| Good afternoon all, It is a terrible shame that the U of A museum is slated to be closed down for lack of funding to pay for the curating of the some seven million items in the museum. It seems to me that with seven million specimens/artifacts that a small bit of cannibalization might be in order. Certainly, the university could sell off some of the museum's collection to raise the funds to keep the museum operating, at least in the short term. Depending on the size the meteorite collection, and with some of the larger meteorite dealers in existence today, that meteorite collection alone might have a significant impact in reducing the museum's deficit. Just a thought. I wonder whether anyone at the university considered this as a possible solution. Best Regards, Paul Martyn In a message dated 6/19/2003 1:45:17 PM Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: http://www.nwaonline.net/300773699760853.bsp No Access To UA Museum Collection Without Staff, Director Says Gentry: Items would be prone to damage without proper oversight By Johnathon Williams The Morning News (Arkansas) June 19, 2003 FAYETTEVILLE -- Johnnie Gentry, director of the University Museum, said Wednesday that no access should be provided to the 7 million items in the museum's collection without a professional staff to manage it. The current collection staff at the University of Arkansas must be retained if anyone is to use the collection, he said. "We have the staff. We must find the money to keep them employed. That's the answer," he said. UA administrators announced Monday that they will close the museum and lay off eight staff members at the end of this year. The decision came as part of a budget cut in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences. All colleges were ordered to cut 2 percent of their budgets by university administrators. Fulbright College will save about $340,000 by eliminating the museum, more than half of its required 2 percent. |
