Hello,
Greasy fingerprints on Plexiglas enclosures require hours of scrubbing to keep things presentable. It's always been an issue, but lately it's getting worse. Seems to me that many folks don't even realize that pawing Plexi is un-cool. I've watched parents stand idly by whilst their little ones smeared three-dimensional yuck onto my enclosures, and they never even blinked.
Years ago we had a little display with a toy cow that had obviously been loved to death, it was used as an example of why we don't touch artifacts. In a similar vein, has anybody tried to educate museum goers with a sign or display that encourages folks to keep their mitts off of the enclosures? If so, was it effective, or not worth the effort? If you have an "orientation speech" that you give to visitors, do you remind them how to behave in a museum, perhaps mention that leaving unsightly DNA samples on the enclosures is frowned upon?
Forgive the rant, but surely the vastness of this forum contains wisdom that will help with this growing concern. Or at least some good stories about what didn't work....
Best regards,
Curtis Morris
Exhibits
Shiloh Museum of Ozark History
118 W. Johnson Ave
Springdale AR 72764
www.shilohmuseum.org
cmorris@springdalear.gov