Prepared 24 October 1999
Updated 12 December 1999
Updated 27 May 2002

Ref.I:jdh/musmcp2

Version 2 Conceptual Solution for a Private Museum.

Mainly the museum holds geological specimens.

Prepared by John D. Hughes and his wife, Anita.

27 May 2002

An artist may visit a museum, but only a pedant can live there.
George Santayana. The Life of Reason 1905



GLOSSARY

Aclarity: Cheerful readiness; liveliness; sprightliness.


Magma: One of two or more supposed strata of fluid or semi-fluid matter lying beneath the earth’s crust; the amorphous basis of certain porphyritic rocks.

Metamorphic: Pertaining to, characterised by, or formed by metamorphism. Of a rock or rock-formation: That has undergone transformation by means of heat, pressure, or natural agencies.

Meteorite: A fallen meteor; a mass of stone or iron that has fallen from the sky upon the earth; a meteoric stone.

Sedimentary: Of, pertaining to, or of the nature of sediment; rocks formed by the deposition of sediment.


1.0 Introduction

The Internet process moves over 4 development stages.

The first stage is the “e-info stage”.
The second is the “e-connect stage” when relationships are developed with customers.
The third is when transactions begin – the “e-commerce stage”.
Finally, comes the fourth stage - the “e-market stage”.


2.0 Ownership of the enterprise

The museum specimens, equipment and buildings are wholly owned by John D. Hughes, Manager, of 33 Brooking Street, Upwey, Vic, 3158 Australia.

The private museum is a hobby of John D. Hughes.

It is a not-for-profit hobby project.
There is unlikely to be a profit within the foreseeable future.

It is likely interested persons having a like hobby may gift John D. Hughes specimens or equipment for his hobby museum.

3.0 Methodologies applied to develop the conceptual solution

The conceptual solution methodology for the private museum is framed by teasing out information in four strands.

The first strand comes to terms with solving complex questions posed by the systematic collection and documentation of geological specimens using the untrained staff or trained helpers who are interested in helping a person having as a hobby a not-for-profit educational structure.

The second strand seeks solution sets for implementing training systems capable of providing helpers an introduction to chemical and physical specimen analysis and subsequent identification.

The third strand reviews understanding of what is likely to be a suitable method of managing research information of a geological nature on a privately owned Internet website.

The fourth strand deals with managerial issues of the owner’s personal gathering to achieve effective financial substantiality of the hobby enterprise.


4.0 Why is this second conceptual solution still only ad hoc?

The greatest risk perceived on the project is that the law of diminishing expertise may well occur on this project because volunteers with little scientific training will start appointing or promoting friends less effective than themselves to work on the project.

Those not skilled in a technical field are at a real loss to understand the real excitement that comes from systematic chemical and physical analysis for the identification and classification of a specimen.

Ideally, volunteers must study to include formal expression of chemistry and physics nomenclature into their everyday life.

If one person bolstered a notion that all museum signage should be in three languages while other Members thought no signs were warranted, the good idea would be lost.


5.0 What incentive do we have to run exhibitions?

The prime incentive is to run virtual exhibitions on the Internet.

There is not necessarily a real exhibition on permanent exhibition. The virtual exhibitions are the next stage when the visitors become bored with just browsing and want something on line that is more educational.

The first real exhibition in 2000 was “Granites in building in fabulous Melbourne”.

The second real exhibition was “Marbles in building in fabulous Melbourne”.


6.0 What happens after the first cultural audit?

Two cultural audits of the design of the museum’s physical spaces, facades and building have been done. (Refer appendix 2 & 3 of Conceptual Solution 1- 12 December 1999).

A new cultural audit for 2002 is needed and will be prepared next month.

The interior colour schemes of Suite 10 and the layout of office working space at Suite 4 are to be reviewed to lift volunteers’ perception of the seriousness of the project.

The museum office & laboratory must be commodious so persons enjoy the cultural ambience. It is to be a comfortable working space for volunteers.

7.0 Planning for the new GST provisions

Peter Boswell CPA will advise.

It is of prime importance that GST collection be workable to protect all stakeholders.

The owner makes no apology for the fact that his raison d’être for establishing the museum is to use it as a vehicle to raise the level of thinking of those involved in the project.

