And in a vein similar to this email, is anyone listening to the discussion about museums, commercialism, entertainment, education, and scholarship and the roles/responsibilities of museums going on on Talk of the Nation on NPR today? Very interesting discussion and points of view.
Keni Sturgeon
Jensen Arctic Museum
----- Original Message -----
From: Lonn Taylor <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Wednesday, June 1, 2005 6:52 am
Subject: Re: Message to the Museum Community
> Dear Sally,
>
> Dr. Samper's statement concerning the ID film is one of the
> saddest things that I have ever read. It means that the
> Smithsonian is completely in the hands of the development officers
> and the special events and business enterprise people, a process
> that was beginning when I retired from the Museum of American
> History three years ago. From my own experiences with development
> offices at the Institution, I am sure that the scholarly staff at
> Natural History had no say at all in the decision to screen this
> film. What has happened to the Smithsonian should be a lesson to
> all museums: when the fund-raisers take over, all scholarly
> considerations go out the window, because they have different
> goals and march to different drummers. Someone, perhaps a new
> secretary, needs to reassert scholarly leadership at the
> Smithsonian.
>
> Lonn Taylor
> Fort Davis, Texas
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Sally Shelton
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Sent: Wednesday, June 01, 2005 7:49 AM
> Subject: Message to the Museum Community
>
>
> Posted on behalf of Dr. Samper.
>
> Sally Y. Shelton
> Collections Officer
> Room 425, MRC 165
> National Museum of Natural History
> Smithsonian Institution
> P. O. Box 37012
> Washington, D. C. 20013-7012
>
> NEW phone (202) 633-0835
> NEW email [log in to unmask]
>
> List owner, PERMIT-L
>
>
> >>> Cristián Samper 7:34 PM Tuesday, May 31, 2005, 2005 >>>
> To the Museum Community,
>
> After considerable discussion with NMNH staff and in
> consultation with the Secretary and his staff, we have agreed to
> issue the following statement regarding the planned presentation
> of the Discovery Institute film, "The Privileged Planet," in Baird
> Auditorium on June 23. Please feel free to share this statement
> with your colleagues. I will look forward to discussing this
> further with each of you in the very near future.
>
> Statement by the Director, National Museum of Natural History
>
> The Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History recently
> approved a request by the Discovery Institute to hold a private,
> invitation-only screening and reception at the Museum on June 23
> for the film "The Privileged Planet." Upon further review we have
> determined that the content of the film is not consistent with the
> mission of the Smithsonian Institution's scientific research.
> Neither the Smithsonian Institution nor the National Museum of
> Natural History supports or endorses the Discovery Institute or
> the film "The Privileged Planet." However, since Smithsonian
> policy states that all events held at any museum be "co-sponsored"
> by the director and the outside organization, and we have signed
> an agreement with this organization, we will honor the commitment
> made to provide space for the event.
>
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