On Thu, 3 May 2001 00:42:35 EDT, David E. Haberstich <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:

>I don't have any specifics regarding museum income to share privately, so
I'm
>just sending a general remark to the list.  Closing a museum is serious
>business, and your board should chew on the following.  Laws vary, but in
>many jurisdictions museum trustees or boards have a fiduciary
responsibility
>to keep a museum going, and they can't just close up shop when the going
gets
>rough.  Museum collections are held in trust for the public.  That means in
>part that trustees are entrusted with a legal responsibility.  There are
>cases in which trustees actually have been threatened with jail for
letting a
>museum go under.  That's something to think about...
>
>David Haberstich
>
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David, I would agreed with you in concept, however, as one who worked at
Baltimore City Life Museums, when the board decided to throw it the towel,
the staff was left out in the cold.

The City decided that they could no longer provide the Museum its annual
donation of which we had to raise matching funds.  The board felt that they
could not raise the matching funds.  Besides, when they built the new
building we were suppose to attract over 100,000 visitors the first year of
the building.  This was total pie in the sky visitor study predictions.  No
one bothered to ask the education department what we were realistically
doing.  Our biggest visitor source was schools followed by tour groups.
This made our total visitation the year we closed at 32,000 +/-

So, the collection was sold to another museum and close the doors.  And no
one went after the board or the city for closing the museum.  Currently,
three of the five buildings have been sold to become a B&B.  Two of which
are on the historic register.  The other two, one is being used by the
previous Mayor (who was in office when we were closed) as a conference law
center.  The last building is sitting empty.  You say there are laws
against closing a Museum.  Ask those of us who worked at City Life.

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