8.0 Who has authority to issue invitations to visit the private museum?

The only person who can issue invitation to visitors is John D. Hughes. Visitors must wear white laboratory coats and protective head wear. They must not touch anything in the chemical laboratory.

The private museum in Suite 10 is reserved for training suitably dressed volunteers who are fully conversant with the occupational health and safety requirements of the site.

Dangerous reagents used for analysis are kept locked up in explosion proof brick containers for safety reasons.

Suite 10 has a high fire rating with explosion proof brick containers holding dangerous chemicals.

Suite 10 is to be treated as a high security area.

In general, the majority of volunteers will view only a small amount of the permanent collection of specimens stored in Suite 10.

9.0 We have speed learning benchmarks

To do this, the private museum needs to operate as a change agent.

No matter how sober and rational a society pretends to be by modern standards, the more a change agent can collect and disseminate the critical mass of high level information made available to that society, the possibility arises that it may wake up .

The action of waking up means persons can recognise and come to terms with the enormous influence that superstition has shaped his or her human past actions.

There is an inconceivable complexity of 1st order thought over a long history associated with views and opinions about the “magic” of rocks and minerals (as opposed to relatively few “facts” of geology science).

The museum will order specimens in such a manner as to bring about 3rd or 4th order thinking in helpers’ and users’ minds.

We believe there is a human need to be told stories about geological specimens. This has remained relatively unchanged throughout history.

This need for stories about specimens is communal with Nagas and other beings.

10.0 Defining order of information

Much of the abstract knowledge about rocks and minerals is carried by myth.

Levi-Strauss (1969) has shown that, however bizarre the events of a myth may seem to us, myth is governed by a rigorous and relentless logic in which schemes of kinship, geography, the satisfaction of biological needs, and cosmography are subject to the same ordering principles.

A Rank 1 ontology consists simply of a listing of the types recognised by the culture, and some sub-categorisation. A Rank 1 thinker can form metaphors and proverbs, and thus get abstract ideas into his or her level of cognition.

We call this 1st order.

But a Rank 1 thinker lacks a structure that permits comparative judgement between alternative abstractions, or any other intellectual assessment.

Writing is critical not only because it allows the stable representation of thoughts but it also forces thinking about thought. The metalingual definition allows a Rank 2 culture explicitly to convey its abstract knowledge through rationalisations. The Rank 2 abstractive system has two mechanisms available to it: metaphor and metalingual definition.

Rank 2 thought consists in the explicit and extensive elaboration of metalingual definitions.
Rank 2 thinkers developed a perspicuous notation and algorithms.

We call this 2nd order.

Rank 3 thinkers exploited calculational algorithms effectively (W. L.Benzon & D.G.Hayes (1979).

We call this 3rd order.

Rank 4 science uses sophisticated logic and mathematics to such an extent it becomes even more necessary to thought. The central work is Turing who explained what an algorithm was.

His universal machine, a purely abstract construction, was an algorithm for the execution of any algorithm whatsoever. Von Neumann and others embodied Turing’s account of the algorithm into a physical device: the computer.

Rank 4 models of non-observable phenomena are useful. New “Interdisciplinary” ventures can be distinguished as those that lay out two recognised disciplines side by side without generating much that is new, and those that do the same only to transcend them.

We call this 4th order.

Museum stakeholders will advocate 3rd & 4th order thought

The conceptual plan for the museum is to develop immediate research opportunities to allow 3rd & 4th order thought to occur and transform such thought into the useful knowledge body of specialist monographs produced either in-house or externally for the museum.

A peer review will control the quality of published output.

To satisfy such needs, we propose the setting up of a private museum to display the Collection and tell the stories behind the specimens.

As scientific objects they need to be seen as objective.

Description is preceded by a phase of reception during which a certain amount of information is transmitted by experience. If we analyse experience, however, we find the term is ambiguous in that it refers both to the objects and their perception.

The fields of variation used intra-species by humankind for classification over different centuries at different regions show this type of ambiguity.

At the same time, but with perhaps less ambiguity in intra-species variation of classification, Nagas have arrived at their own classification of similar rock or minerals based on their respective sciences of geology.

11.0 Volunteers will help administer the museum

The rules governing admission and exclusion policies to the museum need to be formed this year to provide a continuum of constructive convergence.

The owner proffers that the private museum will be commissioned in 5 stages.
The number of his selected stages is not conceptually prescriptive.

