Open Forum

Hi Carrie,
I am interested in the responses you receive.  

Thanks!




------------------------------
[Anne] Jones
Curator Collections
Johnson County Museum
[Overland Park] KS
AnnCurator CollectionsAnnAnnJonesJonesanne.jones@jocogov.org[anne.jones@jocogov.org]ShawneeShawnee
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 02-09-2018 09:50 AM
From: Carrie Bowers
Subject: Collections Committee Voting - Secret or Open?

For those of you who have Collections Committees, where the curators and/or board of directors vote on what your museum accessions, do you have secret ballots? Why or why not?

Sincerely,

Carrie

Carrie Bowers

Museum Specialist - Aviation 

National Museum of the Marine Corps

www.usmcmuseum.com

"There is a word sweeter than Mother, Home or Heaven; that word is Liberty." -- Matilda Joslyn Gage (1826-1898)

I'd be interested in hearing your responses as well.  Our discussions and votes are recorded in the minutes.

------------------------------
Sara Elliott
Director
Kentucky Historical Society
Frankfort KY
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 02-12-2018 08:56 AM
From: Ann Jones
Subject: Collections Committee Voting - Secret or Open?

Hi Carrie,
I am interested in the responses you receive.

Thanks!




------------------------------
[Anne] Jones
Curator Collections
Johnson County Museum
[Overland Park] KS
AnnCurator CollectionsAnnAnnJonesJonesanne.jones@jocogov.org[anne.jones@jocogov.org]ShawneeShawnee

Original Message:
Sent: 02-09-2018 09:50 AM
From: Carrie Bowers
Subject: Collections Committee Voting - Secret or Open?

For those of you who have Collections Committees, where the curators and/or board of directors vote on what your museum accessions, do you have secret ballots? Why or why not?

Sincerely,

Carrie

Carrie Bowers

Museum Specialist - Aviation 

National Museum of the Marine Corps

www.usmcmuseum.com

"There is a word sweeter than Mother, Home or Heaven; that word is Liberty." -- Matilda Joslyn Gage (1826-1898)

Hi Carrie. Our Art Committee votes by a show of hands, which is counted and noted (for/against/abstaining) in the minutes of the meeting. There is extensive discussion of each of the works under consideration before the vote, but no further discussion after the vote.

------------------------------
Kerry Schauber
Research Assistant
Memorial Art Gallery
Rochester NY
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 02-12-2018 08:56 AM
From: Ann Jones
Subject: Collections Committee Voting - Secret or Open?

Hi Carrie,
I am interested in the responses you receive.

Thanks!




------------------------------
[Anne] Jones
Curator Collections
Johnson County Museum
[Overland Park] KS
AnnCurator CollectionsAnnAnnJonesJonesanne.jones@jocogov.org[anne.jones@jocogov.org]ShawneeShawnee

Original Message:
Sent: 02-09-2018 09:50 AM
From: Carrie Bowers
Subject: Collections Committee Voting - Secret or Open?

For those of you who have Collections Committees, where the curators and/or board of directors vote on what your museum accessions, do you have secret ballots? Why or why not?

Sincerely,

Carrie

Carrie Bowers

Museum Specialist - Aviation 

National Museum of the Marine Corps

www.usmcmuseum.com

"There is a word sweeter than Mother, Home or Heaven; that word is Liberty." -- Matilda Joslyn Gage (1826-1898)

Hi Carrie:

Our votes are open, rather than being a secret ballot type of thing. Personally I think the main advantage of that is that it gets all of the opinions on the table for everyone to hear. All of us on the committee have such different perspectives. Sometimes people are asked to explain why they're voting a certain way, not to call people out but to hear an opinion that may not have been voiced.  At times you have this logic in your head for why you're voting the way you're voting, but then when you verbalize it and people start asking questions, you realize that your logic isn't so solid. Sometimes the opinion that gets drawn out sways others to vote a certain way. Not that everyone has to be unanimous by any means. if nothing else, it ensures that we consider the whole picture.

Another part of our meetings that I like is that we sometimes have very lively discussions about what we're considering.  More often than not, the discussions alone change my initial opinion on something.  i think being able to discuss the vote is part of that.

I could definitely see some advantages to a secret ballot, but I think our current system works fairly well.

Have a great Monday!

