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...Run, Run like a citizen of Tokyo fleeing Godzilla!
HO-SCEW is an acronym of 'Sucky Customer' and 'Entitlement Whore' with a bit of 'Hopeful One' added to the beginning. They start off as Hopeful Ones and sometimes mutate in to the nastier sorts. Every Museum has seen it's share of these people.
Like every other Museum in the world we have famous objects. The objects may be famous but that doesn't mean that they're always on view. Objects may be on loan for traveling shows. They may be in Conservation or they may just be resting in storage. At least once a week the Library will receive a visit from the clueless Hopeful Ones. The conversation almost always goes the same way.
ME:
or any other hard-working Ref Desk Pilot.
HO: The Hopeful Ones who aren't going to get what they want.
[The thoughts or actions of the Ref Desk Pilot]
ME: Good Afternoon. May I help you?
HO: I hope so. I heard that X was owned by your Museum but I don't see it in the gallleries.
ME: That may well be so, Sir. Not everything we own is out at any given time.
HO: I see. Could you find out where it is?
[Checks the on-line object files]
ME: Object X is in storage. It is not on view.
HO: I came all the way from YY and would be very disappointed if I couldn't see object X.
ME: I'm afraid you're going to have to be disappointed, Sir. I don't have the authority to open the storeroom.
HO: [slowly transforming into the dreaded HOSCEW] Well, who can?
ME: Only the Curator of that collection can and s/he is not going to open the storeroom for a drop-in visitor.
HOSCEW: So, you're not even going to call the Curator to see if I can get into the storeroom?
ME: No sir, I'm not because I know what the answer will be.
HOSCEW: Very well. Please know that I will contact the Director of this Museum and inform him that You were most unhelpful to me and that you ruined our vacation.
[Curtain falls on this scene]
[Curtain rises on LibraryLady atop her soap-box]
Get real, people! If you're the art lovers you profess to be you should have some idea that Museum storerooms aren't open to the general public on demand. Each storeroom contains objects worth millions of whatever currency you choose to use. The insurance liabilities of letting people we don't know from Adam's-Off-Ox into Museum storerooms are staggering.
If you really need to see something in storage you have to plan months in advance. You have to send a letter stating the reason why you need to study this object. The reason should be at least a Doctoral Dissertation. It would also help if your mentor sends us a letter on University Letterhead. If we don't have that, and the Curators can't vet it, there's no way you're going to get into that storeroom.
HO-SCEW is an acronym of 'Sucky Customer' and 'Entitlement Whore' with a bit of 'Hopeful One' added to the beginning. They start off as Hopeful Ones and sometimes mutate in to the nastier sorts. Every Museum has seen it's share of these people.
Like every other Museum in the world we have famous objects. The objects may be famous but that doesn't mean that they're always on view. Objects may be on loan for traveling shows. They may be in Conservation or they may just be resting in storage. At least once a week the Library will receive a visit from the clueless Hopeful Ones. The conversation almost always goes the same way.
ME:
or any other hard-working Ref Desk Pilot.HO: The Hopeful Ones who aren't going to get what they want.
[The thoughts or actions of the Ref Desk Pilot]
ME: Good Afternoon. May I help you?
HO: I hope so. I heard that X was owned by your Museum but I don't see it in the gallleries.
ME: That may well be so, Sir. Not everything we own is out at any given time.
HO: I see. Could you find out where it is?
[Checks the on-line object files]
ME: Object X is in storage. It is not on view.
HO: I came all the way from YY and would be very disappointed if I couldn't see object X.
ME: I'm afraid you're going to have to be disappointed, Sir. I don't have the authority to open the storeroom.
HO: [slowly transforming into the dreaded HOSCEW] Well, who can?
ME: Only the Curator of that collection can and s/he is not going to open the storeroom for a drop-in visitor.
HOSCEW: So, you're not even going to call the Curator to see if I can get into the storeroom?
ME: No sir, I'm not because I know what the answer will be.
HOSCEW: Very well. Please know that I will contact the Director of this Museum and inform him that You were most unhelpful to me and that you ruined our vacation.
[Curtain falls on this scene]
[Curtain rises on LibraryLady atop her soap-box]
Get real, people! If you're the art lovers you profess to be you should have some idea that Museum storerooms aren't open to the general public on demand. Each storeroom contains objects worth millions of whatever currency you choose to use. The insurance liabilities of letting people we don't know from Adam's-Off-Ox into Museum storerooms are staggering.
If you really need to see something in storage you have to plan months in advance. You have to send a letter stating the reason why you need to study this object. The reason should be at least a Doctoral Dissertation. It would also help if your mentor sends us a letter on University Letterhead. If we don't have that, and the Curators can't vet it, there's no way you're going to get into that storeroom.
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