Museums` Mystery: Solved?

Museums under a microscope...a man in search of memories. It all began earlier this month when Brian Cook came to KQ2 concerned of the whereabouts of his grandmother`s collection. In 1985, Brian`s mom donated over 300 items to the St. Joseph Museums` in Lillian Childers` name. Last year, Cook and his cousin went to the Museums in search of the artifacts. They were told, by a Museums` staff member, the collection could not be found. The Childers` collection is just one on a list tracked down in recent weeks by Archaeologist Dr. Jimmy Albright. Albright is heading up a team taking an inventory of museum artifacts. "I`m not at all surprised that it was right where they said it would be because everything that we have checked has been exactly the same way," said Albright. So, where was the collection when cook asked for it a year ago? According to Museums` curator Sarah Elder, it was right where it was supposed to be, tucked away with other archaeological items. Elder says a miscommunication led cook astray. "It`s possible a new employee who maybe didn`t know any better," said Elder. The search for Cook`s family collection comes amidst scrutiny of the museums archiving system and questions about the whereabouts of numerous items. But Dr. Albright insists everything is where it should be. "We just have not found anything missing. Everybody that has come to us with a legitimate list and legitimate concerns we have pursued that." As for his critics? "There are critics who want an answer and when you get an answer for them some of them have looked at me and said, `wow.` Then there are the critics who regardless of what you do, the criticism is not going to stop." One of those critics, local historian Harrison Hartley is not happy with the way things are going. He tells kq2 he has submitted a letter to Albright which contains names and pictures of artifacts he still believes to be missing. Meanwhile, Albright hopes to wrap up the inventory process by august first.