Collections Management

V&A Case Study: Delivering efficiency and value for money through systems and workflow

12 May 2011, Museums + Heritage Show

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Overview

1. Collections Management at the V&A

2. V&A Collections Management Programme

3. The System

4. Review of working practices (Processes)

5. Work Flow

6. Questions

V&A Mission Statement

To be the world’s leading museum of art and design; enriching people’s lives by promoting knowledge, understanding and enjoyment of the designed world.

V&A Collections

At 31 March 2011: 2,118,418 items in the Collection:

1,165,946 museum objects and works of art

951,709 library items

763 archival collections measuring an estimated 658 cubic meters

Two museum sites: South Kensington and Museum of Childhood, two additional offsite storage locations

Collections Management at the V&A

Six Collection Departments: Asian, Furniture, Textiles and Fashion, Museum of Childhood, Sculpture, Metalwork, Ceramics and Glass, Theatre and Performance, Word and Image

Central Documentation and Collections Management Services team: leading on standards, providing advice, support, project management

Part of a central Collections Services Department which includes Conservation, Photography and Technical Services

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Collections Management Programme?

A programme

to

improve the way we work

with collections

to

deliver our public programme

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What do we mean by Collections Management?

Collections Management?

CollectionsAcquisition

Cataloguing

Conservation & Collections Care

Exhibitions

Touring

Loans

Public Accountability

FuturePlan

Displays

WEB

Publications

Photography

Location & Movement control

Entry

Loans inRights Management Audit

Packing & Transport

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Systems at April 2010

IS Services maturity model

Infrastructure

Transactional

Strategic

Agile

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Proposed new structure

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From Collections Information to Collections Management

The Collections Management System will enable us to work more efficiently to deliver our Public Programme by helping us to:

Reduce duplication of effort

Access information about the collections more easily

Ensure the information is authoritative

Make more collections and more information available to the public

Improve and develop knowledge and understanding of the collections

Improve workflow

Plan effectively and report accurately on the collections and how they are being used both internally and externally

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Procedure reviews

1. Feasibility - is improvement possible?

2. What should we try to improve - Preliminary Review and Survey?

3. Technology Opportunities e.g. location control

4. Urgent priorities – Acquisitions and Rights Management

5. Quick wins

6. Sector Standards other museums and Workflow

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The Vanguard Systems Thinking Approach

Check => Plan => Do

Purpose - What matters to the customer?

Demand – type and frequency – value? Failure?

Capability – ability of system to respond to meet demand

Flow – step by step => value/ waste/ impact on customer

System Conditions – what helps or hinders

Identify levers for change (plan)

Take direct action on the system (Do)

Core and Support Processes

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Acquisitions

Customer?

Purpose ?

Scoping

Functions vs flow of work

Detailed review

Creation and Validation of model

First impressions

Work Flow?

Rights Management

Rights Management Review in progress – working with Naomi Korn Copyright Consultancy

A ‘fit for purpose’ licensing framework for non commercial uses

Search the Collections

Creative Commons Licences

Ensuring work and relationships are managed effectively

Providing effective training and support for ‘tricky questions’

Thank you, Questions & Contact Details

Heather Caven, Head of Documentation & CollectionsManagement Services

h.caven@vam.ac.uk