TXlime says: It was suggested to me during a discussion last week that people who volunteer in museums are actually doing their profession a dis-service, and that while qualified people are willing to work for free, museums are never going to look for the money to employ them. Having been a volunteer myself, it was not something I had thought about...does anyone have any opinions on this? There are many different types of volunteers who volunteer for just as many different reasons. Many do it for work experience, contacts, 'testing the water' and many others want to give something to an organisation and their community. I have worked as a volunteer in several places and it has lead to jobs in those Museums and the skills I gained also helped me get work elsewhere. I do think people should be paid well for what they do, and I also understand the benefits of volunteering for whatever the reasons. I think it is not the volunteers doing their profession a disservice, but organisations that take advantage of volunteers, either directly or by not also addressing staffing needs. Also, at what point, if any, in your career are you "to old (by experience etc) to volunteer!?" when still seeking paid work. Is it ever a disadvantage to your career? Melissa Neidorf Associate Coordinator of Exhibitions Museum of Jewish Heritage New York (These are my views only) ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ museum-l.html. You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).