tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2931042383463966050.post27252250606580017..comments2024-03-28T11:15:57.026-04:00Comments on The Uncataloged Museum: Fake/Real/Real/Fake?Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02833927749919826650noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2931042383463966050.post-58602648842164407272008-06-10T10:19:00.000-04:002008-06-10T10:19:00.000-04:00So, if visitors are going to begin asking deep, pr...So, if visitors are going to begin asking deep, probing questions (the why), then museums will have to provide much more informed front-line staff. In my experience with many small and medium-sized museums, the interpretive staff mostly are not professional historians, and often are retirees. They have gone through some level of training by the museum's educational department (or person, or executive director if they are very small). Thus, the interpreter generally only knows what they have been taught, if they can remember. Training can vary from several hours to several days or even a week. However, it is relatively short. In addition, the training only presents the "party line," and even discourages alternative interpretations. It seems to me that the limitation of "why" will be in the quality of the interpretive staff. Museums will have to significantly upgrade the quality of docents and/or the training they receive. This of course means paying better to have better people on the front line. I'm not sure museums are ready for this expense. Has anyone been to a smaller museum where they have successfully done this?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2931042383463966050.post-22821571228332387622008-05-12T12:12:00.000-04:002008-05-12T12:12:00.000-04:00Thank you - this is absolutely true. I have this ...Thank you - this is absolutely true. I have this experience when visiting historical museums, especially as I have learned more about the history of our country and of New York: now I recognize how much is being left out and/or misinterpreted or misrepresented. Challenging interpretors at the time (during a tour) can be tricky; who are visitors going to believe? Does it teach them to ask questions or will they just think you are rude for correcting the docent? Do we need to teach people - outside of the museum - to ask questions while they are there, to challenge what they are told rather than just absorbing what they are hearing? How do we do this? This could be a great discussion!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com