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Collections Management
Nicola Ladkin
Adjunct Professor, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas
Just as museum management is vitally important for the
development and organization of each museum, so is
collections management vital to the development,
organization and preservation of the collections that
each museum curates. Although museum collections
may be very different from one another in content, they
share other similar characteristics. They all contain large
numbers of individual items, many different kinds of
objects, specimens, artworks, documents, and artefacts,
and all are representative of the natural, cultural, and
scientific heritage (ICOM Code of Ethics for Museums,
2004). Specifically, many museum collections are large
and complicated. This chapter is an introduction to best
professional practice in developing, organising and
preserving collections, with the aim of ensuring that the
collections are managed and cared for properly.
Collections management is the term applied to the
various legal, ethical, technical, and practical methods by
which museum collections are assembled, organized,
researched, interpreted, and preserved. Collections
management focuses on the care of collections with
concern for their long-term physical well-being and
safety. It is concerned with issues of preservation, use of
collections, and record keeping, as well as how the
collections support the museums mission and purpose.
The term collections management also is used to
describe the specific activities undertaken in the
management process.
Managing collections effectively is critical to ensuring
that the collections support the museums mission. This
also is vital in order to make the most of the alwayslimited resources of time, money, equipment, materials,
physical space, and staff. Equally, collections
management needs to be based upon clearly defined
policy and procedures that guide every-day decisionmaking and activities.
Introducing Collections Management
Box 1: The three key inter-related elements of
collections management:
Registration of collections provides baseline institutional
accountability for the many and various objects, artefacts,
specimens, samples, and documents that the museum
holds in trust for current and future generations of humanity.
Preservation of collections is an important, active aspect of
collections management that underlies all other museum
activities.
Providing controlled access to collections through exhibit
or research fulfils the museums mission to educate and
interpret while protecting collections at the same time.
Addressing registration, preservation and access issues in
writing can also be used to provide a framework for the
collections management policy.
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Disaster Preparedness
Insurance
Access to Collections
Security
Exhibitions
Controlled environment
Monitoring collections on exhibit
Suitable exhibit materials
Packing and shipping
Research
Field Collecting
In-house
Visiting scholars and researchers
Destructive analysis
Personal collecting and personal use of collections
Preventive Conservation
Conservation
Exercise 1: Examine this suggested collections management policy table of contents in the box above. What subjects are
relevant for use in your museum? Are there any subjects that are irrelevant? What is special about your museum that
would require the addition of other subjects? What would these subjects be? Summarise your conclusions and use these
as the outline for the collections management policy for your museum.
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Insurance
Insurance of collections is generally regarded as an
integral part of risk management, which is a term used to
describe the process of reducing the likelihood of damage
or loss of collections by eliminating or at least minimising
hazards. Insurance is not a substitute for poor collections
management and security, and unique objects and
collections are irreplaceable, but it can provide some
monetary compensation in the unhappy event of damage
or loss of objects and collections. Where insurance is
permitted (see below), the aim of the insurance that is
purchased is to provide sufficient monetary
compensation to repair or replace the collections in the
event of their damage or loss. Insurance varies greatly in
terms of what can be insured and against what risk, where
and under what circumstances the insurance applies, and
how claims are handled. Collections therefore need to be
valued with respect to their replacement cost or other
monetary value on a regular basis so that the museum has
an up-to-date schedule of insurance values. (Under most
insurance contracts if the collections are undervalued
overall the insurer will only be liable to pay the equivalent
percentage of any claim. For example, if the collections
are insured by the museum for only 50% of their true
market value the insurer would pay only half of any claim
for loss or restoration of damage relating to perhaps a
single object.) Insurance or other valuation records must
be kept up to date and, of course, under secure
conditions with limited access.
However, policy and practice in relation to the use of
insurance differs greatly from country to country and
indeed museum to museum within the same country. In
most countries the policy seems to be that the collections
of State-owned national museums are not insured, and it
is common for a Government Indemnity to be offered in
place of insurance to owners of both temporary and
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Research of collections
Research
Research on museum collections and publication of the
findings provides a particular type of access to the
collections, and allows museums to address their
education and interpretation mission. It makes specialized
information available to various interested parties and
provides the basis for exhibitions and educational
programming. It is very important that all museum
research is legal, ethical, in accordance with academic
standards, and supports the mission of the museum.
Field Collecting
When museums undertake field collecting it must be done
in accordance with all laws and treaties, and must adhere to
accepted academic standards. It also must be considerate of
local populations and their needs and wishes.
In-house Research
Research by museum staff should relate to the museums
mission and scope. The research should conform to
accepted academic standards. Research by museum
personnel must take place within the museum. Staff
should not be permitted to remove collections objects,
even temporarily, from the museum for any purposes.
Visiting Scholars
Museums should have written policies for security, access
to, and handling of collections by visiting scholars and
researchers. Museums should promote in-house use of
their collections by visiting scholars and researchers
while providing for the security, protection, and safe
handling of those collections during the research.
Destructive Analysis
Sometimes destructive analysis techniques are required
to further research investigations. These must be
undertaken only after careful consideration. Submission
of a research proposal to the museum for evaluation
should be required. The museum does not give up title,
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