Carrie Hernandez, Education Specialist, New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum,
worte:

<<This a query to see if any museums out there use some type of method to
check into the backgrounds of potential volunteers and/or other museum
personnel?>>

You're right to be concerned about the topic.  Biltmore Estate (which is of
course not a typical museum in that its for-profit and very business-oriented)
does police checks on every potential employee--full-time, part-time, and
interns.  When I began working there 11 years ago, it was, and still is SOP.
Now, potential employees also undergo a drug test.  Also, when I was there, and
I'm sure its the same now, many managers and supervisors did there own reference
checking that went beyond the names given as references.  Of course, nowadays,
sometimes that gets you information, and sometimes it doesn't!

Susan M. Ward
Director, Heritage Communications
[log in to unmask]
615-661-6336