But several sources alleged that faculty members lack the expertise to promulgate policies which adequately protect the millions of dollars worth of artifacts in Harvard's museums.

"The concerns of faculty and curators are not always the same and since faculty members are tenured...curators are always expendable," said one source close to the museums. "I am not sure that the faculty can make the best judgment [for the museums]."

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that professors in the Semitic museum, for example, were "not always as conscious as someone would like them to be." Professors would often leave doors unlocked or distribute keys without discretion.

The Report

In 1991 or 1992, members of the museum council say they brought an outside security consultant to evaluate the integrity of Harvard's museums and to issue a report of the findings.

But numerous curators, security coordinators and Sgt. Larry J. Fennelly, a museum security expert and Harvard's crime-prevention officer, said they have never seen the report.

Elizabeth C. Thyne, the former head of security for the Semitic museum and its public programs director, said she toured the museums with the security consultant.

Thyne said the report was biased and proposed only unreasonable and expensive changes which would require major capital investment by the museums.

In an interview last month, Joseph A. Green, assistant director of the Semitic museum, suggested on-going training for security and curatorial staff to ensure the protection of collections.

"There are two components to museum security: the hardware component and human procedure," said Green. "[Human procedure] is accomplished by... on-going training, as part of a maintenance programs the same way you maintain a physical plant."

Guard Training

Currently, security guards patrol museums from 16 to 24 hours each day, depending on the location. Specific security policies are usually determined by the administrators in individual facilities, according to Herbert J. Vallier, the associate director of the Harvard police.

But Thyne, a security supervisor, said in her experience, training was "learn as you go." Instead, she would often call Fennelly with security questions.

Another problem facing security officials is the lack of employee background checks.

"Anybody who works for Harvard should be scrutinized carefully," Harvard Police Chief Paul E. Johnson said earlier this year.