ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
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About the scarcity of film canisters:
As science educators I think that one of our important roles is to
share activities with our visitors, schools, and teachers that they
can reproduce safely at home or in the classroom.

SO, if film canisters are getting scarce, we should use our ingenuity
and help find safe alternatives so that their explorations can
continue and be shared with others. When they do the activities it
should also include a discussion about what kinds of containers are
not safe to use and why. The reality is that although M&M containers
are a great alternative for now, their availability is also likely to
change.

Denise LeBlanc



Denise LeBlanc
Education Director
Science Discovery Museum
177 Main Street
Acton, MA  01720
978-264-4200 x 20
www.discoverymuseums.org


> Date:    Fri, 23 Jun 2006 12:02:07 -0400
> From:    John Bowditch <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Re: film canisters needed - help?
>
> ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
> Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
> *****************************************************************************
>
> This question reveals the larger problem of where to find useful stuff
> that once was so very common and which is rapidly getting hard to come
> by. I bet in a very short time these canisters will not be available in
> any quantities anywhere.=20
>
> The question is: What to do?
>
> My answer is that perhaps ASTC or some similar body ought to take the
> initiative to round up impending rarities and store them for our use in
> the future. Users would have to pay the freight (as it were) but the
> cost would be worth it. Any ideas out there about who might do this or
> where it might be done? I can think of a small list of stuff that fits
> this category. They are cheap now but when they are gone, they are gone!
>
> I suspect the manufacturer of these canisters would be happy to talk
> with someone buying 20 or 30 thousand of them.
>
> John Bowditch
--

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