Starting right : a basic guide to museum planning / Gerald George and Carol Maryan-George.

Includes index.

The big questions -- What makes a good museum? -- How can you finance it? -- Where can you get help? -- Nuts and bolts -- Analyze for essentials -- What is your museum's mission and what are its limits? -- What collections do you have or need to serve your museum's purpose? -- How will you house your museum? -- How will you provide security? -- Organize for operation -- What governance provisions will your constitution make? -- What procedures will your bylaws contain? -- How will you clarify the relative responsibilities and prerogatives of board members, directors, staff members, and volunteers? -- What else can you do to promote harmony in your organization? -- Plan for activities -- What will be your collections policy? -- What conservation needs must you meet and how? -- What provisions will you make for ongoing research? -- What interpretive methods will you use to reach your publics? -- Recruit the human resources -- What time schedule for development will your museum follow? -- Who will direct your museum and how will you recruit that person? -- What staff positions, paid or volunteer, will you need? -- What provisions will you make for staff training in museum work and museum ethics? -- Now will it really work? -- How will you keep on track? -- How will you evaluate your museum's activities? -- How will you conduct ongoing planning? -- How will you keep your museum alive, dynamic, creative, even visionary, and closely connected to your community? -- Alternatives -- And if you don't want to do all that? -- And if you are planning a historic house museum? -- Some basic documents -- A. basic organization chart -- B. board membership responsibilities agreement -- Sample museum bylaws -- Sample position description for a director -- E. sample certificate of gift -- F. standard object cataloging record -- Acknowledgements -- Index -- About the authors.