supporting the heritage sector in northamptonshire: collections-access report (2009)

Northamptonshire CAO support version 1.7 21/03/2009

Collections-Access Report

Supporting the heritage sector in Northamptonshire

Photo: Collections-Access Officer Lee Hutchinson and John Cutmore, Chairman of Burton Latimer Heritage Society

Lee Hutchinson, Collections-Access Officer (CAO) Catherine Earnshaw, Collections-Access Officer (CAO)


Summary

This document provides the results of six months of financial and professional support from Renaissance East Midlands to some of the smaller independent museums in the Northamptonshire region. Following initial advice from Northamptonshire’s Museum Development Officer, ten sites were identified as requiring both financial and professional support for the financial year 2008-09. These were: Burton Latimer Heritage Society, Corby Heritage Service, Daventry Town Council Museum, Desborough Heritage Centre, Kettering Museum, Piddington Roman Villa Museum, Rothwell Heritage Centre, Rushden Heritage Services, Sulgrave Manor and Wollaston Museum. Both Lee Hutchinson (Collections-Access Officer) and Catherine Earnshaw (Collections-Access Officer as of 21.01.09) have found that all of the museums have been extremely appreciative of the support. Substantial developments have been made through training sessions and onsite assistance in the areas of collections management and care across the region. Through the implementation of environmental monitoring systems at, for example, Sulgrave Manor Museum, steps have been taken to optimise environmental control and minimise energy consumption. With the complete refurbishing and restructuring of storage spaces at, for example, Burton Latimer Heritage Society and Wollaston Museum, the museums’ stored collections now meet current preservation and conservation standards, and both physical and intellectual access to the collections have been significantly improved. Developments such as these have undoubtedly enhanced and will continue to enhance the museum visitor’s experience. The ongoing support from Renaissance East Midlands for these sites has helped to ensure that the towns and villages in which they are based are equipped with fully functioning heritage services, providing easily accessible centres for the safeguarding of the local collective memory and much welcomed focal points for local residents. For further information about the delivery of the project, please contact: Lee Hutchinson, Collections-Access Officer, Northampton Museums: [email protected] Tel. 01604 837677 Cate Earnshaw, Collections-Access Officer, Northampton Museums: [email protected] Tel. 01604 837677

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]


Summary 2 Contents 3 1 Burton Latimer Heritage Society 4

2 Corby Heritage Service 6

3 Daventry Town Council Museum 7

4 Desborough Heritage Centre 7

5 Kettering Museum 8

6 Piddington Roman Villa Museum 8

7 Rothwell Heritage Centre 8

8 Rushden Heritage Centre 9

9 Sulgrave Manor 10

10 Wollaston Museum 11

11 Conclusions 13


1.0 Burton Latimer Heritage Society During Lee’s first visit to Burton Latimer Heritage Society Museum (BLHSM) in 2008, he was provided with a tour of the museum’s storage space and stored collections. These consisted of approximately three thousand unmarked items in plastic carrier bags in a room that was only available temporarily to the Society.

Members of Burton Latimer Heritage Society’s management team, Anita Marks and John Cutmore, inspecting the collections during the CAO’s first visit

Following support from the CAOs, the Society has since been equipped with archival quality storage boxes, sleeves, pockets and acid-free tissue. Lee has provided BLHS with advice on collections management and care, and the Society’s stored collections are now stored to industry standards in a space within the Society’s premises in environmentally stable conditions.

John Cutmore in Burton Latimer Heritage Society Museum’s improved store during the rationalisation process


With the help of the Northamptonshire CAOs, Burton Latimer Heritage Society is in the process of acquiring an archival quality accession register with which to document their acquisitions. The CAOs are continuing to provide professional advice concerning the best storage methods for items in their collections. Various cataloguing systems have been discussed and the CAOs will offer advice on implementing the most appropriate type. Catherine and the key volunteers have discussed their collecting aims and Catherine has started to assist with the development of an acquisitions and disposals policy.

From left to right: Burton Latimer Heritage Society’s management team: secretary John Meads, registrar Anita Marks and chairman John Cutmore; Northamptonshire’s CAOs: Lee Hutchinson, Catherine Earnshaw

From: Mrs. M Marks

Sent: 16 March 2009 09:04 To: Lee Hutchinson; Catherine Earnshaw

Subject: Burton Latimer Heritage Society

Dear Lee and Cate,

We would like to thank you both very much, for joining us on Friday 13th March. Your

advice and practical help, with regard to caring for our Heritage Museum items, have

proved invaluable to us and given us confidence in the systems we have implemented.