The e-museum will be commissioned in 4 stages ending in the e-market stage. (see above).

12.0 Improving the fire rating of Suite 10

Suite 10 is a metal-framed building on the North boundary of the site.

Over June 2002, Stage 2 modernisation will occur.

Security precautions have been improved by keeping the building locked at both doors.

13.0 The foundation stone of the museum

The Foundation Stone of the museum was laid on the full moon day in January 2000 within a granite wall having records to be opened in 100 years. Offerings will be done to the Nagas.
14.0 International appellations will be used for the specimens

The distinguished mineralogists who make up the International Mineralogical Association have established a Mineral Names Commission and set high standards for the scientific proof of a new species.

Research is carried out in many places to determine the status of those species that are in doubt. In the older editions of Dana’s System of Mineralogy more than 3000 mineral species are listed. The accepted number today is nearer 1500.

Several new species are discovered and approved each year, but at the same time several others are likely to be demoted to the status of mere varieties.

Mineralogists have been devising techniques for producing synthetic minerals in the laboratory for more than 200 years.

Geologists tend to group the environments in which minerals form as magmatic, sedimentary and metamorphic.

Meteorites have a non-earthly origin and represent a special environment.

Sooner or later monographs about specimens are planned.

15.0 Locating references in history books

Any mention found in history records (including oral history) will be added to the prime data.
Several ancient references will be consulted to get suitable material for this part of the data collection.

Attempts at trying to order and describe natural geological materials began about 300 B.C. when Theophrastus wrote his book “On Stones”.

Pliny the Elder (A.D. 23-79) described a long list of fabulous stones, most of which possessed some sort of occult power.

In the 16th century an Italian named Camillus Leonardus wrote a book about gems, in which he described an astonishing stone called an alectorius.

In 1854 James Dwight Dana set the chemical classification of minerals on a firm footing.

Later, polymorhs were explained with X-ray crystallography after 1912.

In 1966, R.O. Chalmers noted the rapidly growing amateur interest in geological science in Australia.

In the best sense one of the adjuncts of collecting is the acquiring of knowledge.

In Broken Hill, at the turn of the century, a publican traded drink to thirsty miners for choice mineral specimens which were then abundant in that famous Australian mining centre.

This collection was subsequently purchased by a philanthropist and distributed among four scientific institutions in Sydney.

Each specimen in the JDH collection has some pleasing anecdote of how and where it was acquired.

16.0 The museum lay out will be evaluated from time to time.

Masses of extrinsic information will be found once testing begins on the specimens in this unique collection.

Some years ago, a small inauguration service marking the intention to start developing a museum was performed in the presence of N. Prescott.

17.0 Collecting notes in the visitors’ book

A vital part of any public relation exercise is to use the power of names of satisfied clients.

On the first day of summer 1999, the private museum at Upwey, invited selected visitors to see how construction was progressing in Suite 10.
Visitors viewing the preview of the first exhibition wrote their impressions in the Visitors’ Book.

They noted:
“Thank you for the honour of being the first visitor. May the museum continue to prosper. Long life to our dear Teacher.”

Allowing a select few to preview the fit out work in progress at the building is good PR.

When the construction is completed to stage 1, it will be ready for its first exhibition.


18.0 The culture used must blend scientific thought with knowledge

The processes we teach and practice through use of the museum platform will bring the cultural change needed to result in a change in the order of knowledge persons use for the rest of their lives.

Using 2nd or 3rd order knowledge gives at least 5 advantages over using 1st order knowledge.

These orders give complete access to the five styles and four trusts described by JDH.

The alia statement on volunteer workers in libraries they adopted in 1985 and amended in 1988 does not apply in our case.

It is totally opposed to volunteer workers being substituted for appropriately trained, paid library personnel on a regular and systematic basis. According to their 1988 amended statement, a volunteer should not hold the only library position in an organisation.

We do not see the need for a librarian in the organisation because the persons who do the geology tests use data entry to place information directly onto the Internet. They are more like authors than librarians.

In the conceptual solution, we have been bold enough to indicate and foreshadow an e-marketing policy.

Our collective experience with IT work over the last three years shows that it is very probable we can get the more advanced systems needed for our databases even if it appears some persons feel we are opinionated in our demands, which specify high end digital technology.

