I like the points that Ashley raised - I think that many museums, especially art museums, are finding that guards feel intrusive or tend to make visitors nervous. I remember reading about one museum (I can't remember where) that replaced guards with "gallery attendants". These staff still performed all the necessary security functions, but they were also trained in being informed about all the art works and how to interact with visitors to provide more knowledge and enhance visits. So, you got the security as well as an informative and welcoming floor presence, all in the same position.
Also, in response to being comfortable saying "I don't know" - when I worked at the Sciencenter, we decided to print up cards that said "Congratulations! You stumped the educator" and any staff member or visitor who interacted with the public carried these around. When someone asked a question that we didn't know the answer to, we would hand that person a card. The card listed our general information email address and encouraged the person to email their question in and we would research the answer. In reality, almost no one who received a card ever really emailed us, but it was a good way to own up to the fact that we didn't know something, it made the visitor feel good about asking really in-depth questions, and it showed that we were interested enough in their experience to invest in following up with the correct information.
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Miriam Musco
Director of Education
Science Museum of Western Virginia
Roanoke VA
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