Collections management (museum)

Collections management involves the development, storage, and preservation

of collections and cultural heritage. The primary goal of collections management is to meet the needs of
the individual collector or collecting institution's mission statement, while also ensuring the long-term
safety and sustainability of the cultural objects within the collector's care. Collections management, which
consists primarily of the administrative responsibilities associated with collection development, is closely
related to collections care, which is the physical preservation of cultural heritage. The professions most
influenced by collections management include collection managers, registrars, andarchivists.

Cultural heritage collections require a great deal of care and protection in order to ensure their safety from
external loss or damage, but they also require in-depth documentation to assist in tracking the life of the
object within the holding institution. To accommodate these needs, collectors adhere to collections
management and collections care standards and practices, which serve to create a safe environment for
collection objects with clear and precise accompanying documentation. Where collections care addresses
the physical actions necessary to prevent or delay damages of cultural heritage, collection management
can be defined as "a process of information gathering, communication, coordination, policy formulation,
evaluation, and planning."[1] These processes influence decisions about records management and the
collections management policy, which outlines protocols for the collection scope, collections care, and
emergency planning and response

Records management[edit]

According to the Smithsonian Institution, a record is "any official, recorded information, regardless of
medium or characteristics which are created, received, and maintained" by an individual collector or
institution.[2] As every object within a collection must have accompanying documentation, records
management functions as the primary focus of collections management, and covers a wide range of
documentation and policy standards. Topics covered under the umbrella of records management include
collection information management systems, collections accession and deaccession policies, collection
management policies, cataloging, and curation.
Collections management systems[edit]
Main article: Collections Management System

Collection management systems (CMS) are software programs designed to aid in the archiving and
cataloging of objects in a collection. Within libraries, archives, and museums there are several CMS
systems available for use to include: Proficio by Re:discovery Software, Ke EMu by KE Software,
(MuseumPlusRIA (zetcom), The Museum System (TMS), EmbARK, Archivists Toolkit, and PastPerfect,
just to name a few. Some institutions even create their own "homegrown" CMS, using common
development tools such asFilemaker Pro, and Microsoft Office Access, to address the specific needs of
their collection.[3][4][5] There are several factors to consider in selecting a CMS including the size of the
collection, its anticipated growth over time, and the availability of IT resources and staffing. [6] Although
every CMS program is unique, there are several features that are considered standard:

Cataloging: This feature includes fields for object identification purposes such as permanent
identification numbers, object name, artist or creator name, object description, dimensions, object
 components and materials, condition, provenance, exhibition and preservation history, current
location, and an image of the object.

Acquisitions: This feature includes fields relevant to the donor and purchase history for the object
such as date of acquisition, donor or seller name and contact information, the assigned accession
number, purchase price, condition assessment at time of arrival, and seller or donor restrictions, if
applicable.

Deaccessions: This feature addresses the removal of an object from a collection and includes
information such as the date of deacessioning, method of disposal used, and reason for removal.

Loans: This feature is used for tracking information about incoming and outgoing loans to include
lender name and contact information, special requirements, shipping instructions, associated
insurance policies, and loan history.

Condition and conservation reports: This feature includes condition assessments performed on
objects, and the name of the inspector and date of inspection. This section also includes
conservation reports detailing conservation-restoration treatments performed on the object.

Security: This feature allows the database administrator to restrict access to the database by giving
only specific individuals access to view and/or edit object records.

Copyright: The copyright feature allows the institution to input relevant intellectual property
restrictions for the objects in order to prevent illegal distribution or reproduction of the object.

Multimedia: The multimedia feature is a function that allows digital materials such as image, video,
and audio content associated with an object to be attached to the object record. This feature typically
allows the input of associated metadata.[7]
Cataloging[edit]
Main article: Cataloging

Cataloging is the process of entering informational data about an object into a collection catalog or
database. This process involves assigning unique identification numbers to individual objects within a
collection, and attaching relevant accompanying documentation to the item such as curatorial
worksheets, photographs, condition assessments, and accession and/or deaccession information.[8] A
catalog is meant to serve as a systematic written or digital record of every object within a collection, and
should at the very least, include an object description that will allow for easy identification of an object. [9]

