Thank you all for your responses, both public and private.  For general
interest, I'll report that I received a number of reports of experiences
similar to my own, in other words, university museums which were effectively
"terminated" with little real consideration of facts, responsibilities or
alternatives.  On the other hand, there was not a deluge of responses,
suggesting to me that there are many university museums which don't consider
this a major problem.

I'll add a final comment to my discussion by emphasizing that changes are
coming very quickly, and unexpectedly.  It is my firm conviction that all
small university museums are vulnerable to this process when the proverbial
push comes to shove.  In my case, I had effectively five years of warning of
the process beginning, but in many instances the axe falls much more
quickly, and personal and professional consequences can be more drastic.

What to do?  Circumstances differ, but on reflection I think governing
and/or advisory boards of senior people external to the university could be
an effective buffer.  In the end, though, universities can do what they
want, and tenure can equate to lack of accountability.

The best protection is to be honestly valued by the academic establishment
(management), and that is indeed a tall order.  Perception and reality can
sharply diverge in the Ivory Tower.

Thanks for the input - I'll explore the "leads" that you furnished.
Joe Nagel (KUSTOS Inc.)
2961 Semiahmoo Trail
Surrey, B.C.  V4P 1H4
604-531-6879, 604-594-2628 (FAX)