Page:The museum, (Jackson, Marget Talbot, 1917).djvu/36

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THE MUSEUM

is small and arranged for this contingency it may be permissible to expect to make one entrance serve both museum and lecture room. It must be borne in mind, however, that there are many occasions when it is advisable to use the lecture room at night, and if a separate entrance is provided, even if it is not always used, it is possible to do this without the expense of lighting and guarding the whole museum. A fourth entrance, which may have some connection with the last mentioned, should give access to the rooms of the staff. It should never be necessary for objects which are brought for the staff to examine to pass through the exhibition rooms. Even with every precaution in the way of checks it might be possible for a worthless object to be taken out of a checked bundle and some interesting and easily portable museum piece substituted. Again, on pay days, or when the museum is closed to the public, if there is no separate entrance to the rooms of the staff, it is necessary to admit free every person who says he wishes to speak to the Director, and then to provide him with an escort to see that he does not wander about the museum unattended. On the other hand, it does not do for the office of the staff to be accessible only to the public. It must be possible to have direct access to the galleries and exhibition halls. This can usually be ar-