I should be very grateful if anyone could give me a current
contact address for John Herbst.

I have read the discussion about salaries with great interest: until
recently pay in UK national (government) museums has been tied to
administrative grades in the civil service.  This link has recently been
broken and we all await the results with interest and trepidation.  Many
museums are part of local authority arts, library or leisure structures and
remuneration for staff based on an overall hierarchy, which gives some
indication of the relative value placed on the services provided.  This may
be depressing.

Much of the discussion seems to me to have confused popularity, revenue
earned and performance indicators.  Museums should have an important social
role which services not only the present population but generations to
follow.  If we start, or are forced into, a simple competition for visitor
figures then we should really sign up for Disney.

                        Robert Heslip

I write in my personal capacity.