Wow, where to start. Well, Keah, I think first that the museum needs to formalize their relationship with the Collections Manager's collection. If the items are not the property of the museum itself, then you need to establish a formal loan agreement with the owner, even though this person works for the museum. That would help to mitigate this "threat" that is hanging over you, and it would help to legitimize any efforts made toward cataloguing, and interpreting, the artifacts. As far as the interactive is concerned, I'll bow to those who know about these things. But this whole "relative" starting a museum in competition sounds like a real mess brewing. I would hope that the people who started the museum - is it a nonprofit? Does it have a board? - heed your calls for more professionalism and the adoption of standards and policies that will both guard the collection and ensure the viability of the organization. Good luck! You're asking the right questions and raising the right concerns.
Anne
Anne T. Lane
Collections Manager
The Charlotte Museum of History

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