteers I've trained were retirees who brought good work habits and a lifetime of experience to the task at hand; knowing them has enriched my personal and professional life. Jack C. Thompson Thompson Conservation Lab. 7549 N. Fenwick Portland, OR 97217 503/735-3942 (voice/fax) www.teleport.com/~tcl The lyf so short; the craft so long to lerne Chaucer, _The Parlement of Foules_ 1386 AD