Cataloging is an important aspect of collections management as it provides the individual records

associated with each object within a collection. Should an object be lost or destroyed, the catalog entry
can be utilized as a permanent record of the object and its data. For some collections, such as natural
history collections, the catalog entry for an object or specimen also contains the scientific values and
research information about the physical object, making maintenance of a catalog entry imperative for
future research and education.[8] Most modern collectors and institutions utilize CMS to streamline the
catalog process. For this to be effective, data entry standards must be utilized for data structure, data
values, and data content, which then "form the basis for a set of tools that can lead to good descriptive
cataloguing, consistent documentation, shared records, and increased end-user access."[10]
Curation[edit]

Curation can be defined as the collecting, organizing, preserving, and displaying of information about a
specific object or collection topic. The role of curating is performed by individuals known as curators, who
are trained as subject specialists. Where collection managers and registrars can be seen as record
keepers, or in some cases, jacks-of-all-trades, curators pursue specialized training in a given subject
matter which allows them to conduct research on objects, offer guidance in the organization of a
collection, and select objects to be utilized in exhibitions.[11] Curation therefore entails the aesthetic details
of a collection and involves the development and design of exhibitions based on objects within the
collection, as well as the in-depth research and writing of papers associated with the collection. [1

Digital curation[edit]
Main article: Digital curation

Digital curation is an extension of content curation, and involves the collecting, preserving, and archiving
of digital assets associated with digitized collections.[13][14] Digital assets include both those items that
originated in a digital form and are considered born-digital (i.e. websites, wikis, and digitally created
sound and photographs), as well as analogitems that have been digitized (i.e. cataloged in digital form,
while still maintaining the original physical/analog form).[15][16] Digital curation, like content curation, also
involves the development and design of exhibitions based on objects within the collection, which in this
case, often involves website maintenance for online exhibits.

Whether born-digital or digitized, many modern collections contain some form of digital collection content
which must be maintained in much the same way as physical objects. Preservation of digital assets
involves the creation of metadata to improve accessibility and object tracking, preventing technical
obsolescence and data loss due to mismanagement, performing routine audits of technical software and
digital catalogs to ensure data remains uncorrupted, applying authorization standards to protect data from
unauthorized alterations, and managing content for the purposes of research and exhibition

Collections management policy[edit]

The primary focus of collections management is to document the standards and practices necessary to
develop, care for, and make available for use, the collection objects within a collector or institution's care.
To accomplish this, a collections management policy is created in which detailed information is provided
to explain the specific needs of the collection based on type, age, location, etc. Collection management
policies are specific to the collection-holding institution and these policies lay out terms such as which
personnel are responsible for individual tasks involving the collection, if and when an object should be
acquired for or removed from the collection, who within the institution has access to the collection, and
the preventive care needs of each object within the collection.[18]
Legal and ethical considerations[edit]

In addition to general care standards, a collection management policy is also governed by the local and
international legal restrictions placed on certain cultural heritage objects and the management needs
associated with them. There are countless laws on the books that specify
how antiquities, archaeological findings, and ethnic pieces must be handled and maintained to ensure
their physical safety as well as the ethical considerations that these unique collection objects must
address.

Examples of local laws within the United States of America include:

Act for the Preservation of American Antiquities, June 8, 1906 (The Antiquities Act) (16 USC 431-
433): authorizes the President of the United States to declare national monuments, and enforces
regulations protecting archaeological sites and excavated objects. [19]

Museum Properties Management Act of 1955, (16 USC, Sect. 18 [f]): explains the responsibilities and
actions that may be performed by the United States Secretary of the Interior through the National
Park Service to include accepting donations and bequests of money, purchasing museum objects
and collections, making exchanges of museum objects or collections, and accepting and making
loans of museum objects or collections.[20]

Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of 1990(NAGPRA), (25 USC 3001-13):
identifies ownership and control rights for Native American cultural items.[21]

Examples of international legislation include:

The Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict,
(adopted 14 May 1954): an international treaty focused on protecting cultural heritage such as
architectural monuments, archaeological locations, works of art, and any objects deemed to have
artistic, historic, or scientific significance.[22]

Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of
Ownership of Cultural Property, (Paris, 14 November 1970): an international agreement to oppose
the practices of illicit importing, exporting, and transferring of ownership of cultural property in order to
better preserve the cultural property of the countries of the world.[23]
 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, (Paris, 17 October 2003): an
international agreement designed to safeguard intangible cultural heritagewhile also raising
awareness and appreciation thereof. Intangible cultural heritage includes "the practices,
representations, expressions, knowledge, skills as well as the instruments, objects, artefacts and
cultural spaces associated therewith that communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals
recognize as part of their cultural heritage."[24]
Collection scope[edit]

Written as a subsection of the overarching collection management policy, most collectors and cultural
institutions utilize a collections policy, or selection criteria policy, in which it is outlined what purpose the
collection serves, and the types of objects that are considered most relevant. The collection policy lays
out the scope of the collection and its relevance to the institution's mission statement by serving as "a
broad description of the [institution's] collections and an explanation of how and what the museum
collects and how those collections are used." [25] The scope of the collection as laid on it in this policy
serves to define if, when, and how a cultural institution chooses to accession or deaccession objects from
its collection. Additionally, as different types of collections require unique care protocols, the collection
policy also details the categories associated with the collection such as library or archive, education or
research, permanent, and exhibit. The collection policy might also address conflicts of interest for
employees who hold personal collections that are similar to those of the institution within which they are
employed.[18][25]

Accessioning[edit]

Accessioning can be defined as "the process of creating a permanent record of an object, assemblage, or
lot received from one source at one time for which the [institution] has custody, right, or title, and
assigning a unique control number to said object, assembly, or lot. [26] As part of the collection scope
policy, collectors and institutions must lay out acquisition terms to ensure only relevant objects are
successfully accessioned into the collection. This portion of the policy discusses: who within the institution
is authorized to make decisions on whether an object is acquired or not, under what legal terms the object
is to be acquired (i.e. documentation proving legal purchase, import and export restrictions, and
intellectual property rights), and repository agreement information if the object is to be stored within an
offsite facility.[18] The accessioning section of the collection policy might also discuss the strengths and
weaknesses of the collection by examining the history of the collection as a whole. This in turn allows the
collector or institution to set guidelines for improving, growing, and developing the collection in a way that
is of most benefit.[25]

Deaccessioning[edit]

Deaccessioning is the opposite of accessioning and involves the permanent removal of an object and all
associated records from a collector's or institution's collection. Like the accession portion of the collection
policy, the deaccession section lays out the terms under which an object may be considered for removal,
as well as the individuals with the authority to approve the process. Additionally, this section lays out the
legal restrictions associated with removal of the object, and the types of disposal that are appropriate
based on the reason for the deaccession.[18] There are many reasons that an object may be removed
from a collection including:

The object has been deemed no longer relevant to the collection-holder's mission or permanent
collection scope.

The condition of the object has deteriorated or been damaged to such an extent that the collection-
holder cannot implement restoration repairs, or the object now poses a health risk for institution
personnel.

The institution no longer possess the means to maintain the object in an adequate environment due
to financial or budgeting concerns, loss of personnel, lack of equipment, etc.

The institution already possesses similar objects within the collection, which causes an unnecessary
redundancy.

The object has been deemed a fake or forgery, or not authentic and no longer relevant to the overall
collection.

The collection-holder is in a position in which deaccessioning an object will improve the quality of
care and function of the remaining collection

Loans and temporary custody of objects[edit]

Collectors and collecting institutions sometimes transfer objects to or from their collections for temporary
periods of time as part of loan or temporary custody agreements. These loans help share and
disseminate information to different communities and can prove mutually beneficial to both collection-
holding individuals or institutions.[25] Loans can occur for a variety of reasons and for policy purposes
loans may be defined as: stationary or traveling exhibition loans, exchange loans, study loans, promised
gifts, fractional-interest gifts (a "donor's remaining interest in a partial gift"), and long-term loans. The
policies for loans may also be applied to acquisitions during the processing period, unsolicited objects
until a return can be arranged, and collection objects or those objects found, abandoned, or unclaimed, in
which ownership is unclear.[25][28]

Within the collections scope section of a collections management policy, there is typically an area
dedicated to discussing the procedures for loan approval and acceptance, associated acquisition fees,
required documentation, specific insurance requirements, and monitoring instructions for the temporary
holdings. This section may also include information about old loans and works with restrictions governing
if and when they are allowed to leave the holding-institution.[25] The loan policy should address both
incoming and outgoing loans with thoroughly explained written procedures. [28]
Collections care[edit]

The visual storage facilities at theVictoria and Albert Museum in London, England.