------------------------------
Geoffrey Woodcox
Assistant Curator of Collections
State Historical Society of North Dakota
Bismarck ND
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 02-09-2018 09:50 AM
From: Carrie Bowers
Subject: Collections Committee Voting - Secret or Open?

For those of you who have Collections Committees, where the curators and/or board of directors vote on what your museum accessions, do you have secret ballots? Why or why not?

Sincerely,

Carrie

Carrie Bowers

Museum Specialist - Aviation 

National Museum of the Marine Corps

www.usmcmuseum.com

"There is a word sweeter than Mother, Home or Heaven; that word is Liberty." -- Matilda Joslyn Gage (1826-1898)

The Andrew Low House Chairman of the Collection Committee sits on the Andrew Low House Board.   All accessions and de-accessions must be approved by both the Collections Committee and ratified by the Andrew Low House Board.  There is no need for a secret ballot.  By the time an accession or de-accession is brought up for a vote the item (s) in question have been thoroughly vetted by the Director and Collections Chairman before it is brought up before the committee with a recommendation from the Collections Chairman and Director to accept or deny. Discussion usually ensues including questions for the Director and Chairman regarding any issues related to appropriateness, provenance, and quality.  A voice vote is taken and the recommendation of the Collections Committee is taken to the Andrew Low House Board for ratification. 
In general, an object is not brought to the Collections Committee if there is any doubt that it would  not be accepted. The Committee meets twice a year and there is no point in wasting time with inappropriate items for accession or de-accession.  If an item of is offered between meetings.  Photographs of the items in question are sent to the committee members and they may email their vote to the Collections Chairman. 
The system works works well for us because potential collection items are reviewed by the Collections Chairman and Director in context of the site's Mission Statement and Collections plan.  Items that do not meet those standards and criteria are politely refused before reaching the Collections Committee.

------------------------------
Stephen Bohlin
Director/Andrew Low House
Savannah GA
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 02-09-2018 09:50 AM
From: Carrie Bowers
Subject: Collections Committee Voting - Secret or Open?

For those of you who have Collections Committees, where the curators and/or board of directors vote on what your museum accessions, do you have secret ballots? Why or why not?

Sincerely,

Carrie

Carrie Bowers

Museum Specialist - Aviation 

National Museum of the Marine Corps

www.usmcmuseum.com

"There is a word sweeter than Mother, Home or Heaven; that word is Liberty." -- Matilda Joslyn Gage (1826-1898)

​This is an interesting question as it never occurred to me to keep such proceedings secret.  Perhaps there are reasons so I too will look forward to responses.  In my experience as both an employee who presented to collection committees, and, a trustee member of such committees, any final approvals or disapprovals were recorded in minutes.  Sometimes discussions were too.  Votes have not listed individual names and responses however.  I am a firm believer in museums being as transparent as possible.  This is especially important when it comes to collections.  Of course, if something deemed obviously confidential should accompany a discussion information can be reserved as might be the case with commercial transactions regarding collection purchases or sales, or, donations of funds to make purchases.   My experience echoes that previously noted.  Any actions taken by a collection committee usually have to be confirmed by the full board (and not just the executive committee). 

Steve

------------------------------
Steven Miller
Executive Director, retired
Boscobel House and Gardens
Garrison NY
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 02-12-2018 01:06 PM
From: Stephen Bohlin
Subject: Collections Committee Voting - Secret or Open?

The Andrew Low House Chairman of the Collection Committee sits on the Andrew Low House Board.   All accessions and de-accessions must be approved by both the Collections Committee and ratified by the Andrew Low House Board.  There is no need for a secret ballot.  By the time an accession or de-accession is brought up for a vote the item (s) in question have been thoroughly vetted by the Director and Collections Chairman before it is brought up before the committee with a recommendation from the Collections Chairman and Director to accept or deny. Discussion usually ensues including questions for the Director and Chairman regarding any issues related to appropriateness, provenance, and quality.  A voice vote is taken and the recommendation of the Collections Committee is taken to the Andrew Low House Board for ratification.
In general, an object is not brought to the Collections Committee if there is any doubt that it would  not be accepted. The Committee meets twice a year and there is no point in wasting time with inappropriate items for accession or de-accession.  If an item of is offered between meetings.  Photographs of the items in question are sent to the committee members and they may email their vote to the Collections Chairman.
The system works works well for us because potential collection items are reviewed by the Collections Chairman and Director in context of the site's Mission Statement and Collections plan.  Items that do not meet those standards and criteria are politely refused before reaching the Collections Committee.

