>Hello, Ian
>I'm replying to you rather than sending a message to the mailing list, because
>I wanted to ask you what kind of discussions/messages you'd like to see on the
>list? I'm not actually a member of the MCG myself, but would be happy to send
>a message in the hopes of inspiring further activity! I have joined several
>mailing lists, but it seems that all they ever do is notify members of
>conferences (several times over) or engage in a little social chat. It would
>be nice to have something meatier. Colleagues tell me that the most active and
>useful lists seem to be those concerned with conservation and with the actual
>mechanics (if that is the word!) of imaging - in other words those with
>practical concerns.
>
>Might there be a place for commenting on MoS and its use of computerisation?
>Obviously many of your members won't have visited the new museum yet, but
>something like the use of touch screens generally, which institutions seem to
>use them most effectively/attractively etc could be a possibility? Or comments
>on the use of computers in exhibitions.....?
>
>Happy New Year!
>
>Rosalind Marshall
Rosalind,
Your question is not that easy to answer. Certainly I do get
a bit exasperated by repetetive information appearing on the list. Also,
there is a tendency for overly long messages to appear (sometimes on
relatively obscure topics). In many cases I feel a very short precis should
have been mailed out to list members so that those wishing to follow that
topic could make individual contact. I know all these things can be trashed
quite expeditiously but in some cases quite a bit has to be read before one
realises it is of no personal interest.
One of the difficulties of subjects you touch on is the
question of cost. I work in the Local Authority museums sector and my major
concern at present is which of our museums are going to be closed to make
financial savings. We have now had several years of such attrition and
virtually all "flexible spendable" budgets have already been given up. We
desperately need to get into providing more interactive stuff for our
visitors (so that we can get more visitors ----- etc.!!!) but it is
difficult to see how to pull things up by our own bootstraps!
There is no point in loads of "misery" messages flying
about -- I already know most of my colleagues in the L.A. sector are having
serious trouble!
I find that interesting things do come through in my own
specialism (ind. arch.) but whilst there are obviously loads of topics
which are common in principle to all curatorial disciplines they don't
usually come up at the right time to dovetail in with the pattern of
thinking in one's own particular area. Thus I feel I get more out of my own
specialist field than I do out of more general discussions.
For instance I am currently involved with trying to set
up a national listing of textile machines held in U.K. museums and there is
a lot of interest in this process both here and on the continent. This has
put a number of other things "on the back burner" (perhaps I should improve
my ability to juggle more topics at the same time!).
I feel I'm not really heading anywhere with this
communication. No doubt you will come back to me in due course if you are
interested in a follow-up.
Belated Happy New Year
Ian
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