We want to save, and share with the public, items that highlight the history of Burton

Latimer and it’s a pleasure to work with people, who are good as a team and share our

enthusiasm.

Regards

Anita, John and John


2.0 Corby Heritage Service Corby Borough Council’s heritage development worker Billy Dalziel and Northamptonshire CAO Catherine Earnshaw on the site of Corby’s new heritage centre

The CAOs visited Corby Heritage Service with a view to providing advice on socially inclusive youth consultation and activities. They were initially given a tour of the building that, once refurbished, will house the town’s museum collections. Billy Dalziel is the currently the only heritage worker at Corby Borough Council. Lee has provided advice and support on youth engagement. Both Lee and Catherine have begun working with Corby to plan and implement a youth engagement programme that will include a consultation event that will fit into the Borough Council’s summer activities plan.

Following the CAOs’ visit, Corby Heritage Services were provided with a cheque for £400 by Renaissance East Midlands to assist with activities that will engage with young people in the town and ultimately inform the service’s policy on youth outreach and co-production of the new museum. “The support Renaissance East Midlands has provided myself as Heritage Development Worker for Corby Borough Council, has since possibly my first week in the job, been absolutely invaluable… the current proposal muted by Catherine Earnshaw and Lee Hutchinson will be of enormous value to the development of accurate and purposeful audience development for Corby’s new Heritage Centre.” Billy Dalziel, Heritage Development Worker, Corby Borough Council


3.0 Daventry Town Council Museum Daventry Town Council Museum (DTCM) is currently relocating its stored collections to a new site. While this process takes its course, the management team at DTCM made the decision to transfer its object records to an electronic database. The Catalyst database and supplementary training has been provided and Lee has assisted with the records transfer and subsequent documentation procedures. “We are extremely grateful for the support… with the provision of Catalyst and the ongoing support from Renaissance East Midlands, we’ll soon have a documentation system fit for the 21st century.” David Adams, Secretary, Daventry Town Council Museum

4.0 Desborough Heritage Centre Desborough Heritage Centre is a small, volunteer-run museum in a small market town. Desborough’s collection consists mainly of photographs and papers, though objects with historical relevance are also being collected. Lee and Jane Seddon, Museum Development Officer, visited Desborough to initiate the project and identify their specific needs. The volunteers’ main area of concern was documentation, both in the provision of training and implementation of procedures. Following Jane’s advice, Desborough’s management team decided that the Catalyst database would suit their needs, so arrangements are in place for the purchase of Catalyst and organised Catalyst training for the centre’s volunteers. Catherine Earnshaw attended a Catalyst training day at the centre, in which there was much discussion about the centre’s particular cataloguing and data management needs. With assistance where needed, the volunteers will begin writing their own documentation manual. This will help them to manage the Catalyst data and inputting process, catalogue in a consistent manner and ensure that future volunteers can better understand the process. Once Desborough Heritage Centre has purchased a computer to install the Catalyst database, Catherine will follow up the project, ensure they are happy with the cataloguing plan and processes, and answer any questions. The CAOs will continue to assist with marking and labelling procedures.


5.0 Kettering Museum At present, Jerry Weber, Collections-and-Information-Access Officer at Northampton Museum and Art Gallery, is in the process of developing an accreditation plan with Clare Bowyer of Kettering Museum. 6.0 Piddington Roman Villa Museum The CAOs and Rachel Silverson, Community-History Officer at Northampton Museum and Art Gallery, have been providing Piddington Roman Villa Museum (PRVM) with advice on youth volunteer recruitment for engagement activities. Following an initial meeting with Nikki Taylor, UFA Curriculum Practitioner at Northamptonshire County Council, who recruited Unity College students to the project, Lee subsequently timetabled workshops with PRVM and Northampton Unity College teachers and students. As a combined team, PRVM, Northampton Museum and Art Gallery and Unity College have run project activities for the young students that will run into the summer of 2009. Project activities include: historical re-enactment, storytelling, filming, sketching, photography, and an archaeological dig at Piddington. It is hoped that the project will culminate in a mini exhibition, publication of the young participants’ object reports, a celebratory launch event and a field trip to Chedworth Roman Villa. Young volunteers taking part in activities at Northampton Museum and Art Gallery and St Peter’s Church, Northampton, as part of Piddington Roman Villa Museum’s youth project


7.0 Rothwell Heritage Centre Situated in a small market town, Rothwell Heritage Centre is a largely volunteer- run arts and heritage centre. The project has been beset by delays, owing to the loss of the paid manager, following financial restructuring, and to prolonged and ongoing building work affecting the centre’s interior.

