Dillenburg, Eugene Wrote:

> Matthew --
>
> Well, to extend that argument, why have a mission statement?
>
> -- Gene


Aside from the fact that they are legally required?

I didn't mean to argue that no planning or structured studies are important.
I would return to my original question before undergoing any self study,
visitor study, long range plan, or anything of the type. "What good will it
do?" If you are going to ignore your mission statement (as some museums do
to a greater or lesser extent) I would agree with you, why have it? If you
are not going to implement the findings of a visitor's study or an exhibit
evaluation, (Far more useful tools, imho, than a visitor's charter) why do
it? If your museum doesn't take visitor service seriously as an institution
without a visitor's charter, what makes you think it will if you create a
visitor's charter. The poster who mentioned that he/she used them for
training new docents makes a lot more sense. Although I think here we are
merely arguing over form and not function. I, too, give new floor staff
lessons and lists of things to do and not do and things to watch for and how
to prepare for visitors. What I give them are bulleted suggestions based
upon the volumes of good research already done. (Falk and Dierking books are
excellent places to start) So in that sense I guess my training materials
would be similar to a visitor's charter, although I would not call it that.

Just add my name to the list of posters who claim to be growing cynical, but
I have worked for plenty of administrators who will not support quality
visitor's service programs and the thought of them changing their policies
just because I waived some sort of charter at them almost makes me laugh. A
demonstration of why it is important to pursue visitor's services and what
they mean to the financial and interpretive bottom line work better on these
types of people.


--
Matthew White
Director of Museums
Mount Washington Observatory
www.mountwashington.org

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