The actuality is that we have a track record of “cobbling” together more complex IT systems than we propose in the conceptual solution without too much pain or expense.

The conceptual solution holds that one of the objectives of the enterprise can be achieved by users of the museum if they were encouraged to develop themselves by undertaking curiosity-driven searches to get to 3rd order knowledge.

Conventional libraries are not sufficiently staffed to offer post-graduate training to their clients.

This is feasible by searching specimens with the notion of looking for patterns or doing frequency counts of crystal sizes that can show up by zooming into the high definition photographs held on-line in the scaleable illustrated museum catalogue.

As the museum data feeds our data-warehouse and is indexed on site, operators can use ISYS data retrieval for a future help-desk.

Allowing e-mail queries for a fee could allow persons to supply data and give rein to any latent scientific interest.

A study paper of the likely cost benefit of issuing a research publication monograph in paper form or on a CD holding some research output delivered by the museum data warehouse.

On-site experiments to resolve a quality solution for photographs have begun.

To date, the ability to view an image and zoom into it on screen at about a 700,000 dpi file for one rock photograph appears a likely starting point. We are saving as Bitmaps and copying to CDs for use.

We plan to exclude persons who incline to advert from 2nd or 3rd order knowledge.

At present, we are interested in including those who have an interest in bringing about the work of preserving the specimens and writing down classifying information beyond 1st order.

The museum owns the copyright of projects that Members have researched and written up.

19.0 Volunteer training commitment needed for the next decade

We use Tmin to indicate our minimum target. This is what we are just comfortable with as performance.

To begin training, persons must have sufficient time.

As an order of suggested magnitude:

for a Tmin level, three persons need to spend 20 hours a week each for 10 years to gather skill in interpreting the results of 90 measurements used to qualify as a research scientist.

for a Tmin level, three persons need to spend 10 hours a week each for two years studying the foundations of geological testing to qualify as research assistants.

for a Tmin level, three persons need to spend 20 hours a week for 2 years to classify the rocks at a mere catalogue level.

The project could recruit science graduates to help develop Rank 3 and Rank 4 thought in their vacation.

For planning purposes, a series of preferred testing procedures (at three levels Tfan, Taver, Tmin) necessary for different levels of narrative about the nature, age and rarity of rocks, minerals and fossils in the JDH Collection should be assembled.

KPI means key performance indicator.

A KPI setting what percentage of specimens in the museum should be given the highest (extensive) level of testing.

For the first year, this KPI target is listed at 2.5%.





20.0 The necessity for setting up a new geological database

In 1999, the Council of Australian University Librarians warned that Australian libraries are at crisis point and in 1998 cancelled journal subscriptions worth $9 million and in 1999 a further $6 million worth would go.

Sixty per cent of the cuts were in science, technology and medicine journals threatening access to information critical to research.

They conclude that unless university libraries have the capacity to support broadly based interdisciplinary research, we cannot ensure continuing scientific and technological innovation and sustainable national wealth creation.

The private museum is affordable. We intend to index Monash University’s geology school BHP rock specimen collection to be on line.

Our well-established tradition suggests that the conceptual solution need not follow arguments in extension as might be expected of a well-referenced thesis.

Be that as it may, some form of theory, even only “bare bones” enough to stay within a reasonable length, could make the work useful as a paper about managing research publications.

Complex reasons for discard have not been listed but this PRO TEM illustrative explanation of 1st ORDER propositions vis a vis 3rd ORDER premises opens up understanding of the non-trivial nature of the projects.

To help understand 1st order it may be conceived of as a narrow function.

1st order is a policy choice where the next action step is determinate.

Higher order may be conceived of as wider functions where the next action step is indeterminate.

Where a process is 1st order, it is an instrumentality to set up in-house performance without default.

An example of a 1st order function was deciding that an in-house testing facility must be provided.

This leads to a conceptual statement: ‘a balance able to weigh the specimens will be obtained’ is seen as definitive and prescriptive. No degrees of freedom is implied – hence it is labelled as a 1st order function.

Since there is no choice permitted in this function, the action step means weighting balances MUST be purchased and a condition found that the museum has an in-house testing laboratory.

By contrast, supposing a secondary choice reference was made to ‘A WEIGHTED SPECIMEN’, this is indefinite and non-prescriptive – it may imply the weighing is to be in-house OR sub-contracted to a weighing contractor located off-site.