Following a request from Rothwell’s then manager Catherine Earnshaw, Lee visited the centre to provide a day of training on best practice in object handling, packing, labelling and marking. Lee Hutchinson and volunteers at Rothwell Heritage Centre during the handling, labelling, marking and packing training session

The day was very well received by the volunteers who have gone on to apply their new skills to their working environment. The CAOs will continue to support Rothwell’s collections plan when the building work is complete.


8.0 Rushden Heritage Centre Following advice from the Northamptonshire MDO on the most suitable collections-management system for the size and scope of their organisation, Rushden Heritage Centre’s management has decided to opt for Catalyst as a means of electronically cataloguing the objects in their collection. Lee and Catherine have arranged for the purchase of Catalyst and Catalyst training for the volunteers. They have provided initial advice on how to create a documentation plan. They have agreed to assist with any concerns arising from the Catalyst training and project implementation. 9.0 Sulgrave Manor

Sulgrave Manor is keen to apply for museum accreditation status by June 2009. As such, Lee has been assisting the Manor on a number of fronts. He has been assisting the volunteers with advice on the writing of a documentation backlog plan; he has provided a day’s training for all staff and volunteers on basic conservation techniques, including an extensive introduction to handling and packing using objects from the Manor’s museum collection; and he has helped to install Tiny Tag data loggers: an environmental monitoring system that not only monitors temperature and relative humidity, but helps to reduce CO2 emissions and minimise energy consumption. Jerry Weber, has provided the Manor with advice on compiling an emergency plan to meet accreditation standards. Lee is currently helping Sulgrave Manor to set up an electronic database as part of their documentation system.

Lee at Sulgrave Manor Museum, with readings from the Tiny Tag data logger


“Sulgrave Manor has benefitted from help by Lee Hutchinson, Collections Access Officer, in its preparation of documents essential to the accreditation process. His expertise in the preparation of a documentation backlog plan has been particularly useful and appreciated along with advice on managing the environmental monitoring of loggers and setting a template for the computerisation of the card index . It has been useful to have a personal contact, a link between the site and the Museums Service. It is especially important for small independent museums like Sulgrave Manor that the funding for a Collections Access Officer remains in place and so allows appropriate help to be readily available.” Jenny Overson, House Manager, Sulgrave Manor 10.0 Wollaston Museum When Lee first visited Wollaston Museum in September 2008, the museum’s storage area was in the process of being refurbished. It would be fair to say that conditions were environmentally unstable with little or no provision for archival quality storage equipment. The museum’s stored collections, consisting of approximately 3000 objects in all, were unnamed, unnumbered and packed into plastic carrier bags and supermarket boxes.

Wollaston Museum’s stores prior to Renaissance East Midlands collections access support


Wollaston Museum stores… before…

… and after. Joan Lewry, Wollaston Museum’s curator, inspects the museum’s

new storage facilities.


Joan Lewry, Wollaston Museum’s volunteer curator, is extremely pleased with the transformation, explaining that it will vastly improve the visitor experience. “On behalf of everyone at the museum, I would like to thank Renaissance East Midlands for their tremendous support and the contribution they have made to the transformation of our stores. Now that the objects [in the stores] have been securely packed and properly cared for, they’re also a lot more accessible to visitors.” Joan Lewry, Curator, Wollaston Museum 11.0 Conclusions While there was some initial confusion over the management of the separate budgets for each individual project, this was eventually resolved. One recommendation would be for a more streamlined, perhaps centralized approach to budget control from the outset. The response to the collections-access initiative from non-partner museums has been overwhelming, with unanimous enthusiasm for the support and assistance of Renaissance East Midlands. The countywide collections-access work has contributed to the safeguarding of the county’s cherished collections and to the bolstering of community ties within each locality. It is evident that there is popular approval for continuation and further development of the Renaissance in the Regions collections-access initiative.

supporting the heritage sector in northamptonshire: collections-access report (2009)

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