In response to Paul Silveira's comment about the need to treat volunteers with
respect.

I hope "museum professionals" aren't as widely disrespectful to volunteers as he
seems to suggest, though it certainly happens.  I remember sitting through a
meeting of a state museum organization a number of years ago and hearing the
heads of volunteer programs from two large museums speak.  One spoke of
volunteers as "unpaid staff" and spoke of the contributions and difficulties in
a balanced way as one might with any administrative situation.  The other went
on and on about all the problems they cause. Guess who had the better program.
I know of cases where museums have had problems with paid staffmembers too.

All staff, paid or unpaid requires appropriate and skilled supervision within a
professional administrative context.

Gordon Murdock
Bell Museum of Natural History
and Museum Studies Minor Program
University of Minnesota
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