THE CODE USED for degrees of freedom = no. of phases present -1

ORDER = DEGREES OF FREEDOM + 1.

No degrees of freedom implies 1st Order.

This secondary choice suggests that at least two phases of possible outcomes gives one degree of freedom hence we call it a 3rd Order process.

In this conceptual solution, the language has been coded to attempt to make clear distinctions between two conditions.

WHAT IS NOT CLAIMED IS DISCLAIMED.

The first condition is made when a major premise and an example are to be taken as equivalent.

The second condition is made when a major premise and an example are not taken as equivalent.

The second condition is based on setting up third order logic:

1. An example + a major premise = an exemplified major premise.
2. An exemplified major premise is a subset of an existential major premise.

The second condition has “SUCH AS, FOR EXAMPLE” before the example given.

At times, the rules of grammar appear to be ignored in favour of common usage.
The name of the museum suggests “Geological” rather than “Geology”.
A necessary condition for persons searching Internet is that they may use “geology” as the search word.

A private museum at Upwey will conduct Public Relations (PR) processes.

As part of the PR process, research & development notes will be published on a title to be decided.

21.0 The Private Museum at Upwey perspectives

The overt editorial policy of “Perspectives” is to assist in raising the profile of the Private museum at Upwey and gather volunteers to manage the existing collections of specimens and make it become widely known.

A private museum has a higher possibility of speedier communication to the general public about interesting issues than a public museum because it does not have to answer to the elected political masters.

Our set policy or mission does not have to sway with every breeze.

The printing target audience is the retired persons in Australia and encourages them in 33 core activities at the Private Museum at Upwey.

Core activities are those given Key Performance Indicators (KPI).

One KPI ensures the geological research museum builds its specimen collection.
Change of organisational culture is realised through training officers who support the mission statement to do these and related activities.

We intend to counter-influence the “dumbing down” culture and thereby help persons to develop analysis by means of science-based techniques in the study of geology.

The museum lemma is to be decided.

Rocks on the mountain may not last 5 million years.

The logo

Ought to reflect the museum character designed.

22.0 The real and the virtual museum

The real museum holds actual rocks collected over four decades by John D. Hughes.

It is located in Suite 10 at 33 Brooking Street Upwey 3158.

Over the four decades, with the help of Nagas, John has gathered thousands of geology specimens from around the world.

The virtual museum is viewable on the Internet site.

Evelin Halls has done the Web site planning as a Monash University project.

23.0 Current arrangements for essential services tracking

We have use of a soft ware package for essential services that is compliant with the regulations. This will be used for Suite 10 and Suite 4.

Developing safe handling for all specimens

To have O. H. & S. in the work place, the conceptual solution specifies protective means so that Members do not have direct contact with specimens that may have toxic material in them.

Disposable gloves and freshly laundered white lab coats are provided to all operators.

Simple hygiene such as washing hands after each museum session is part of the fundamental safety program.

Make sure heavy metal samples are placed in sealed containers for safe viewing.

Since these conditions preclude Members from breathing in heavy metal dust and coming into physical contact with the specimens, poisoning is avoided.

Members have little chance of knowing about the toxicity of a specimen until it is identified. We never know what sample will arrive.

Members can play it safe by handling ALL specimens with the view that they are ALL toxic specimens as they service & staff the geological museum.

It is convenient for Members of the organisation to attend to cleaning and maintenance of the museum.

The museum site is to be developed at a rate sufficient to meet the essential services provisions of the building regulations 2002.

The essential services provisions means suitable tested fire extinguishers are available, the building has high fire rating standards and the exit doors are provided with auxiliary powered GREEN EXIT LIGHTS at the entrances.

The conceptual solution proscribes that the design of the SUITE 10 interior should meet essential services standards.

24.0 Fitting a horizontal arrangement to the centre’s viewpoint

The owner of the private museum has constructed a DRAGON KING Shrine within the Sariputta room.

Members of the Centre are permitted to do offerings at that Shrine under instruction.

Since these conditions preclude Members from breathing in heavy metal dust and coming into physical contact with the specimens, poisoning is avoided.

The training for safe testing techniques will be written up and made available (with video support).

In the future, Members will be encouraged to do second degrees in geology, chemistry degrees or some thing to do with science. Others will have information processing degrees or equivalent.

