Open Forum

Colleagues,
I am interested in hearing from you (online or offline) regarding the following:
1) Do you have signage in your galleries to notify visitors that security cameras are in use (if you have them)? What text and images do you use?

2) What methods have you found to be the most effective at preventing unwanted visitor-object interaction (touching, etc.) for objects not in cases?
a. Signage (what text/images do you use)?
b. Stanchions
c. Barrier alarms
and/or
d. Guard or Visitor Experience staff presence
snd/or
e. Other measures

Thank you.

Beth Parker Miller
Registrar
Winterthur Museum
bparke@winterthur.org


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Beth Parker Miller
Registrar
Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library
Winterthur DE
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We usually have to use a combination of all the items you mentioned.
We have signage indicating not to touch any of the objects as well as physical, yet discrete barriers.
The more fragile items are typically placed in view of the visitor services manager (me). 
For our textile shows, we use a stanchion with a sign that has a hand with a red circle and a line going through it and a short few sentences saying that the oils from our hands are extremely damaging to textile art. Its a good way for kids to SEE not to touch and for adults to TEACH/REMIND their kids (selves) why touching art can be damaging. This can be used for all items in the museum as well. 
Our museum is in the process of developing signage for letting people know that there are security cameras in use (due to a recent vandalism case). We do not want to be intruding or display negative images about big brother so I think we can just use an "eye" icon or plain text saying that cameras are in use. 
I hope this info serves you well!


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Cassidy Tucker
Visitor Services and Retail Coordinator
Missoula Art Museum
Missoula MT
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There are some small, and relatively inexpensive, proximity alarms (motion sensors) that let out a piercing sound if a visitor breaks the beam.  Especially handy for free-standing objects that you do not have solid barriers for.

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David Beard
Executive Director
USS KIDD Veterans Memorial Museum
Baton Rouge LA
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Original Message:
Sent: 09-01-2017 03:12 PM
From: Cassidy Tucker
Subject: Galleries Security

We usually have to use a combination of all the items you mentioned.
We have signage indicating not to touch any of the objects as well as physical, yet discrete barriers.
The more fragile items are typically placed in view of the visitor services manager (me).
For our textile shows, we use a stanchion with a sign that has a hand with a red circle and a line going through it and a short few sentences saying that the oils from our hands are extremely damaging to textile art. Its a good way for kids to SEE not to touch and for adults to TEACH/REMIND their kids (selves) why touching art can be damaging. This can be used for all items in the museum as well.
Our museum is in the process of developing signage for letting people know that there are security cameras in use (due to a recent vandalism case). We do not want to be intruding or display negative images about big brother so I think we can just use an "eye" icon or plain text saying that cameras are in use.
I hope this info serves you well!


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Cassidy Tucker
Visitor Services and Retail Coordinator
Missoula Art Museum
Missoula MT
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These are all some great ideas.  One thing to keep in mind regarding stanchions and barriers is ADA compliancy.  Once a barrier reaches a certain height it is no longer considered cane detectable and can be a hazard for the visually impaired who may be using a cane.  Art Display Essentials offers a variety of discreet, ADA compliant barrier solutions that protect the art work while not distracting from it.  If you have any questions or would like some information, please feel free to send me an email.
Thanks so much,
Eloise

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Eloise Wierzbicki
Customer Service and Sales Representative
Art Display Essentials
eloisew@artdisplay.com
www.artdisplay.com
www.10-31.com
www.easelsbyamron.com
2 West Crisman Road
Columbia, NJ 07832
USA
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One important thing to remember about security cameras, if you have them they MUST be working cameras. "Fake" security cameras put the organization at risk of a lawsuit. If someone is injured, robbed or assaulted and if cameras in the range of the event were not working, the injured person can say that they felt that the cameras helped them feel secure enough to venture into <g class="gr_ gr_573 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Grammar only-del replaceWithoutSep" id="573" data-gr-id="573">the space</g> and that if they had known the cameras were not working they would not have visited.

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Joe Hoover
Field Services
Minnesota Historical Society
Saint Paul MN
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