Several years ago I managed an exhibit on children in the Holocaust (an
earlier version of the one now at the Holocaust Museum). We had a
comment book toward the end of the exhibition, and groups of children
actually waited in line for the opportunity to write something! In this
case, I think the comment book was not so much for us to read for
evaluation of the exhibit, but as a catharsis for the visitors.

My only problem with this was...what do you do with the books? We filled
up at LEAST one a month, for at least a year that I was there, and other
than using a few blurbs for publicity, it was like storing old birthday
cards (the sentiment may seem important to hold onto, but will you
really ever read them again?)

By the way, we had VERY few instances of kids just writing obscenities
or other junk, not relating to the exhibit. But we did get one heartfelt
"F___ Hitler!"

Rachel A. Bernhardt, Editor
Office of Exhibits Central
Smithsonian Institution
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