If a mere user, and occasional donor, may enter this discussion, may I say
that Anna's museum colleague's suggestions is one of the most depressing
things I have heard for some time, bar anecdotal evidence that the
political masters of certain local authorities may be tending to think along
lines which focus on the monetary rather than the historical value of their
collections.
To a consumer and observer, this seems just one more (but quite chilling)
instance of the gulf between the mind-sets of the archives and museums
professions, all the more sinister because it is the latter that seem to
find it easier to get the public to take notice of what they do and what
they want to do.
How ironic that cross-domain integration is so advanced at the Fawcett
Library. Archivists as a profession are going to have to take a strong lead
in reminding the other sectors that without the underpinning of the
objective archival record the true value or understanding either of museum
artefacts or of the research in published books is questionable.
(And why should donors be assumed to be able to afford valuations anyway?)
Isobel Watson
Friends of Hackney Archives
----- Original Message -----
From: "Anna Greening" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Cc: <[log in to unmask]>; <[log in to unmask]>; <[log in to unmask]>;
<[log in to unmask]>; <[log in to unmask]>; <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: 06 September 2000 14:13
Subject: Valuations for potential archival donations
> Here at The Fawcett Library we are at the cutting edge of
> mixed-media administration with librarians, museum
> professionals and an archivist on the staff.
>
> At our Collections Management Group this morning, one of my
> museums colleagues expressed the opinion that it is
> unethical to take in material without a prior
> external valuation by the donor.
>
> I have always muffled commercial valuation in decent
> obscurity unless for a very good reason - insurance,
> acquisition by purchase, or in lieu of tax (something which
> has not come my way).
>
> What do colleagues think?
>
> Anna Greening
> Archivist
> The Fawcett Library
> London Guildhall Library
> [log in to unmask]
>
>
>
>
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
|