In a message dated 97-11-06 12:06:29 EST, [log in to unmask] writes:

> Will anyone provide their policy regarding volunteers' access, use and care
of
> collections or
>  provide thoughts on the subject?  I am researching the topic for a museum
> law and ethics class,
>  but think this may be of interest to the whole list too.  If you would
like
> to provide a copy of
>  your museum's policy on this matter, please contact me off-line.
>
As far as I know, we do not have a formal policy on this matter, but I do
know that because of our size, if we did not let out volunteers access the
collections, we would never get anything done. All volunteers and interns are
supervised, but the truth of the matter is, at our institution (The
Historical Society of Washington, DC), the volunteers know more about the
collections than all of the staff and the Board put together - most of them
have been there ten or more years! Some even more than 20!

- Adrienne