Main article: Collections care

Collections care can be defined as the physical preventive care measures taken to prevent damage or
delay the natural deterioration of cultural heritage collection objects. These practices strive to provide
enhanced safety for collections by minimizing damages from external sources such as improper handling,
vandalism, climate changes, overexposure to light, and pests.[29] A collections management policy
carefully examines the collections care and collections maintenance (museum) needs of the individual
objects within the collection, in order to provide practices and standards for how to mitigate threats, as
well as the proper procedures for addressing issues as they arise. Sub-topics within this section may
include display and storage housing, packing and transport, and integrated pest management.

Display and storage housing[edit]

When objects are held within a collection, either in storage or on display in an exhibit, the primary concern
should be on the continued safety of the collection. To accomplish this, the collector or holding-institution
must take into consideration proper housing containers, as well as environmental conditions necessary to
prevent damages. The collections management policy for the collection should contain sections in which
display and storage housing needs for the objects are addressed in full. Consultation with a conservator-
restorer may be necessary to fully address these topics.

In terms of housing, solid structural design is vital in ensuring objects remain undamaged while stationary.
This includes accounting for padding and support of the objects to prevent damage from bumps and
snags, and stable display cases or mounts, which often requires collaboration with a mount maker to
ensure proper creation and installation. Stands, shelves, drawers, and cases, in addition to fasteners,
adhesives, papers, and foams, must all be chosen based on their compatibility with the structural design
and materials of each individual object.[30] The collections management policy should outline housing
specifications such as the use of acid-free (pH neutral) and dye-free materials; types of
enclosed cabinetry where available; appropriate coverings such as fabrics (e.g.
unbleached muslin), polyethylene sheeting, and closed-cell foam (e.g. Ethafoam); containers made of
paper, plastic, wood, or metal; enclosures such as folders or mats; and standards for frames, supports,
and mounts.[31]

The main environmental conditions that require outlined protocols in the collections management policy
include temperature, relative humidity (RH), light, and contaminants.[32] It is impossible to completely
prevent natural deterioration of objects, but by carefully monitoring and implementing policies regarding
environmental conditions, the effects of these conditions can be greatly reduced.

Temperature: There is some flexibility allowed when addressing temperature, as it is impossible to

control external weather. However, policy standards should aim to set temperature ranges that are
optimized for the type of objects being preserved, the collector's or institution's energy and financial
restrictions, as well as human comfort levels within both exhibit galleries and storage facilities.[33]

Relative humidity: Like temperature, RH standards, also allow for some fluctuations, although policies
should take into account that excessive moisture or sudden dramatic shifts in relative humidity, can
be harmful to almost all cultural heritage materials and may cause issues such
as corrosion, mold growth, cracking,[34] warping,[35] orembrittlement.[33][36]

Light: There are two types of light- ultraviolet (UV) and visual light as perceived by the human eye-
that need to be addressed within collections management and care. The effects of visual light
exposure is cumulative, but visual light is necessary to view and safely handle objects within a
collection, which means that standards should be established to limit time and intensity levels of
visual light exposure, without risking visitor or staff safety.[37] UV light, on the other hand, is not
necessary for viewing or handling of collections, and as such should be eliminated as much as
possible through the use of filters in order to prevent damage such as yellowing or disintegration. [37]

Contaminants: Contaminants can take a variety of forms such as gases, liquids, or solids, and they
can pose threats not only to a collection, but also to those individuals that come in close contact with
the pollutants. To ensure the safety of personnel and objects, it is necessary for a collection
management policy to specify the proper methods for documenting and researching objects that are
a risk for bringing contaminants into the collection, as well as explaining what precautions must be
taken to prevent accidental contamination as the result of human error or the chemical breakdown of
collection objects. Contaminated objects may show signs of disintegration, discoloration, [38] or
corrosion.[32]

