A MUSEUM IN CRISIS _ A Museum At Home With Itself

This notice slipped quietly into a Launceston INBOX a day or so ago and not so surprisingly there is much to learn from it. Yes Auckland is somewhat larger than any city in Tasmania, nonetheless Auckland's museum looks like it might be able to teach us a thing or two about a thing or two.

The first thing that is very noticeable about the language in this notice is that it is setting out to engage Aucklanders in the process of renewing "their museum". Launcestonians have not been exposed to the same welcoming experience of late. Generally they have been kept pretty much in the dark and treated like mushrooms even if they provide a large slice of the QVMAG's funding.

This week Launcestonians have opened their morning papers to discover that THEIR MUSEUM has lost its director and apparently there have been other losses as well. With so many losses it is hard to work out if this is down to fate or carelessness. Whatever, the buck stops with the Aldermen!

The Auckland Museum is an interesting institution that engages with its Communities of Ownership and Interest. One wonders if any time soon that will be an experience Launcestonians can boast about given all of this week's events.