VERY angry at Wisconsin museum!

[mmerc20]

A lot of you know about the non-profit organization I am working with to preserve and tell the story of Camp Butner, NC during WWII. I recently found out that the Oshkosh Public Museum has a number of photos of a segregated base security unit that were taken at Butner and I was hoping to get some copies of the photos for our archives. Simple request? No. Of course not.

 

Well, the part that I am irate about is when they told me:

 

"A high resolution scan to disk is $22.50 and $7.50 for each additional scan. Shipping and handling is $5.00....There is a $20.00 per image use fee for non-profit organizations to post our images on the web."

 

Now I totally understand that a museum needs to make money but for the five pictures they have I am interested in, that would be almost $160!!! This is totally unacceptable and I am torn as what to do. Museums all have pretty much the same mission and I thought they would be willing to share at a much lower cost than that. Do I contact management the head curator? The Director? Do I pass on the photos all together?

 

Mike

 

[RedLegGI]

They may even be interested in some trades of scans

[KASTAUFFER]

I would hate to see what they would charge the general public!!!!! So much for sharing information which is what you would think a museums mission would be. It's not like you are asking for unpublished photos of Elvis or Marilyn Monroe.

 

Kurt

[Mr.Jerry]

Working both on both non profit projects and for my (hopefully) for profit flag book I was aghast at what museums charge for photo duplication & licesense usage!

Those fees you quoted are actually fairly cheap compared to some. One museum actually "closed" its photo archive mid way through my research ( and before I could get any scans) because the archavist retired. It is a sad fact; Museums are businesses.

 

Can they send them to you electronically?

[lettow]

Unfortunately, I have to agree with Jerry that you are getting off light all things considered. I have done a fair amount of museum research and usually encounter similar charges.

 

Since you want them for the archives why are you concerned about the $20.00 internet charge?

[mmerc20]

We have a big Facebook presence and eventually we would like to post the photos for the people that "like" us to see. Every picture is watermarked so they aren't used without our permission, but $20 each, that is just robbery to me.

 

Perhaps its just the nice person I am, but if someone wants copies of photos I have, I let them have them. Even now working with the Society. Its such a pain because the photos would really be a nice addition and help tell the story of segregation in the Army at Butner.

[Sabrejet]

I completely understand your frustration and dismay. So often, the hidden "admin" charges imposed by such organizations seem so unreasonable. The one which always ****es me off, big time is "handling"! Can someone define / justify that one for me please?

[cutiger83]

I could be wrong but I would first contact someone in management at the museum. It could be that the person who quoted you the prices only knows prices for the general public. Before giving up, I would go higher up on the management chain.

 

...Kat

[capa]

The steady decline in tax money support for libraries and museums over the past decade has resulted in the need to create revenue wherever possible so that they can keep the doors open. I know because I have worked in the museum field for over 15 years. Charging fees is "industry" standard. I recently paid $100 for a scan of an image from the NYC public library. That's the bottom line of the situation. Now, none of us like charging them if our position does not depend on that revenue specifically. To that I will add that I have on occasion both negotiated a lower or no fee and have offered the same.

Kat is correct-you should contact someone in a position to waive or reduce the fee and that's usually a director or senior curator. Don't take the fees personally.

[fstop61]

I'd work the phone a little more....BTW enjoyed the story in the Charlotte Observer the other day. Good luck on getting those scans.

[bob lamoreaux]

I wonder if those photos are in the National Archives (NARA). They may be U.S. Army (?) photos and might be available from NARA. Not sure of the costs that the National Archives charges. Of course, the problem is doing the research in Suitland. However, planning a vacation trip to that Maryland facility might be worth the time and effort.

[El Bibliotecario]

I can see a fee for copying, and for shipping. I feel that charging a non-profit organization a $20 usage fee is a bit greedy.

[101CH47]

Museums certainly don't mind asking you to donate items to their collections. Such as this with the photos is why I always tell museums when they ask that they can buy the items but the items will not under any circumstance be donated.

[Backtheattack]

It seems the situation is the same in the USA - as with this order - and Germany. I`ve seldom seen both museums and archives who would give you a report or a picture without money. State museums and archives whish to know what`s your interest in World War II - the blaming of all people who has any interest in World War as New-Nazis here is the background. Our german archives at Freiburg and Potsdam want a lot of money for any report.

[capajo02]

I understand your position regarding the seemingly excessive costs of the photos and usage rights. I work full-time for a non-profit organization. Sometimes we have to charge - what I consider to be - exorbitant prices for simple operations. Every possible expense - partially including my salary - is paid for by the mailing lists and permissions we grant for organizations to use our copyrighted publications. On some things we sell, we can offer price breaks to organizations and individuals who are repeat customers and supporters. Sometimes I even feel guilty sending someone a bill for $325 for a spreadsheet that just took me 10 minutes to put together, but it is part of the job and necessary for the survival of the organization.

 

I know many museums are in dire situations. I have paid very expensive rates to have documents and photos scanned while I was at research facility. I was standing there and could have scanned the items myself, but because of their designation, a reference librarian or assistant had to do it. I was initially angry, but I just tell myself to think of the rates as a donation to the collection and workers. I'd rather give extra to a museum preserving military history than see it go under...

 

I think you are completely justified in feeling angry about this, but maybe fstop61 has the right idea. Get on the horn with someone and explain what you are doing. It may get you further. My organization can sometimes bend a little when someone calls us and explains projects to us... maybe it will work with this musem.

[Bluejacket]

Like capajo02, I'm connected to a non-profit museum, and I have to agree with his assessment. I did a quick check of some other archival photo sources I've used in the past. Check what they advertise;


Naval Historical Foundation $27.00 for each 8X10 b&w

Double Delta Industries, Inc (a vendor for the Nat. Archives) 19.95 each 8X10 b&w

Photo Response Studio (NA vendor as above) $11.50 plus a "pull fee" of $9.50 for EACH b&w photo ordered = $21.00 each

New York Times photo archives - 1862 11X14 photo of Stonewall Jackson = $169.00 plus shipping

If you have to spend $160.00 to get copies and permission to use five photos, five photos that will enhance your exhibit, bring people into your facility, get you advertising and public visibility, and get people to spend money in your gift shop and put cash in your donation box.....BUY THEM. It's an investment in getting your story out when you want it to be.

 

Bluejacket