British Museums

[Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP)]

Please forgive me if this is old-hat to those here, but methinks it needs to be said.

It has come to my attention that some of the recent research demands upon some museums have become rather costly for those institutions, which like most anywhere, survive mostly on access-to-information fees and donations. It does cost these institutions a great deal of money to acquire, store, protect and disemminate the resources they have, and thus, we as users should respect same.

While the information they hold may technically be in the public domain, the simple fact is that the lady or gentleman on the other end of the phone, computer or desk has to be paid, and likewise the costs of storing and reproducing what they have access to. And we certainly can't depend on any government for unlimited support, for reasons which need not be discussed here.

Simply enough, when dealing with any such institution anywhere, please enquire right off the bat whether they have any information-access fees, and if not, would it be possible to make a small donation in lieu of? That will certainly help to retain the access we currently enjoy to what is there, ad infinitum.

Thank you.