The strong case is to be used in ALL forms of general public relations.

Our WEBSITE can help put this strong case into circulation so thinking about the museum is coherent.

25.0 Key Performance Indicators

For the actual museum mission to succeed by meeting the conceptual KPI’s in a successfully managed operation requires three managers and the curator to add some distance and bring a critical eye to the gestalt.

Within two years, the mission is to deliver a private museum Website that provides information equal to a third rate geological museum.

Two KPI are to be used for the actual museum.
The first KPI is the rate of acquisition of new specimens.
The second KPI is the rate of successful cataloguing of specimens.
About 80 test measurements per specimen are required for correct classification.

The KPI of the virtual geological museum is the donations per hit generated on the Website.

With this overview must come a commitment to redesigning their operations around core processes.

The KPI chosen is to be the catalyst to bring cultural change so that Members expect 100% growth in new specimens within this time frame.

A conceptual solution that expects this magnitude of growth is acceptable to the Curator.

The Curator intends to organise real and virtual displays and develop derivatives for the Museum.

To accelerate and encourage such outcomes, a Key Performance Indicator (KPI) is included in the conceptual solution.

22 November 1999 is set as Specimen Held Base line = 100.

The KPI proposed for the 7 months, December 1999 to June 2000 has been set as:

T fan set at 81 to 100%
T aver set at 60 to 80%
T min set at 40 to 69%
T unsat set at <40%.

NOTE;
JDH has 500 geology specimens in his house.
These will be transferred to the museum when security is improved.

The curator (JDH) will encourage some interested Members of the Centre to observe suitable protocols in requesting Nagas assistance to discover new specimens.

The Devas & Nagas assist Members with suitable information about specimens in the museum collection.

Since the conceptual solution proposes a target KPI for new specimens, the next step is to make Members of the Centre aware of the KPI and make significant others better informed of what target is expected.

It is thought that if 50% of present Members can be persuaded to triple their presently perceived level of interest in geology, this would assist KPI achievement in building the JDH Geology collection.

The advantage of specifying the use of a well-publicised KPI approach FOR ALL MEMBERS is that it has the potential to yield thirty times higher output than the old laissez-faire collection policy that targeted THREE MEMBERS.

The conceptual solution moves away from the former pattern that had only THREE Members donating new specimens to JDH on a regular basis.

The bare bones of the conceptual solution were given to MEMBERS on 14 November 1999.

Written records of specimens received commenced on 20 November 1999.
November’s record lists 27 specimens donated over 4 days.

The new KPI approach should yield a specimen donation rate of 40 per week.

FOOTNOTE: A benchmark (=100) for determining future growth rate was made by setting a museum “commencement” date and a “stock take number” for counted specimens in the museum at that date.

For KPI purposes, the museum foundation date was set as 22 November 1999 with a stock of 2212 specimens in the geological museum.

JDH has other geology specimens in his house (500?) and garden (500?).

Cataloguing includes photographs. T fan is set at cataloguing 2000 specimens by December 2000 (40 per week).

The conceptual plan sets the average (T aver) at 1400 specimens catalogued by December 2000. (about 28 per week)
5000+ specimens will be planned as the target for the Classification equipment that should be adequate to run a T fan number of 100 specimens a week.

The standard geology tests include Mohr hardness, specific gravity, & fluorescence under UV tests.

The laboratory should permit technicians to run duplicate tests on samples AT THE SAME TIME.

TWO TECHNICIANS OUGHT TO BE ABLE TO WORK TOGETHER.

To guarantee testing of more than one specimen at the same time and remove delays caused by technicians waiting to use test equipment at a tolerable pace, three fully equipped testing stations are to be developed.

To ensure the valuable time of technicians is not wasted if some equipment malfunctions or is damaged a third testing station will be provided to give redundancy if needed.

The short-term aim of this solution is to provide testing equipment used within the museum Laboratory in triplicate.

The first testing station needed for specimen identification is to be set up in DECEMBER 1999. The second testing station is to be set up by JANUARY 2000 and the third by March 2000.

26.0 Handling toxic & radioactive geology specimens

It is necessary to provide for the safe handling of both toxic analytical chemicals and toxic specimens and guard against any X-rays used in testing or other radioactivity introduced in to the museum from specimens.

