ABSTRACT
Collection documentation experiences at the Maine State Museum illustrate both appropriate and inappropriate ways to manage this essential responsibility. They tell of failure and success, lethargy and enthusiasm, abrogation and accomplishment. They illustrate dependence on administrative support, staff commitment, technology and respect for the museum’s purposes. The contrasts we describe reflect a period when critics of United States museums advocated agendas far removed from museological reality. Unfortunately, these were embraced by the Maine State Museum.
