Fundraising the Dead

Sheila Connolly's Fundraising the Dead was an interesting, if at times topical, look into the running of a public history institution. Of course this book wasn't written to be included in a history graduate class syllabus (although I have a feeling that fact would thrill Connolly,) so the flair for the dramatic, the office romance/love triangle scenario and the somewhat flowery depiction of Philadelphia will have to be excused. But behind the glossy cover and the annoying similarities between Connolly and the heroine Nell Pratt, there is an important analysis about the way cultural institutions are run.

This book actually did a surprisingly good job at giving a basic overview of what the running of public history institution might look like. Connolly's inside knowledge of the way a museum or archive works came across in her descriptions of the characters jobs, her insight that public image and member donations are integral to the successful funding of such organizations, and the kind of team effort that it takes to keep such institutions running.

The most important issues, in my mind, that Connolly touched on were the managing and security of collections. To the general public the idea that historic treasures are poorly catalogued, often misplaced, or even at risk of theft or vandalism is probably an unsettling thought. Questions of how to balance the responsibility of cultural heritage institutions with their entrusted collections, and balance a budget as well are raised in this book and deserve much discussion. With the technology to manage collections digitally, but without the funding to do so shouldn't just distress young public historians hoping to find jobs. These are the issues needing discussed and the questions needing answered when talking about the future of museums, archives, and other public history institutions.