Visible signage shall inform museum operators and visitors of the presence of any radioactive material stored or on display in the museum.

a Geiger counter will be obtained and installed.

An X-RAY machine will distinguish between isomorphs.

The Health Department will keep a record of exposure to operators who must wear process film badges.

Lead shielded glass will be installed in front of X-ray machines and isotopes of radioactive samples.

Interim safe handling of toxic specimens likely to pollute the air supply with radon should be arranged by placing the specimens in glass storage dissectors loaded with concentrated sulphuric acid.

By this simple method, noxious gases can be absorbed, given to and stored by the Health Department.

It would be in our interest to pre-test specimens with an ionisation detector or other devices to detect radioactivity before they reach the museum display space.

The absence of electrostatic precipitators to filter air supply means especial care is needed to keep specimens such as lead ores under glass to ensure there is a low level risk of heavy metal poisoning.

Further safety measures must come from a restrained collection paradigm. The design and operation of a safe collection paradigm will be completed in November 1999.

On the one hand, we expect to generate outcomes where an ever-increasing number of persons or organisations offer to donate specimens but, on the other hand, we must specify the conditions under which we refuse donations on toxicity grounds.

For safety reasons, we would not accept geology specimens contaminated by pathogens or radioactivity. Fertiliser toxins from farms must be avoided.

How do we test specimens offered so they do not risk museum safety?

It is necessary that we determine that all the museum’s toxic handling procedures are safe

Before January 2003, SUITE 10 air should be monitored.

At present, marble and granite specimens as a specialty range appear inviting.

But as a first step, the Curator must explore what is being offered.

27.0 Interim criteria for selection of volunteers needed

Museum Technicians are of four kinds:
1. Those having understanding of geological classification.
2. Those who do not but are keen to learn.
3. Those who know web technology.
4. Safe cleaners.

Museum Officers who have sound managerial judgement must be able to understand and implement the conceptual solution.

Museum Officers require six work skills. An interim solution is to find persons :

to have catalogued 100 museum specimens accurately.
to work safely according to the museum’s O. H. & S. standards.
to want to be a museum officer who accepts the challenge of implementing the conceptual solution.
to be a good modern manager who understands networking.
to be self-motivated and energetic enough to recruit & train others with low attrition rates.
to have written a 500 word essay on the objectives of museums and the Geological museum in particular.

Museum Officers who meet these conditions will have their names placed on the private museum website: www.geologymuseum.org.au.

The entrance to training as a MUSEUM OFFICER of the geological museum team is to write an essay on “THE STANDARDS & FUNCTIONS EXPECTED OF A PRIVATE GEOLOGICAL MUSEUM”
To be accepted for the museum by the curator, a Member must submit a 500 word essay supporting the notion that they may find geology interesting if they were given a chance to be accepted into the “top gun” support team.

To help Members relate to the image and style of the Geological museum, white laboratory coats will be provided.

By JANUARY 2000, technicians will be trained to use the museum database on PC4 so they can help record, identify, photograph and catalogue specimens.

Members will be chosen to start the work ASAP.


28.0 Building potential to sustain a sufficient rate of testing

The geology laboratory in SUITE 10 with its three sets of testing equipment will be a clean, pleasant worksite.

Testing must be able to continue on specimens at all times.
Two technicians ought to be able to conduct physical tests on specimens at the same time OR
Two chemists to conduct analysis on specimens at the same time.

Process standardisation has many benefits such as lower overhead costs, since the process requires only one owner with only one set of documentation and training materials, and only one information system.

Secondly, an organisation with standardised processes presents one face to its suppliers and customers reducing transaction costs both for them and for itself.

Third, and perhaps counter-intuitively, process standardisation can increase operational flexibility.

When all units are performing a process the same way, an organisation can easily assign persons from one unit to another to respond to shifts in demand.

The rule of thumb is to standardise processes as much as possible without interfering with the ability to meet diverse customers’ needs.

Members of the organisation are familiar with their Local Area Network and their Intranet.

For these reasons, the conceptual solution begins by running the Museum’s data base systems on PC4 and administration details on PC10. Both PCs are owned by JDH and connected to the B.D.C.(U.) Ltd server and LAN. A quid pro quo agreement allows system standardisation between JDH and the B.D.C.(U.) Ltd.

Because a standardised system is used, skill transfers occur between operators.

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