The fact that we even have to ask this question says something about our profession. This is not an either/or situation. We work for the visitors and we need to also follow the standards of scholarship. Just take one example:If we do not reach, teach and inspire young people and their families the question will not be for whom do we work... the question will be... does anyone want to see/experience our work? Research studies point out that visiting a museum with your family as a child and having a positive, engaging experience is a strong predictor of how you spend your leisure time as an adult. We must begin with the visitor...... On the other hand, the visitor expects us to know the answer to "So what" and they look to us to reveal to them the significance of the objects, place, people we interpret. We must reveal what is known and what is not known ( no matter how difficult the subject ) based on the evidence that exists and help the visitor decide what point of view she/he wants to go home with. Every visitor brings ideas, information, personal experiences with him/her to the exhibit and/or program and if we show them something new and or different that they can relate to and they leave with more questions than when they arrived and they want to come back and learn more or check out a book at the library...we have succeeded. Our job is to erase the lines between us and them and turn every visitor into a life long interpreter of the past. The ongoing challenge is to make our program/exhibit meaningful to the different types of visitors that come :the streaker, the stroller and the scholar .Without ongoing visitor feedback and involvement throughout the planning and implementation stages our work will be wasted. Conny Graft Director Interpretive Education and Support Colonial Williamsburg Foundation Williamsburg, Va. 23187