Hi Benjamin --
It seems you're getting lots of good replies from Museum -List'ers. Here are some slightly cynical suggestions, honed by years of experience with trying to collect modest fees for a variety of library and archival services in a museum setting.
Since you note that you are getting increasing numbers of requests to waive fees, start with the wording of your current policy. Make sure it's as specific as possible for each class of requestor. Try not to open up too many possibilities of waivers. Suggest that requests to waive fees will need approval from the Society's business manager or the Board's Finance Committee (even if it's up to you.) Stress this will add to the length of time in which orders are normally filled.
Once people learn that exceptions are made, they will want to be one of the exceptions. Create a few hurdles to help preserve your own ability to respond to such requests. Putting yourself in a position where you have to compare apples and oranges and decide relative worthiness is definitely not a good idea. Besides, it diminishes your ability to handle other important aspects of your job.
Ultimately photo reproductions are a service to individuals, whether they want a souvenir, an illustration for a term paper or thesis, an image for another non-profit's programs or a book being published for sale to libraries and museums.
Good luck!
Judy Turner
Whitefish Bay, WI
--- On Wed, 6/18/08, Benjamin Neely <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> From: Benjamin Neely <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: [MUSEUM-L] defending fees
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Date: Wednesday, June 18, 2008, 2:02 PM
> Dear List,
>
>
>
> Our historical society receives a fairly substantial number
> of photographic
> reproduction requests from all sorts of patrons
> (individuals, for-profit
> entities, and non-profit entities). I have been getting an
> increasing
> amount of requests from every demographic for a discount or
> to waive our
> fees for reproduction and usage altogether.
Some causes are
> certainly more
> worthy than others but I want to be fair to everyone. I
> certainly want to
> help one and all but our organization is a private
> non-profit, run by a
> small staff, and dependent on the income these fees
> generate.
>
>
>
> I am curious as to how other organizations handle such
> requests. I would
> certainly be appreciative for any thoughts anyone would
> like to share. This
> is a link to our website where we posted information about
> regulations and
> fees: http://www.achs-pa.org/visit/rules.htm.
>
>
>
> Thanks,
>
> Ben
>
>
>
> Benjamin Neely
>
> Director of Historic Collections
>
> Adams County Historical Society
>
> 111 Seminary Ridge
>
> P.O. Box 4325
>
> Gettysburg, PA 17325
>
> 717-334-4723 ext. 203
>
> 717-334-0722 fax
>
> www.achs-pa.org
>
>
>
>
> =========================================================
> Important Subscriber Information:
>
> The Museum-L FAQ file is located at
> http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . 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).
=========================================================
Important Subscriber Information:
The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . 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).
|