------------------------------
Stephen Bohlin
Director/Andrew Low House
Savannah GA

Original Message:
Sent: 02-09-2018 09:50 AM
From: Carrie Bowers
Subject: Collections Committee Voting - Secret or Open?

For those of you who have Collections Committees, where the curators and/or board of directors vote on what your museum accessions, do you have secret ballots? Why or why not?

Sincerely,

Carrie

Carrie Bowers

Museum Specialist - Aviation 

National Museum of the Marine Corps

www.usmcmuseum.com

"There is a word sweeter than Mother, Home or Heaven; that word is Liberty." -- Matilda Joslyn Gage (1826-1898)

Thank you everybody who took the time to reply and answer this -- currently our collections committee is open vote by raised hands; but we were discussing whether other institutions have closed or secret ballots. We were also thinking of having those who disagree have their dissent recorded in the minutes; I feel it is equally important to know why a museum doesn't accession an item. 

I am glad to hear that everyone here has open votes!

Thanks everybody!
Carrie

------------------------------
Carrie Bowers
Museum Specialist
National Museum of the Marine Corps
Triangle VA
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 02-12-2018 03:55 PM
From: Steven Miller
Subject: Collections Committee Voting - Secret or Open?

​This is an interesting question as it never occurred to me to keep such proceedings secret.  Perhaps there are reasons so I too will look forward to responses.  In my experience as both an employee who presented to collection committees, and, a trustee member of such committees, any final approvals or disapprovals were recorded in minutes.  Sometimes discussions were too.  Votes have not listed individual names and responses however.  I am a firm believer in museums being as transparent as possible.  This is especially important when it comes to collections.  Of course, if something deemed obviously confidential should accompany a discussion information can be reserved as might be the case with commercial transactions regarding collection purchases or sales, or, donations of funds to make purchases.   My experience echoes that previously noted.  Any actions taken by a collection committee usually have to be confirmed by the full board (and not just the executive committee).

Steve

------------------------------
Steven Miller
Executive Director, retired
Boscobel House and Gardens
Garrison NY

Original Message:
Sent: 02-12-2018 01:06 PM
From: Stephen Bohlin
Subject: Collections Committee Voting - Secret or Open?

The Andrew Low House Chairman of the Collection Committee sits on the Andrew Low House Board.   All accessions and de-accessions must be approved by both the Collections Committee and ratified by the Andrew Low House Board.  There is no need for a secret ballot.  By the time an accession or de-accession is brought up for a vote the item (s) in question have been thoroughly vetted by the Director and Collections Chairman before it is brought up before the committee with a recommendation from the Collections Chairman and Director to accept or deny. Discussion usually ensues including questions for the Director and Chairman regarding any issues related to appropriateness, provenance, and quality.  A voice vote is taken and the recommendation of the Collections Committee is taken to the Andrew Low House Board for ratification.
In general, an object is not brought to the Collections Committee if there is any doubt that it would  not be accepted. The Committee meets twice a year and there is no point in wasting time with inappropriate items for accession or de-accession.  If an item of is offered between meetings.  Photographs of the items in question are sent to the committee members and they may email their vote to the Collections Chairman.
The system works works well for us because potential collection items are reviewed by the Collections Chairman and Director in context of the site's Mission Statement and Collections plan.  Items that do not meet those standards and criteria are politely refused before reaching the Collections Committee.

------------------------------
Stephen Bohlin
Director/Andrew Low House
Savannah GA

Original Message:
Sent: 02-09-2018 09:50 AM
From: Carrie Bowers
Subject: Collections Committee Voting - Secret or Open?

For those of you who have Collections Committees, where the curators and/or board of directors vote on what your museum accessions, do you have secret ballots? Why or why not?

Sincerely,

Carrie

Carrie Bowers

Museum Specialist - Aviation 

National Museum of the Marine Corps

www.usmcmuseum.com

"There is a word sweeter than Mother, Home or Heaven; that word is Liberty." -- Matilda Joslyn Gage (1826-1898)