Welcome to Collections Management Workshop

Workshop topics Collection policy Acquisition process Accession numbers Cataloguing Object handling Storage and care of collections

Collection policy

Collection management policy defines the scope and limits of museum’s collection and establishes standards and guidelines for its acquisition, deaccession, documentation, preservation, loans, security and management.

Museums, archives, libraries Based on the institutional mission statement Relationships with key stakeholders

Acquisition policy Formal statement outlining the scope of material that a

museum will acquire for its permanent collection

Establishes the criteria for acquisitions – In addition to the scope of collecting additional criteria:legal title, significance, provenance, condition, duplication, storage requirements, use in exhibitions and education, legal and ethical considerations

Procedure for acquisition of collection items

Decision making authority

Deaccession policy Deaccessioning – the formal procedure involved

when a decision has been made to remove an item from the museum collection

Criteria for deaccessioning

Procedure for deaccessioning and disposal

Decision making authority

Would you accept or reject for your collection ? The wedding suit of your town’s first mayor ?

The wedding suit of your current mayor ?

The wedding suit of an ordinary person of your country of

– A hundred years ago ?– Twenty five years ago ?– Last week ?

Would you accept for your collection ? A left shoe of the present day ?

A pair of shoes with both heels missing ?

A valuable antique chair used in an other part of the country and brought to your town by newcomers last year ?

Would you accept for your collection ? A painting by a great artist who has no

connection with your locality ?

A painting of poor quality of a local scene ?

A magnificent, mounted deer head ?

Would you accept for your collection ? An old piano used for many years by local

piano teacher ?

A miscellaneous collection made over the years by a prominent citizen of your community from his travels around the world ?

Would you accept for your collection ? Old bottles ?

A family Bible ?

The donor’s great-great grandmother’s wedding dress ?

A refrigerator ?

Benefits of having collection policy Sets the focus and criteria for collecting

Directed collecting vs. passive accumulation Collections that the museum has resources to care for Collections that museum has use for

Procedure for acquisitions – Avoid ownership disputes in the future

Criteria and procedures for deaccessioning

Justify decisions to public, your staff, the community

Well defined procedures bring consistency to collection management tasks

– Cataloguing, preservation, loans, access, security

How to develop collections policy? Starting point is your mission statement Knowledge of your collections Consult other museums in your area Obtain copies of collection policies

Te Papa National Services Resource Guide

“Acquisition and Deaccession Policies”

Acquisition methods

GiftPurchaseBequestExchange/ transferField collection

Acquisition decisions are the most important decisions !

Guiding principles

Collection policy– Scope of collecting– Criteria to consider

Legal and ethical considerations Obtaining legal title Provenance Significance Condition of object Storage requirements Duplication Usefulness for exhibitions, education, research Price

Acquisition Process Proposal / Significance assessment

– Help work out reasons why an object should be collected– Good resource for significance assessment at – Collections Australia Website

www.collectionsaustralia.net

Approval – who has authority to approve ? Obtaining legal title

Keep all documentation of the acquisition process including correspondence, invoices, receipts, deposit records, gift agreements, copies of bequest, permissions

Compliance to legislation and international conventions Protected Objects Act (Previously Antiquities Act) 1975

– Administered by The Ministry of Culture and Heritage– Regulates

The export of protected New Zealand objects The illegal export and import of protected New Zealand and

foreign objects The sale, trade and ownership of taonga tuturu

– Also incorporates UNESCO Convention and UNDROIT Convention

Historic Places Act CITES convention Wildlife Act Firearms license

Obtaining legal title Museum gets the actual title and possession of the

object

Person transferring the object to the museum by selling, gifting or by exchange must have free and unrestricted title to the object and right to transfer the object to the museum

The museum should ensure that there are not other family members who have a vested interest

Make sure all parties understand the finality of transfer of title !

Purchases Receipt from the sale is proof of ownership Makes sure the vendor has the right to sell Ensure all documentation is kept together and is

numbered with the objects accession number

Gift offer - Do you want it? Check against the criteria on your

collection/acquisition policy Give as much consideration as for a purchase In accepting a gifts the museum is under

obligation to care and preserve the objects and keep the associated stories intact

If you don’t want it – how to decline a gift ? Be open about the decision and explain the decision

based on your collection/acquisition policy Acceptance of gifts is on approval by the

board/director/acquisitions committee – joint responsibility

Suggest other institutions for the gift How do you return it? The importance of the incoming receipt / deposit record

– Shows proof of ownership and if the donor doesn’t want the object back what to do with it

Procedure for accepting gifts Obtain a signed Deed of Gift Use a standard form

Must include a statement of the right to transfer the item Description of the object Any terms and conditions Credit line used in acknowledging the gift Signature of the donor and date Signature of the museum representative and date

Sample forms

Importance of signatures

Procedure for accepting gifts continued...

