I would like to agree with Rachel Bernhardt that the Comment book can
     be more of a catharsis for the viewer than purely as an evaluation
     mechanism for an exhibition.  I currently work at the US Holocaust
     Memorial Museum and one of my responsibilities has been the
     maintenance of a Comment book for one of our Temporary exhibitions as
     well as coordinating an evaluation of this exhibition.  There are some
     very intelligent and profound comments left by visitors.  Many leave
     messages that are that "first emotional response" that, while very
     important to exhibition planners, have not been as in-depth as what
     has been revealed through the interviews that we are conducting. It
     should ne noted that especially when the visitor has just witnessed
     difficult subject matter, the viewer's experience continues even after
     they have left the exhibition space.
     LIZ


______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: comment books
Author:  Museum discussion list <[log in to unmask]> at INETGATE
Date:    10/13/95 10:27 AM


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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