Packing and transport[edit]

Objects within a collection should ideally, be handled as little as possible since every time they are
handled, they are at an increased risk of damage. Proper display and storage housing will help to mitigate
some of the risks of accidental damage, but it is important to create and implement high standards for the
routine care and handling, as well as the packing and transporting, of collection objects. [39] It is extremely
important to ensure that staff are aware of and educated on standard practices for handling objects such
as hand washing protocols, the appropriate use of cotton or latex gloves, established practices for
identifying structural weaknesses that may require special care, and the accepted modes of
transportation of objects within the holding-institution (i.e. flatbeds, carts, tote pans, pads, and tissue
papers).[40]

Sometimes a collector or institution will have a need to move objects outside of exhibit and storage
locations. The collection management policy, which discusses the proper procedures for loans and
acquisitions, must therefore also address proper packing and transport protocols to ensure that the
objects arrive at their destination safely. To ensure safe transport, safe handling techniques must be
combined with individual packing requirements for the specific object being shipped. Ideally, the object
will be packaged in ashipping container that provides protection from shock, vibration, sudden climate
changes, and mishandling. Collection management policies will advise staff on how best to address
issues such as "the object's fragility, the shipping method, the climate through which the objects will
travel, and the climate at the object's destination."[39] During the packing and transport process, it is likely
that several departments within the shipping institution may contribute, and collaboration with the
receiving institution must be arranged to provide policies for acclimatization and unpacking of the object
once received

Integrated pest management[edit]

Main article: Museum integrated pest management

Within the collections care section of a collections management policy, there is typically a section
dedicated to integrated pest management (IPM). This section covers the policies related to the prevention
and suppression methods of various types of pests typically found within collections. IPM focuses on
utilizing non-pesticide prevention and treatment techniques in order to minimize health risks for personnel
as well as damages to the collection itself. Examples of types of pests that should be addressed include
"insects, mold, mice, rats, birds, and bats."[43]

The collection management aspect of IPM involves creating and implementing policies for the routine
inspection of objects and housing facilities, authorized trapping procedures, and documentation of all
inspections or trapping programs utilized within the facility. These policies are called cultural controls, and
the physical techniques utilized as part of the collections care are known as mechanical
controls.[43] Specific cultural controls that may be documented within the collections management policy
include:

Standards for the inspection of all new materials to be brought into collection areas including new
acquisitions and loans, and storage or packing materials.

Defined practices for daily collections maintenance and general housekeeping of collection-holding
facilities.
 Restrictions on areas within the building where food, drinks, and smoking are allowed and prohibited.

Documentation showing the careful monitoring of plants placed around the outside of the building,
with special attention paid to the proximity of live plants and mulch to the building, in addition to
banning live and dried plants within the building.

Policies for standard collections care including relative humidity, and storage and housing
guidelines.[43]
U.S. Navy personnel move a damaged antique plane from the Lone Star Flight Museum during disaster
recovery after Hurricane Ike inGalveston, Texas, September 21, 2008.
Emergency planning and response

Collections management focuses heavily on planning and response standards, and lays out these
practices in documents detailing how staff responsible for the care of a collection should address the
various needs of the collection. Created in conjunction with the collection management policy, most
collecting institutions will also possess a disaster preparedness and emergency response policy that
outlines what procedures should be taken to prevent injury or loss of life for all personnel and building
visitors, as well as how to minimize damages or loss to the collection.[44] This plan often contains a
section identifying potential risks for the collection based on the region in which the collection is located,
including fires, earthquakes, criminal activity, or flooding, in addition to damages from repairs, building
failure, improper collections care, and neglect.[45] The plan should also outline protocols for how to handle
a disaster, starting with the chain of command within the emergency response team, as well as the
individual responsibilities of each member of the staff. The emergency response team will include a
managing official responsible for notifying other members of the team of a disaster and overseeing the
implementation of the emergency response tasks. These staff members are typically trained in proper
collection handling protocols. The disaster preparedness and emergency response plan should also
include detailed instructions explaining how each type of disaster should be handled including the
initial threat assessment and response, evacuation procedures where appropriate, damage mitigation
plans, salvage priorities, and post-damage inventories and recovery procedures.[46][47]