Two copies – donor & museum All documentation of the gift kept together and

numbered with the objects accession number Receipt Acknowledgement of the gift - letter You might also list gifts in your newsletter and

display them - publicity

Bequests No obligation to accept a bequest Obtain a copy of the will Be wary of conditions Negotiate with the executor if conditions are too

onerous Receipt Ensure all documentation is kept together and

numbered with the objects accession number

Collection in the Field and Exchanges Need the relevant permits or letters of

permission before collecting takes place

Need to be able to establish you have full ownership title of the object you are going to exchange before the exchange takes place

Museum should acquire these rights The right to display the object as suits its exhibition

programme

The right to break up collections and dispose of objects as it sees fit and according to its policies

Right to reproduce for internal documentation, research, non-commercial purposes – standard copyright clearance form

– Copyright might not belong to the donor

Important to document all rights acquired

Easiest to acquire at acquisition As much information of the collected object as possible

– Who made it - where and when and how ?– Who owned/used it - where, when & how ?– What was the significance of the object ?

These connect the object to an individual, family, community, wider region

Acquisition form, interviews, newspaper clippings, letters, photographs relating to the object

Discussion, share your experiences

Accessioning – the formal process of registering an object as part of the museum’s permanent collection

The object and legal title have been transferred to the museum

Unique accession number is assigned to the object

Accession number links the object to all the information held about it

Acquisition register Primary document, listing key information about each object in museum’s collection

Acquisition register Is proof of museums ownership of its collections

together with acquisition documents

A sturdy well bound book / computer file / function of your collection management software

Write in permanent ink/pen

Take good care of the register / file / database

Each entry should have this information Source name and contact details Receipt number and date Object name, maker and brief description Acquisition method Acquisition reason and authority Acquisition date Price paid Accession number

Purpose of the accession number Unique accession number for each object

Marked on the object and written on all relating documents

– receipts – deed of gift, copy of bequest, copyright clearance form – correspondence– photographs, condition reports, loan agreements etc.

Accession number identifies the object

Accession number is a link between the object and all the information about the object. Never break this link !

Numbering systems Single number systems

– Number only 1 .... 100340– Prefix GH1 ....GH 5200

Two part system– 2004.1 ... 2004.2

Three part system– 2004.20.1

Parts of an object

For parts of an object a suffix can be used

Rose medallion teapot in a basket with two extra cups 2003.8.1.1- 6

Teapot 2003.8.1.1

Lid 2003.8.1.2

Cups 2003.8.1.3

2003.8.1.4

2003.8.1.5

Basket 2003.8.1.6

http://www.chinesecol.com/

If you have an existing numbering system and it works stick with it

Renumbering a collection is not generally recommended – danger of breaking the link between object and

documentation– time and resource consuming

Think VERY carefully of pros and cons if you decide to change the system !

Marking objects with accession numbers Marking should not damage the object Reversible – can be removed Clearly visible and legible Unobtrusive when on display Should not obscure makers marks, signature

etc. No not apply on damaged or fragile areas Be consistent and mark similar objects in the

same place

Where and how would you mark or label ?Ceramic teapot ? A glass bottle ? A metal iron ?

Photographic print ? Postcard ?

Embroidery sampler ? Dress ?

Pair of shoes ? Pair of gloves ?

Piupiu ? Kete ? Kakahu ?

Framed oil painting ? Unstretched canvas ?

A telephone ?

Mounted bird ?

Machinery kept in a shed ?

Materials and techniques B 72 and permanent ink - metal, stone, ceramic, glass

Japanese tissue attached with methyl cellulose or wheat starch - leather, fibre, tapa cloth

2B pencil - paper, photographic prints, books

Cotton/linen tape and textile pen – costumes, textiles, basketry

Swing tags - some textiles, plastic, rubber

If in doubt use a swing tag or label the support or the enclosure !!!!

Applying numbers Do not use B72 for

– plastic– rubber – vax– laquer surface

Instead use swing tags or mark the support or container

Do not use pressure sensitive tape, correction liquid, pen on paper objects !

Numbering kit with all required materials

Mark accession numbers on documentation Mark accession number on any documentation

relating to the object in pencil

File in an accessions file organised by year and number sequence or object file depending on what is practical for your museum

Questions & share experiences

Numbering exercise B 72 and ink

Try numbering pebbles, sea shells and small ceramic objects

Cotton tape and marking pen Try making a cotton tape label